Agriculture Commons^™

The Perfect Pairing: Early Stand Dynamics In Conventional Aspen And Mixedwood Forests In Northern Minnesota, Usa, Chelsea C. Semper, John M. Zobel, Sawyer S. Scherer, Michael R. Reinikainen, Matthew B. Russell, Tyler S. Gifford, Marcella A. Windmuller‑Campione

Aspen Bibliography

In North America, mixedwood management is being increasingly considered by natural resource managers as an alternative to single species management for a variety of ecological, economic, and cultural reasons. In northern Minnesota, USA, natural resource managers are increasingly using treatments to establish mixedwood forests in aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx, Populus grandientata Michx) dominated ecosystems by planting white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench). However, little quantitative information is known regarding differences between stand structure and composition in conventional aspen and aspen-white spruce during early stand development. To provide greater clarity for managers, we sampled 40 aspen stands across a chronosequence …

2025 Legislative Update, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

The 2025 Nebraska state Unicameral dealt with major state budget challenges but also managed to enact four bills affecting Nebraska agriculture and holding three other bills over for possible action in the 2026 legislative session. Enacted legislation dealt with a ban on laboratory-grown meat, the merger of state natural resource and environmental agencies, amending the 2024 paid sick leave initiative, and establishing a School Financing Review Commission. Agricultural-related bills carried over to the 2026 legislative session include modifying cattle feedlot brand inspection fees, inheritance tax reductions, and modifying the 2022 minimum wage initiative.

Exploiting Genomics To Advance Genetic Gain For Reproductive Traits In Sheep, Mujibur Rahman

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

Poor reproductive performance has a negative impact on the profitability of sheep production systems with the number of lambs reared highlighted as a key driver of farm profitability. Nevertheless, the genetic improvement of reproductive traits in sheep has been constrained by their low heritability and pleiotropic nature. Understanding the underlying genetic architecture can improve genomic prediction estimates and enhance genetic gain.

This study will utilize large-scale genomic and phenotypic datasets to enhance genetic gain in sheep reproductive traits through four approaches: 1) to determine the effect of inbreeding depression on reproduction, 2) to identify causal variants impacting reproductive performance through …

محددات الحقوق البيئية بالمغرب وواقع ممارستها, Mansour Ennaama

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

استعرض المقال الإطار النظري والقانوني للتشريع البيئي في المغرب، بالإضافة إلى تحليل التحديات التي تعترض تطبيقه وآفاق تحسينه. وتبرز الدراسة وجود فجوة بين النصوص القانونية البيئية وواقع الممارسة في المغرب مما يقلل من فعالية هذه التشريعات في حماية البيئة. كما تعيق التحديات المؤسسية والإدارية والمالية التطبيق الفعال لهذه التشريعات، إذ تواجه المؤسسات المعنية بحماية البيئة تحديات كبيرة تتعلق بنقص التنسيق والتداخل في الصلاحيات، مما يؤدي إلى ضعف في التنفيذ والمراقبة، حيث تعاني الجهات المسؤولة عن حماية البيئة من نقص في التمويل، مما يؤثر سلباً على قدرتها على تنفيذ البرامج البيئية وصيانة البنية التحتية البيئية. كما أن هناك حاجة ملحة لتعزيز …

Removal Of Fluoroquinolones From Water Systems Employing Rice Husk Composited Sponges Via Nanoadsorption, Dalia Kanaa

Theses and Dissertations

A novel nanocomposite of polyvinyl alcohol formaldehyde (PVF) sponge loaded with green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP) and referred to as (NP-PVF) was fabricated as a potential adsorbent of ciprofloxacin from water. A simple mechanical foaming process was used to synthesize the adsorbent. Rice husk extract was used to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP) for its phytochemicals as reducing agents. A facile and low-energy-dependent extraction method was used that did not require the use of high-temperature annealing. The synthesized nanoparticles showed a maximum UV absorption at 347 nm, which corresponds to a 3.58 eV band gap energy. FTIR confirmed the successful …

Enhancing Water Scarcity Resilience In Egypt Through Machine Learning-Driven Phenological Crop Mapping And Water Use Efficiency Analysis, Surendra Maharjan, Wenzhao Li, Shahryar Fazli, Aqil Tariq, Rejoice Thomas, Cyril Rakovski, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Agriculture forms the backbone of Egypt’s economy, with the Nile Valley and Delta serving as key production zones for crops like wheat, rice, and clover. However, the sector faces mounting pressure from water scarcity, as it depends almost entirely on the Nile for irrigation, making it necessary to map major crops for assessing Water Use Efficiency (WUE) and informing agricultural planning. In this study, we used machine learning (ML) techniques—specifically Support Vector Machine (SVM) to time-series phenological data and optical indices (Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Bare Soil Index (BSI), Land Surface Water Index (LSWI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and …

Thermal Rheological Properties Of Heat-Moisture Modified And Its Application In Multigrain Cookies, Thi Huyen Trang, Li Xianghong, Miao Jinxu, Wang Faxiang, Liu Yongle, Li Shuang

Food and Machinery

［Objective］ To develop low -burden,high -nutrient functional baked foods.［Methods］ A single -factor experimental design is employed,with rapid visco analyzer,rheometer,and differential scanning calorimeter to analyze the physicochemical properties of heat -moisture modified wheat flour.The cookie formula is optimized based on sensory evaluation.［Results］ Heat -moisture treatment significantly enhances the pasting stability and resistant starch content of wheat flour.The optimal auxiliary ingredient formula is 50 g of heat-moisture modified wheat flour,20 g of oat flour,10 g of mung bean flour,and 6 g of resistant dextrin powder.Compared with the control group,the cookies made from the experimental formula show a significantly lower digestibility,with a glycemic …

Effect Of Selected Insecticides On Calico Scale In Landscape Honey Locust Trees, 2024, Caleb J. Wilson, Zoë K. York

Entomology Faculty Publications

We evaluated the effect of selected insecticides on 6 mature Shademaster honey locust trees (Gleditsia triacanthos L., ‘Shademaster’) which were planted in 2 rows along a roadside on the University of Kentucky’s campus. We used a randomized complete block design where each tree represented a block, and within each tree, the effect of insecticides on scales was evaluated on separate labeled branches. All trees had been heavily infested with calico scale (CS) for multiple years. On each tree we sectioned off 11 randomly selected 30-cm branch sections with zip-ties. We applied treatments on 28 May 2024, when CS crawlers …

Weather Impacts On Specialty Fruit Wholesale Prices, Oladayo Daniel Oluleye

LSU Master's Theses

This article investigates the relationship between temperature and precipitation variability and wholesale specialty fruit prices in the United States. Using fixed-effects panel regression and a comprehensive dataset of monthly price observations across ten major U.S. wholesale markets (Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco) from 2000 to 2019, we examine how weather fluctuations affect wholesale market prices for five fruits including apples, avocados, grapes, oranges, and strawberries. Our analysis categorizes temperature into discrete bins representing the number of days per month within specific temperature ranges. The results show that extreme temperatures, particularly above …

Yield And Pungency Of Eight Onion Varieties And Their Response To Sulfur Fertilizer On Fine-Textured Soil, Charlie Rohwer, Jesen Hosch, Brianna Hayward, Cindy Tong

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Onions are notable for their pungency, caused by sulfur-containing compounds. Fine-textured soils high in organic matter, or soils fertilized with organic amendments, are unlikely to require additional sulfur for maximum onion yield. We were interested in the impacts of additional sulfur (in such a situation, unlikely to be sulfur-limited) on pungency, soluble solids, and yield in eight onion varieties. We carried out a study in 2024 in southern Minnesota, designed as a split-plot (onion variety as the whole-plot) with four replicates. Heavy rainfall caused substantial unmarketability in our trial, with ‘Ringmaster’ suffering the most loss (11% of planted ‘Ringmaster’ were …

Impact Of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Rates On Plant Growth And Yield Of Organic Kale And Swiss Chard In Vertical Farming System, Andruw Jones, Sai Prakash Naroju, Dilip Nandwani, Anthony Witcher, Shahidullah Chowdhary

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

To support the growing global population, sustainable farming methods like vertical farming must complement traditional agriculture. This study evaluated the effects of various nitrogen fertilizer application rates (N_low (1055.3 ppm), N_rec (1640.9 ppm), N_high (2811.3 ppm), and N_0 (469.9 ppm)) on organic kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala ‘Lacinato’) and Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. Vulgaris ‘Ruby/Rhubarb Red’), grown in a vertical growing system installed in a high tunnel during the spring and fall season of 2023 at the organic farm of Tennessee State University. Growth parameters studied included fresh weight, Brix, chlorophyll, plant height, and leaf count. Most parameters …

Asset Or Liability? Farmers’ Perceptions Of Improved Maize Seeds As A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy In Semi-Arid Areas Of Chamwino District, Tanzania, Jackson Raymond Sawe

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study explores the perceptions of smallholder farmers in semi-arid areas of Chamwino District, Tanzania, regarding the adoption of improved maize seeds as an adaptation strategy to climate change. It aims to explore whether farmers view the use of these seeds as an asset that helps them adapt to climate change, or as a liability that presents challenges resulting from the adoption of improved seeds. The study employs both quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection and analysis. Data were collected from 125 smallholder farmers across six study villages through household surveys, in-depth interviews, field observation, and document review. Participants …

Electric Weed Control—How Does It Compare To Conventional Weed Control Methods?, Catherine Borger, Miranda J. Slaven

Journal articles

Weed management practices in agroecosystems mainly rely on herbicide, mowing, or tillage. Electric weed control offers a novel alternative, with a range of commercially available products for weed management in agricultural environments. However, electrical weed control efficacy has not been effectively compared with conventional weed management practices. Further, electrical weed control products may have a fire risk, as highlighted but not assessed in prior studies. The current study evaluated an electric weed control machine (Zasso™ XPower) for weed management in four vineyard sites (in 2022 and 2023) in comparison to mowing and herbicide applications. Weed control tactics were applied in …

Foreign Aid, E. Wesley F. Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

According to a recent poll, United States adults think on average that about 26 percent of the federal government’s budget goes to foreign aid with some believing that more than half is put to that use. Public opinion surveys have returned similar results for many years with most respondents seeming to believe that this is far too generous often suggesting that something on the order of 5 percent of federal spending would be more appropriate. In fact, until recent efforts to eliminate foreign aid altogether, the actual amounts spent have represented one percent or less of the federal budget. The …

Disentangling The Channels Of Impact Of The Ukraine War On Global Food Markets: An Integrated Scenario Approach, Maksym Chepeliev, Maryla Maliszewska, Maria Filipa Seara E Pereira

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

The war in Ukraine has major implications for the world's agricultural and food markets, as the Black Sea region is a large supplier of crops and fertilizers. Impacts of the war are further exacerbated by the sanctions against Russia, spillover effects from disruptions of other commodity markets, adverse weather events and domestic policies that countries around the world have implemented in pursuit of food security. In this paper, using a comprehensive modeling framework, we decompose the impacts across various channels and show that the cumulative effect of the considered indirect spillovers is even more substantial than the direct agricultural supply …

Influence Of Increasing Fires On Mixed Conifer Stand Dynamics In The U.S. Southwest, Simon D. Baker, Kristen M. Waring, David Auty, Nicholas Wilhelmi

Aspen Bibliography

(1) Stand-replacing fires may threaten the continued stability of mixed conifer forests in the U.S. Southwest. Increasing fire frequency and severity have made post-fire forest recovery trajectories uncertain for many coniferous species, potentially leading to long-term shifts in forest structure and composition. (2) The purpose of this study was to examine post-fire stand dynamics over a 10-year period, using a network of permanent plots established prior to wildfire events across Arizona and New Mexico. We assessed changes in over story composition, regeneration, and fuel loading across different fire severities. (3) High severity fire caused near-total over story mortality, with little …

Experiments To Enhance Post-Fire Aspen Seedling Survival And Growth, Larissa L. Yocom, Mark R. Kreider, Owen T. Burney, Tammy Parsons, Ryan T. Choi, Emily K. Liese, Karen E. Mock

Aspen Bibliography

Aspen forests provide wildlife, watershed, and aesthetic value, and the potential for reduced fire occurrence, behavior, and severity. There is interest in planting aspen to achieve various management objectives. However, few studies have investigated the optimal conditions for aspen seedlings in the western US. We conducted two experiments to address this knowledge gap. First, we tested the effects of shading structures (i.e., logs) and biochar on the survival and growth of 960 outplanted aspen seedlings in three exclosures in a recent fire footprint. Second, we tested whether experimentally placing logs near 120 naturally-occurring post-fire aspen seedlings affected survival or growth. …

Utah Strawberries: Consumer Preferences For Specialty Labels, Kynda R. Curtis, Makaylie Langford

All Current Publications

This fact sheet is the second of two discussing the results of a study on consumer preferences and willingness to pay (pricing) for fresh strawberries. This fact sheet highlights how specialty labeling influences consumers’ perceptions and willingness to pay. The study was conducted at Utah State University (USU) in August 2024.The study examines familiarity with production and labeling programs, as well as perceptions of local and organic food.

Transition To Organic: Alfalfa Production In Utah, Earl Creech, Ryan Larsen, Marion Murray, Jennifer R. Reeve, Michele Schahczenski

All Current Publications

Transitioning to organic production may not require drastic operational changes on the part of the producer, as alfalfa production lends itself to more organic practices by default. Producers may decide to transition to certified organic production to capture organic price premiums, access niche market opportunities, reduce the use of synthetic inputs, meet growing consumer demand, enact personal values around environmental stewardship, and support soil and biodiversity conservation. Whatever a grower’s motivation, this fact sheet covers transitioning to organic production through understanding organic production systems, the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations, and crop-specific considerations.

Utah Farmers Market Consumer Preferences For Local Cut Flowers, Alison Bingham, Kynda R. Curtis, Makaylie Langford

All Current Publications

In this fact sheet, we review the results of a 2024 study examining consumer preferences for local cut flowers at Utah farmers markets. Study data were collected in person via Qualtrics at six farmers markets across northern Utah, with 51 total responses. We discuss farmers market consumer purchasing preferences, familiarity with labeling programs, and preferred flower colors and varieties. Additionally, the factors influencing consumer decisions when purchasing cut flowers, as well as the product information they rely on, are discussed. Overall, the information in this fact sheet will assist cut flower growers in making informed decisions regarding production methods and …