Agriculture Commons^™

Advances Towards A Robotic Management Vehicle Suited To Nurse Row Crops To More Efficient Outcomes, Adam Mk Gronewold

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Enhancing agricultural production while reducing input costs remains a central challenge in modern row-crop management. Recent advances in computation, imagery, and sensors are enabling more efficient practices across various agricultural domains, and automation technologies are increasingly available to manage tasks central to perennial crop development. Automation in row-crop agriculture, by contrast, lags behind. This thesis explores utilizing small, unmanned ground vehicles to transform row cropping through the implementation of unconventional, in-season management strategies. The first focus of this work considers improvements to nitrogen fertilization using small, autonomous vehicles. An agronomy experiment in corn assessed the effects of gradually applying nitrogen …

Be Aware Of Basis Volatility When Using Price Risk Management For Calves And Feeder Cattle, Jay Parsons, Aaron Berger

Cornhusker Economics

Understanding basis volatility and the impact it has on the actual price received for calves or feeder cattle in relation to the CME Feeder Cattle Futures is important when considering price risk management opportunities. Currently, cattle markets are in a time frame where volatility appears to be like market conditions experienced in 2014 and 2015. These conditions should prompt producers to think through how basis volatility could impact the expected price they will receive for their calves or feeder cattle.

Changing Fire Regimes In The Great Basin Usa, Eva K. Strand, Kori Blankenship, Corey Gucker, Mark Brunson, Eugénie Montblanc

Aspen Bibliography

Wildfire is a natural disturbance in landscapes of the Western United States, but the effects and extents of fire are changing. Differences between historical and contemporary fire regimes can help identify reasons for observed changes in landscape composition. People living and working in the Great Basin, USA, are observing altered fire conditions, but spatial information about the degree and direction of change and departure from historical fire regimes is lacking. This study estimates how fire regimes have changed in the major Great Basin vegetation types over the past 60 years with comparisons to historical (pre-1900) fire regimes. We explore potential …

Flowers Of Black-Seeded And Yellow-Seeded Oilseed Pennycress (Thlaspi Arvense): Abundance, Timing, And Potential Insect Visitors, Frank Forcella, Riley Ellarson, Russ W. Gesch, Alex Hard, Nicholas J. Heller, Sarah Jandricic, M D. Marks, Yesuf Mohammed, William L. Perry, Winthrop B. Phippen, Lucas M. Roberts, Samantha Wells, Tad L. Wesley, Julia Zhang

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Pennycress is being developed in the Midwestern USA as a new oilseed crop that provides numerous ecosystem services. These services include being an early spring source of pollen and nectar for flower-visiting insects. Most past research on pennycress flower visitors used wild genotypes of pennycress. All wild genotypes have seed coats that are black, which occurs because of high levels of proanthocyanadins (PACs). Concentrations of PACs are minimal in newly developed genotypes with yellow-colored seed coats. However, little is known regarding flower abundance and timing nor insect visitation preferences for black-seeded genotypes (BSG) or yellow-seeded genotypes (YSG) of pennycress. Flower …

Starter Transplant Solutions Do Not Improve Cabbage Yield In High-Fertility Soil, Charlie Rohwer, Jesen Hosch

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Starter fertilizers, generally high in phosphorus, are often used when transplanting vegetable crops. However, many small-scale vegetable growers have very high soil phosphorus levels, and phosphorus may be unnecessary in such conditions. Alternatively, enhanced soil microbial activity at transplant may help to make the soil phosphorus more available to the transplants. We tested this by using molasses or high-P fertilizer in the transplant solution when planting cabbage into high-fertility soil. Results indicate no benefit to cabbage from any transplant solution in high-fertility conditions, and detrimental effects from the large amount of molasses used.

Wild Licorice (Glycyrrhiza Lepidota) Identification And Management In Pastures, Jacob Hadfield, Taun Beddes, Michael Caron, Corey Ransom

All Current Publications

Wild licorice, also known as American licorice, is a perennial legume native to North America, commonly found in the western United States. Wild licorice reproduces rapidly through seeds and rhizomes, leading to large infestations, particularly in pastures. The low preference of livestock for wild licorice results in overgrazing of other plant species, leaving them at a competitive disadvantage, further promoting the spread of wild licorice and contributing to pasture infestations. This fact sheet reviews the identification and management of wild licorice in pastures.

Rural Entrepreneurship In Upper Egyptian Communities: Exploring The Intervention Of Agri-Tech Startups, Marwa Wael Abohamda Hulail

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change and economic disturbance have changed the state of the world and increased the dependence on digitization in running people's daily life. In Egypt, the economic instability and climate change have affected people’s standard of living, making it challenging to sustain their life, especially in the agriculture sector. Farmers have been affected by the risks of climate change, economic shocks, and trends of digitization, which have impacted their profit, employability, and livelihood.

Several Egyptian Agri-tech startups were launched to support the farmers in the digital revolution that came to agriculture, attempting to make a change in the Egyptian farming …

Consumer Acceptance Of Gene-Edited Food: The Role Of Knowledge, Trust, And Information, Anubrata Deka, Syed Imran Ali Meerza, Amalia Yiannaka

Cornhusker Economics

The research aims to assess consumer preferences and attitudes toward CRISPR applications in the food sector and estimate consumer willingness to pay for a food product developed using CRISPR technology to enhance food safety and confer health benefits. Additionally, the research assesses the impact of information provision on perceptions, attitudes and willingness to pay. Specifically, we consider the potential effect of both the nature of information provided (i.e., whether it emphasizes the differences between GM and CRISPR technology or not) and the delivery format (i.e., text versus video) used to present content-equivalent information. In this context, we also assess consumer …

Evaluation Of Cantaloupes For High Tunnels, Lewis Jett

Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports

Cantaloupes (Cucumis melo) have potential as a double crop for high tunnel in West Virginia Ten cantaloupe cultivars were evaluated in a high tunnel in 2024 at the WVU Organic Horticulture Farm in Morgantown, WV. The cultivars were established as transplants and planted on black plastic mulch on May 10, 2024. Each cultivar was replicated three times in a randomized complete block experimental design. Harvest commenced approximately 60 days after transplanting and fruit weight and quality attributes were measured. ‘Sugar Cube’ and ‘Savor’ were the highest yielding personal-size melons while ‘Athena’ and ‘Ambrosia’ were the highest yielding >1 …

My Art Is Garbage, Beth Shepherd

The Goose

In “My Art is Garbage,” I describe three recent art projects where garbage is both a theme and an artistic medium used to critique the overuse of and inability to reuse or safely dispose of plastics we use every day. The first work, Untitled (Plastic Film Balls), uses non-recyclable single-use household plastic made to form an installation of shimmering balls and alludes to the environmental footprint of the artworld. Plastic Shores, a series of monotype prints, reminds us that plastics in the environment are deleterious to species that we see every day. Finally Plastic Pests, a series …

Promoting Equity: Embracing Food Justice In The Transformation Of The Food Systems For Bipoc Communities, Frank Yeboah Adusei

Journal of Extension

The food justice movement addresses systemic food inequities impacting BIPOC communities, rooted in civil rights and environmental justice movements. It advocates for fair access to culturally relevant food, combating food deserts, and promoting food sovereignty. Recognizing intersectionality, it emphasizes collaboration to dismantle systemic barriers. This study aims to understand BIPOC communities' challenges and effective strategies, stressing the importance of collaborative efforts for lasting systemic change. Extension professionals face challenges but can contribute through equity-focused strategies, community engagement, and partnerships, advancing food justice and fostering inclusive food systems.

Increasing The Awareness Of Land Grant Extension Service To Ethnic Minority Students: Collaborative Programming Of Kansas State University College Of Agriculture And K-State Research And Extension Service, Raymond Thomas, Dr. Zelia Z. Wiley, Dr. Lonnie Hobbs Jr., Summer Santillana

Journal of Extension

An important pre-condition to diversifying the workforce of land-grant extension services is access to qualified ethnic minority individuals with an awareness and interest in pursuing extension careers. This paper highlights an example of collaboration between the K-State Research and Extension office and an educational research program at Kansas State University to expand the awareness and knowledge of the functions and career opportunities in extension to ethnic minority students. The result of this study indicates the collaboration increased the perceived knowledge of extension to the students, leading to an ethnic minority student attending graduate school with an emphasis on extension services.

Workshop Wine Wednesdays: Change In Behavior Around Local Wines, Aude Watrelot, Sarah Francis, Sarah Al-Mazroa Smith

Journal of Extension

Wine workshops hosted at local wineries positively impacted the behavior of Iowa wine consumers. Many participants (75%) reported visiting an Iowa winery following the workshop. The percentage of participants consuming Iowa wines increased by 20.6% (p

The New American Farmer – Extension Engagement With Urban Agriculture And Food Systems, Margaux S. C. Robinson, Kc V. Cunningham, Jeffery A. Young, Nicole D. Breazeale, Kenneth R. Jones, Julie N. Zimmerman

Journal of Extension

Extension’s evolving role in urban food production will require intensive reflexivity and ongoing collaboration. Extension educators around the country have already made progress in engaging with both the social and horticultural sides of urban agriculture. Designed appropriately, urban food systems hold the potential for healthy food access, community and environmental resilience, and economic prosperity (Rangarajan & Riordan 2019). Moving forward, we offer recommendations for Extension staff to apply within their institutions and beyond. Specifically, we urge Extension to prioritize the following: 1) mediate the rural/urban dichotomy, 2) tackle structural and institutional power dynamics, and 3) intensify strategies for community resilience.

Intra- And Inter-Plant Variability Of Quinolizidine Alkaloids In Narrow-Leaf Lupin Seeds, Grown Under Different Day/Night Cycles, Tawfeek Khedr, Ling Ling Gao, Lars G. Kamphuis, Angéla Juhász, Michelle L. Colgrave

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Inconsistent fluctuation of quinolizidine alkaloid (QA) content in lupin seeds is often observed, sometimes surpassing safe thresholds (>200 mg/kg) yet lacks a clear explanation. This study aimed to investigate the intra-plant variability of QA content in three narrow-leaf lupin genotypes: Tanjil, Quillinock, and P22660 using LC-MS/MS. QA levels in seeds from the same pods showed <30 % variation, while those from different pods in the same plant sometimes surpassed inter-plant variations (up to 94 %). The average measured QA concentrations under speed breeding conditions in Quillinock, Tanjil, and P22660 were 36, 103, and 27,000 mg/kg, respectively. The impact of longer daylight hours (16h day/8h night), a practice used in speed breeding, on QA content in the cultivar Tanjil was also studied. Longer daylight hours yielded elevated QA levels in Tanjil seeds (103 mg/kg) compared to those grown in a greenhouse (10–13h daylight, 32 mg/kg).

Drought Resilience And Legacy Effects In Two Forest Tree Species On Loess Plateau Of China: Growth And Water-Use Efficiency Under Different Drought Conditions, Lu Han, J. Julio Camarero, Guodong Jia, Zhiqiang Zhang, Lixin Chen

Aspen Bibliography

As droughts become more frequent and severer, understanding tree resilience and its role in mediating drought legacy effects (LEs) is critical for predicting forest ecosystem responses to future droughts and informing forest management. Both Pinus tabuliformis and Populus davidiana are widely distributed in the Loess Plateau region of western China and play important roles in provision of ecosystem services. In this study we quantified the LEs and resilience, including resistance (Rt) and recovery (Rc), of radial growth (BAI, basal area increment) and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) of the two species, determined the external and internal factors influencing Rt and …

An Economic Analysis Of Cell-Fencing In Semi-Arid Rangelands, Stuart Dawson, Tracey L. Kreplins, Malcolm S. Kennedy, Santhi Wicks, Patricia A. Fleming

Biosecurity Research Articles

In Australia, livestock predation by dingoes (Canis familiaris) has contributed to what some livestock producers consider a dire situation for rangeland pastoralism, driving demand for cooperative regional-scale exclusion (‘cell’) fencing (i.e. pest-proof fences that encompass one or more individual properties) and landscape-scale predator control. The present case study predicted the effect of four cell-fences in the state of Western Australia (WA) on the gross margin of sheep (for meat or meat and wool) and cattle pastoral enterprises. We modelled the potential effects of the following four key variables: (1) four levels of commodity prices, (2) five levels of …

The Persian-Period Archaeozoological Finds From Tel Ya‘Oz (Hebrew, Pp. 45*–47*), Moshe Sade

'Atiqot

The archaeozoological finds comprised the bones of domesticated sheep/goat and cattle, and mollusks.

Buildings Of The Persian, Hellenistic And Early Roman Periods At Khirbat Kabar, In The Northern Hebron Hills (Hebrew, Pp. 49*–71*; English Summary, Pp. 205–207), Yuval Baruch

'Atiqot

Two buildings were exposed. The northern building comprised rooms surrounding a central courtyard; the pottery finds from this building date from the Persian period, and chiefly, to the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods (first century BCE). Only two rooms survived of the southern building, which apparently opened to a courtyard. Many storage-jar sherds were found, seemingly in situ. On two of them, Aramaic letters were incised before firing. An Achaemenid-style conical glass seal was unearthed, depicting a hero or a ruler holding flanking lions. This building may have had an administrative or storage function. Three tombs were uncovered in proximity …

Drinking Vessels (Rytha) From Tel Ya‘Oz (Hebrew, Pp. 25*–37*; English Summary, Pp. 203–204), Irit Ziffer, Raz Kletter, Orit Segal

'Atiqot

Three drinking vessels (rytha) were found in the Persian-period building at Tel Ya‘oz: an almost complete human-headed rython and two animal heads, of a ram and a lion. The anthropomorphic rython is undoubtedly the most extraordinary of the three. It is a local adaptation of an Achaemenid vessel that was used at royal banquets. Its Egyptian appearance might suggest that is was created by an Egyptian working on the Levantine coast, or by a Levantine trained in Egyptian iconography.