Agriculture Commons^™

Sustainable Intensification Of Agriculture: Opportunities And Challenges For Food Security And Agrarian Adaptation To Environmental Change In Bangladesh, Aaron Michael Shew

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates three unique aspects of sustainable agricultural intensification (SAI) in the context of Bangladeshi rice production. The first article presents a qualitative analysis of SAI and farmer surveys in the embanked polder region of coastal Bangladesh. The second article investigates the global food security and environmental impacts of already adopted High Yielding Variety (HYV) rice and double-cropped rice systems in Bangladesh using a spatial partial equilibrium trade model and a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The final article demonstrates a remote sensing methodology for monitoring dry season rice production at 30 m resolution in Bangladesh using a harmonic time …

Relationships Among Beef Cow Productivity Traits And Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In The Bovine Heat Shock Protein 70 Gene, Ashley Finney

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

When eukaryotes are exposed to stressors such as heat, toxins, and low oxygen levels, heat shock proteins (HSPs) are synthesized to maintain normal cellular function within the body. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) gene have been associated with calving percentage, and Julian calving date in spring-calving crossbred Brahman cows (Rosenkrans, et al., 2010). Our objective was to determine associations between previously identified polymorphisms in the promoter region and coding sequence of the bovine Hsp70 gene and beef cow efficiency. We evaluated productivity traits, including Julian calving date and calving rates, of fall-calving cows at each …

Alternative Feeding Strategies For Growing Cattle Grazing Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue During The Summer, Kerri A. Johnson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Two experiments were conducted to determine animal performance of alternative feeding strategies to heifers grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue during summer months. In Experiment 1, 40 Limousin heifers (261± 40kg initial BW) were stratified by weight and assigned to either a spring harvested tall fescue silage diet or grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue pasture with grain supplement having either natural or artificial shade for 80 days. In Experiment 2, 40 Limousin heifers (277 ± 44kg initial BW) were stratified by weight and assigned to either a traditional grain supplement or feather-meal supplement (rumen bypass arginine supplement) with natural or artificial shade while …

2018 South Dakota Commodity Crop Producer Survey Results, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, Abdelrahim Abulbasher, Department Of Sociology And Rural Studies, Ness School Of Management And Economics

South Dakota Farm Survey

From January to March 2018, we surveyed South Dakota commodity crop producers about their land management practices and attitudes. Farming operations in 34 South Dakota counties east of the Missouri River, where most of corn and soybean farming activities in the state are located, were targeted to take the questionnaire (see map below). We obtained a list of 10,000 farming operations that had participated in Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs in 2016 from the FSA and selected 3,000 operations to participate using proportionate stratified-random sampling according to number of farming operations in the study counties. The questionnaire directed the person …

Nebline, May 2018

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Farmers: Use climate for planning, weather for doing

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

and other extension news and events

Influence Of Multispecies Interference Of Common Ragweed (Ambrosia Artemisiifolia L.) And Common Waterhemp (Amaranthus Rudis Sauer) On Soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merr.] Growth And Yield Under Variable Water Supply In Nebraska, Koffi Badou Jeremie Kouame

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) and common waterhemp (Amaranthus rudis Sauer) are two problematic weeds for soybean producers in the United States. Both weeds have evolved resistance to many herbicides, including glyphosate. It is therefore essential to understand how these weeds in mixture impact soybean growth and yield and also how they deplete soil moisture in rainfed and irrigated cropping systems. The objectives of this research were to: (i) understand the influence of variable water supply on soybean yield loss in mixture with ragweed and waterhemp, (ii) quantify the influence of variable water supply on soybean growth in …

T Socio-Ecology Of Managed Honeybees (Apis Mellifera) In The Louisville Metro Area., Haileigh M. Arnold

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Humans have a long history of the practice of beekeeping to harness the power of pollination. This managed pollinator system consists of beekeepers, honeybees, and their environment. However, recent disease, pesticide use, and land use factors honeybee threaten this relationship. In the face of such concerns it is important to examine the factors that impact and can help sustain our managed pollinator systems. In this thesis, the national and Kentucky state-level policies that affect managed pollinator systems were examined and socio-ecological factors that may contribute to honeybee hive growth and losses were assessed along an urban development gradient in Louisville, …

Irrigation Practice Adoption: Causes And Consequences In The Arkansas Delta, Kerr James Adams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Concerns about groundwater depletion from conventional irrigation agriculture in the Arkansas Delta region have led to the promotion of more efficient irrigation practices. With Arkansas being the largest producer of rice, the 10th largest producer of soybeans and the 16th largest producer of corn in the United States, the irrigation demand of these crops has put pressure on producers to find ways to irrigate more efficiently. Not only are the alternative technologies supposed to reduce water use, it is also believed that their adoption can also yield economic benefits for the producer. Despite these assumed benefits, adoption of alternative technologies …

Enhancing Quality Of Life Through Foreign Direct Investment In Northern Mozambique, Sarah-Beth Delay

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has the potential to increase economic activity and improve GDP growth in low-income countries, but can hinder economic development (quality of life improvements) if not sustainable and holistic in manner. Africa serves as a host to many cases of FDI focused on economic growth, but not necessarily improving the quality of life for its citizens. FDI has spread throughout the African continent, where many countries are well endowed with natural resources, like minerals and coal. These economies have experienced rapid GDP growth with few benefits reaching citizens of the host country. Mozambique is a low-income country …

Evaluation Of Agricultural Land Cover Representations On Regional Climate Model Simulations In The Brazilian Cerrado, Stephanie A. Spera, Jonathan M. Winter, Jonathan W. Chipman

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Examining interactions between large-scale land cover and land use change and regional climate in areas undergoing dynamic land transformations, like the Brazilian Cerrado, is crucial for understanding tradeoffs between human needs and ecosystem services. Yet regional climate models often do not include accurate land cover data of these complex landscapes. We use National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled to the Noah-Multiparameterization (Noah-MP) land surface model to run 10-year climate simulations across Brazil to assess (1) whether an accurate, regionally validated land cover data set with two, new agricultural land cover classifications improves model simulation …

Consumers’ Willingness To Pay For Hydroponic Lettuce, Daniel Gilmour

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With continued advances in hydroponic plant production technology, an increasing number of farms have begun using hydroponic techniques to grow leaf lettuce and other food crops in a controlled environment. Recent controversy about the ongoing inclusion of hydroponics in the USDA organic program has highlighted uncertainty about marketing for hydroponic crops. In November 2017, the National Organic Standards Board voted not to recommend that hydroponic farms be banned from applying for organic certification. Since then, continued controversy has led a group of organic producers to start an additional independent certification program that would exclude hydroponic crops. While hydroponic production may …

Replacing Herbicides With Groundcovers To Enhance Vineyard Sustainability, Benjamin A. Loseke

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In many Midwestern vineyards a three to four-foot weed-free strip is maintained directly beneath the vines to reduce vine-weed competition. Conventionally, this strip has been conserved with repeated applications of herbicide, mainly glyphosate. The necessity for this weed-free strip to reduce vine-weed competition has been well documented in more arid climates. However, in areas with higher soil fertility and adequate rainfall, this strip may be unnecessary. Moreover, stand establishment and early vine growth have not been well documented when planting groundcovers (GC) immediately following the vine planting. The main objective of this project is to assess the severity of competition …

Preservice Agricultural Education Teachers And Secondary Education Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Professional Identity, Hailey Gates

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During the nineteenth century, a decision was made to separate the preparation of agricultural education teachers from their elementary and secondary counterparts (Hearings, 1908; Heren & Hillison, 1996; Hillison, 1986). The majority of land-grant universities and colleges have continued to prepare agricultural education preservice teachers within the college of agriculture, separate from other secondary education preservice teachers in the college of education (Myers & Dyer, 2004). Despite the differences among content disciplines, teachers who possess a strong sense of self-efficacy and professional identity have higher success rates in the classroom when it comes to collaboration, involvement, and student achievement (Ashton …

Polymorphisms Of Bovine Hsp90 And Their Implications In Beef Cattle Productivity, Glynn G. Smith

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Production of beef cattle represents a $60 billion industry in the United States (USDA, 2015). The American beef cattle industry loses an estimated $370 million annually due to heat stress (St-Pierre, 2003). As of 2003, this was equal to nearly 99 million pounds of beef lost (USDA, 2015). The average American consumed roughly 65 pounds of beef in 2003; this means that the 99 million pounds of beef lost to heat stress would have been enough to feed approximately 1.5 million Americans for an entire year (Barclay, 2012).

Assessing Homeowners' Lawn Management Practices And Preferred Sources Of Educational Information, Candace J. Schaible

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Prior to the development of programing and outreach materials it is important for Extension outreach and education professionals to assess the educational needs and preference of the communities they serve. Survey data was gathered from residents of Cedar City, UT, in an effort to gain an understanding of current lawn management practices and the resources homeowners utilize when making management decisions. In addition, soil samples were collected from a subset of participants to compare nutrient levels to management practices.

Survey results found that homeowners accessed multiple sources, with preferences leaning towards the use of friends and family members, the internet, …

Dissection Of Qtl On Host Chromosome 12 Uncovers Candidate Gene And Missense Polymorphism Associated With Porcine Circovirus 2 Susceptibility, Lianna Rayne Walker

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) is a small single stranded DNA virus responsible for a group of detrimental diseases referred to as Porcine Circovirus Associated Diseases (PCVAD). Observed variation in incidence and severity of PCVAD between pigs suggests a host genetic role in facilitating PCV2 pathogenesis. This study builds on prior research by Engle et al. (2014), who performed a large-scale genome-wide association study of 974 crossbred pigs experimentally infected with a PCV2b isolate and provided evidence of a host genetic role in PCV2 viremia, immune response, and growth. Two major Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) were identified for viral load located …

Transdisciplinary Graduate Training In Predictive Plant Phenomics, Carolyn J. Lawrence-Dill, Theodore J. Heindel, Patrick S. Schnable, Stephanie J. Strong, Jill Wittrock, Mary E. Losch, Julie A. Dickerson

Faculty Work

Novel methods to increase crop productivity are required to meet anticipated demands for food, feed, fiber, and fuel. It is becoming feasible to use modern sensors and data analysis techniques for predicting plant growth and productivity based on genomic, phenotypic, and environmental data. To design and construct crops that deliver desired traits requires trained personnel with scientific and engineering expertise as well as a variety of “soft” skills. To address these needs at Iowa State University, we developed a graduate specialization called “Predictive Plant Phenomics” (P3). Although some of our experiences may be unique, many of the specialization’s principles are …

An Impact Evaluation Of The Government Grant Programs And Input Efficiency Use In The Production Of Greenhouse Tomatoes And Peppers In Kosovo, Blend Frangu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Determinants of greenhouse tomato and pepper production input efficiency affect a farmer’s decision to contribute to the vegetable sector in Kosovo. This research investigates the non-optimal use of inputs in the production of greenhouse tomatoes and peppers. Two studies were conducted to first measure input efficiency use and then to quantify the impact of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (MAFRD) grant programs in the production of both crops. The first study applied data envelopment analysis (DEA), and linear and logistic regression to assess factors that influence efficiency in production. The second study used propensity score matching with …

Managing Big Sagebrush In A Changing Climate, Peter B. Adler, Katie Renwick, Emily Kachergis, Mary Manning, Tom Remington, Eric Thacker, Cameron Aldridge, Bethany Bradley, Andrew Kleinhesselink, Caroline Curtis, Daniel Schlaepfer, Benjamin Poulter

All Current Publications

This publication identifies areas where big sagebrush populations are most and least vulnerable to climate change and demonstrates where continued investment in sagebrush conservation and restoration could have the most impact.

Root Weevils, Ryan Davis

All Current Publications

Root weevils are a group of small, black-to-brown weevils that commonly damage ornamental and small fruit plants in Utah. This fact sheet tells how to identify them, their life history and habits, their management including chemical control for larvae, cultural control for adults, and chemical control for adults.