Agriculture Commons^™

Turfgrass Weed Control For Professionals, 2024, Aaron J. Patton, Matthew T. Elmore

Purdue University Press Books

Turfgrass is used on everything from athletic fields, golf courses, and parks, to lawns, sod farms, and roadsides. Unfortunately, information on weed management for professionals maintaining these areas has often been inaccurate or out of date, and applicators are frequently unaware of the most effective methods for controlling weeds in turf. Written by experts in the field and featuring insights from contributors from sixteen states across the US, the 2024 edition of Turfgrass Weed Control for Professionals was developed to provide science-based information for those working in the field. It contains information about turfgrass management, weed biology and management, more …

Program Transition Success: A Practical Guide For Educators Moving Sbae Programs, Evey Choat

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

What tools, strategies, and support systems can help agriculture educators navigate leadership transitions and sustain program success when moving between schools or communities? Teacher mobility and leadership transitions within School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) present unique challenges to program continuity, community relations, and professional sustainability. Unlike other subject areas, SBAE teachers often manage multifaceted responsibilities—as classroom instructors, FFA advisors, and community liaisons—making transitions between programs especially complex. This project addresses the lack of structured support for educators navigating these transitions by developing a Program Transition Guide specifically tailored to the needs of agricultural educators in Nebraska.

Guided by Transformational Leadership Theory …

Impact Of Crop Rotation And Species Variation On Soil Quality Indicators, Somasekhar Auduti, Uday Kiran Pittala, Pratibha Adhikari

Scholars Week

Impact of Crop Rotation and Species Variation on Soil Quality Indicators

Pratibha Adhikari, Somasekhar Auduti, Uday Kiran Pittala

Mentor: Dr. Iin P. Handayani, Ph.D.

Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University, Murray, KY, USA

Designing crop rotations that counter the negative effects of monocropping requires crop choices that build carbon and create stable pore structure. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of crop rotation on selected soil health indicators and to interpret soil health conditions across agricultural fields. Soil samples were collected from West Farm, Murray, KY, from six crop fields—corn, soybean, tobacco, millet, cotton, and …

Assessing Soil Properties Under Pastures Managed For Different Livestock Systems In Western Kentucky, Chandralekha Joga Miss

Scholars Week

Soil health plays a vital role in sustainable agriculture, particularly in pasture-based livestock systems that influence physical and chemical soil properties. This study evaluated the effects of different livestock systems on surface soil characteristics in western Kentucky. Soil samples were collected from September 16 to September 22, 2025. Six fields were selected, representing beef, equine, swine, sheep/goat, poultry, and control (no livestock) systems. Both disturbed and undisturbed samples were collected from one soil depth (0–7.5 cm) to assess physical and chemical properties including bulk density (BD), total porosity, macroporosity, soil water holding capacity (SWHC), soil water at field capacity (SWFC), …

Shaping The Soil: A Comparison Of Equine, Bovine, And Ungrazed Hay Fields, Brody Ellis Higgs, Taylor Madison Wynn, Scottie Craig Berry

Scholars Week

Shaping the Soil: A Comparison of Equine, Bovine, and Ungrazed Hay Fields

Brody Higgs, Taylor Wynn, and Scottie Berry

Mentor: Dr. Iin. P. Handayani, PhD.

Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky, USA

ABSTRACT

Kentucky raises grazing species for multiple reasons, including food, recreation, and show. The most common of them are equine and bovine. These animals graze many acres across the state of Kentucky and impact soil properties in their pastures. This study was conducted on three pasturelands across Caldwell and Calloway counties in Kentucky. The pastures consisted of a cow pasture, a horse pasture, and a …

Assessing Soil Quality Indicators In Leguminous And Non-Leguminous Cropping Systems, Kabita Budthapa, Kranthi Vinukonda, Ramya Sree Teeguri

Scholars Week

It is crucial to understand how different cropping systems influence soil health to boost the efficiency of resources and sustainable agricultural outputs. This study examined the effects of leguminous (soybean and pea) and non-leguminous (sunflower and maize) cropping systems on selected soil characteristics. On September 16th, 2025, soil samples (24 disturbed and 24 undisturbed) were collected from the 0-7.5 cm depth of West Farm, Murray, Kentucky. Disturbed samples were analyzed for pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and soil organic carbon (SOC), while undisturbed samples were used to determine bulk density, porosity, soil water holding capacity (SWHC), and soil water field …

Comparative Assessment Of Soil Properties In Cropland And Forested Areas In Western Kentucky, Shiba Hari Dhakal, Abinash Dhungana, Ramson K C

Scholars Week

Soil health is profoundly influenced by its physical and chemical properties. These properties rely on land use systems; consequently, impact on soil functions and agricultural sustainability. The objective of this study was to determine selected physical and chemical properties affected by crop and forest management in Western Kentucky. Two crop and two forested areas with six replications each were selected for this study in September 2025 in Calloway County, Kentucky. A total of 24 disturbed and 24 undisturbed soil samples were collected at 0-7 cm depth. Disturbed samples were analyzed for soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and soil organic …

Artificial Light At Night Can Worsen Competitive Outcomes Between Native And Invasive Grasses, Shannon M. Murphy, Kylee Grenis, Anna A. Sher

Biological Sciences: Faculty Scholarship

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is an important global disturbance that affects community dynamics, but how it affects species interactions, such as competition, is not well understood and needs investigation. In plant communities, some exotic-invasive plant species seem to be facilitated by ALAN, which may alter competitive outcomes with native plant communities and promote invasion. Despite these intriguing results, whether ALAN affects competitive outcomes between native and invasive species is understudied. Here we tested how ALAN affects competitive outcomes between two native prairie grasses and two grasses that are exotic-invasive in North America. We planted each native species with a …

Deforestation Affecting Developing Nations, Nicole Villa

Sustainability Conference

Deforestation continues to be a growing problem around the globe, while it is affecting wildlife what can be overlooked is the challenges it’s creating for the livelihood of nations. This goes beyond losing the biodiversity of our ecosystems but social consequences with the scarcity of water in Malawi, rise in health risks in Democratic Republic of Congo and negative effects of agricultural expansion in Belize. Overall social conflict in these areas that are suffering to grow. Furthermore, I aim to cover the major challenges previously mentioned followed by counteracts of deforestation including action plan in Brazil, efforts of other countries …

Selecting Irrigated Alfalfa Varieties, Mckenna S. Barney, Earl Creech, Matt Yost

All Current Publications

Selecting an alfalfa variety is one of the most important decisions an alfalfa producer can make and is the cornerstone of successful alfalfa production. Variety selection directly impacts yield potential, forage quality, stand persistence, pest and disease resistance, and environmental adaptation—all factors that can have a major economic impact. Informed decisions can be made by carefully considering the goals of your operation and adhering to the criteria outlined in this fact sheet.

Uav Remote Sensing For Assessment Of Conservative Management Practices In Maize-Soybean Cropping System, Aakriti Poudel

LSU Master's Theses

Sustainable agriculture practices promote cover cropping, which enhances nutrient management and impacts subsequent crop productivity in field crop rotations. Precision agriculture technology, particularly Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote sensing, enables a detailed evaluation of crop management. The studies were conducted in a maize-soybean rotation system with winter cover cropping and fallow management. The maize experiment investigated the effect of nitrogen application rates and cover cropping, using UAV-derived Normalized Difference Red-Edge (NDRE) to monitor crop performance. NDRE effectively captured the N response and the effect of cover cropping across growth stages, particularly during mid-season (55-81 DAP), where it showed a strong …

Examining Private Landowner And Stakeholder Attitudes, Perceptions, And Knowledge Of Prescribed Fire In Louisiana, Chloe E. Crawford

LSU Master's Theses

Periodic fire was a primary driver of ecosystems across the Southeastern United States for millennia; however, fire suppression policies have become pervasive in the United States and led to increased fuel loads in forests as well as reduced biodiversity and reduced disease resilience. Prescribed fire presents a risk mitigation strategy and land management tool whereby practitioners can apply fire to the landscape in a controlled manner, thus reaping the benefits of fire while minimizing the risks associated with fire. Land in Louisiana is primarily privately managed and owned, so state-level conservation goals cannot be met without private landowner participation. As …

Losing Focus In The Age Of Tik Tok: Clinical Evidence For Policy Action On Social Media Use, Megan Conefrey, Robert Griffin

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Tracking Livestock Heart Rate & Location Using Long-Range Radio Networks. An Immediate Solution For Farms Without Reliable Wi-Fi, Dermott Harkin, Martin Bradley

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Voices Matter: Tackling Accentism In Ireland. A Study Addressing Accent-Based Discrimination Awareness In Education, Sadhbh Reddington, Victoria Graham, Holly Jordan, Mairead Moriarty

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Income Inequality And Attitudes Towards Immigrants – How Increased Inequality Drives Division, Niamh Anderson, Vincent O'Sullivan

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Supporting Single Parents: How Loneliness And Self-Stigma Can Impact Single Parents And Their Quality Of Life, Alana Powell, David Mothersill

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Unheard And Underserved: Exploring Support For Male Victims Of Partner Abuse, Michael Keenan, Colletta Dalikeni

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Ireland Blossoms Through Multiculturalism - Designing For Community Connection, Julia Kuczera, Shirley Casey, Hilary Kenna

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.

Assessing Demand And Simulating Feasibility For Commuter Rail In Lagging Regional Areas. Case Study: Sligo, Holly Briere-Edney, Brian Mccann

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

No abstract provided.