Agriculture Commons^™

Exploring Predator-Prey Interactions In Agroecosystems Through Molecular Gut-Content Analysis, Kacie J. Athey

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Generalist predators can contribute to vital ecosystem services by potentially inducing trophic cascades as natural enemies of pests in agroecosystems. As the human population of the world gets larger, we need to produce more food on ever-smaller swaths of available land relying on ecosystem services, in the form of pest control, that may contribute to agricultural sustainability. Teasing apart the exact trophic linkages between predators and prey is a vital first step and essential to uncovering which predators are inducing trophic cascades and should be enhanced through conservation biological control.

Combined with ecological experimentation, the main tool used throughout my …

Binding, Protection, And Rna Delivery Properties Of Porous Silica Nanoparticles In Spodoptera Frugiperda Cells, Emily Nadeau

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Traditional methods of pest control are threatened by the development of insecticide resistance, both to traditional insecticides and Bt toxins. Discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) has created opportunities to develop new insect control mechanisms. However, RNAi responses appear to be robust in coleopteran pests, but other orders, e.g. Lepidoptera and Hemiptera, present varied or ineffective RNAi responses. Current delivery strategies for double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) include microinjection, ingestion, and soaking. These approaches have benefits and problems. This study investigates the potential for porous silica nanoparticles (pSNPs) to improve the delivery of dsRNA and induce an RNAi response in Spodoptera frugiperda cells. …

A Non-Native Forest Invader Alters Forest Structure And The Associated Arthropod Community, Matthew B. Savage

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

The emerald ash borer (EAB, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is a non-native wood boring beetle that is causing extensive ash (Fraxinus spp.) mortality in eastern North America, affecting both urban and wildland forests and drastically altering forest structure and composition. As EAB-induced ash mortality progresses, native arthropod associates of ash forests are impacted by the effects of rapid and broad scale tree mortality. These include loss of food source, increased canopy gap formation, alterations in litter inputs causing shifting temperature and moisture regimes on the forest floor, and significant accumulation of coarse woody debris.

I assessed the sub-canopy …

Instructions For Authors, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Display Box For Cover Crop Roots, Haley Watts

A with Honors Projects

For this honors project, the student built a 2 foot square display box to showcase cover crops and their root structures to be used as an instructional aid. Includes photographs of the finished product.

Preferences And Values For The Gulf Coast Ocean Observing System, Cody Lynn Plummer

LSU Master's Theses

Integrated Ocean Observing Systems (IOOS) provide real time oceanic data and sea state forecasting information that is utilized by numerous public and private sectors engaging in maritime activities. The U.S. Gulf Coast constituent of this system (GCOOS) consists of 321 platforms, buoys, and sensors that provide measurements of wind speed, wave height, water quality, and other parameters. Government entities have proposed an expansion of this infrastructure by 40% at an estimated cost of $35 million for installation and $33 million annually for maintenance. As part of a larger project commissioned to estimate monetized benefits of this expansion, this study applied …

The Influence Of Native Woody Species, Combretum Glutinosum And Piliostigma Reticulatum, On Soil Fertility In Dialacoto, Senegal, Gwen Jacobson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In the low-fertility soils of Senegal, West Africa, management of woody species in agricultural fields has the potential to improve soil fertility and crop production. However, optimal species for this purpose have not been clearly defined. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the potential for two native woody species, Combretum glutinosum and Piliostigma reticulatum, to improve soil fertility. Soil samples were collected from beneath tree crowns of P. reticulatum and C. glutinosum and compared with fertilizer-amended and non-amended soil from adjacent open fields in a bioassay experiment. Two common crops, millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and maize (Zea mays), …

Dynamic Modelling Of Local Government Wealth When Shocked By Natural Disasters, Alejandra Brevé Ferrari

LSU Master's Theses

Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm on August 29th of 2005. It is the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Communities across the country are increasingly at risk of being affected by natural and environmental disasters. The Public Assistance Grant Program (PA Program) administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is available for states and communities that have received a major or emergency disaster declaration. Most of Emergency Management (EM) research has focused on preparedness and mitigation activities; considerably less research has studied post disaster response. Two of the initial and most important aspects …

Phenolic Compounds In Floral Infusions Of Various Sambucus Species And Their Interspecific Hybrids, Biljana Todorovic, Maja Mikulic Petkovsek, Franci Stampar, Anton Ivancic

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The main purpose of the present study was to evaluate the diversity and content of various phenolic compounds in floral infusions of 14 elderberry genotypes (3 species and 9 interspecific hybrids). Detailed phenolic analysis was performed using HPLC-MS. Hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs) were the major phenolic group identified and 3-, 4-, and 5-caffeoylquinic acids were detected in infusions prepared from all analyzed species and interspecific hybrids. Several flavonols were identified in elderberry floral infusions: 8 isorhamnetin derivatives, 6 quercetin derivatives, 2 flavanones, and 6 kaempferol derivatives. The main flavonols detected in all samples were isorhamnetin-3-rutinoside, isorhamnetin dihexoside, quercetin-3-rutinoside, kaempferol-3-rutinoside, and kaempferol …

Distribution Of Quercus Spp. And Pinus Nigra Mixed Standsin Semiarid Northern Central Anatolia, Gülzade Kahveci̇

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Central Anatolia has semiarid ecological conditions that limit tree growth. In addition, long-term human activity has resulted in degradation of existing forests lands. Current forest cover mainly includes oak, juniper, and pine species. In this study, the distribution and present state of Pinus nigra L. and Quercus spp. (Quercus cerris L. and Quercus pubescens L.) mixed stands, and the relationship between different environmental factors and abundance of oaks and pines were analyzed. The results indicate that interactions of environmental variables and human disturbance may have influenced the frequency and abundance of species in the region.

Physiological And Growth Responses To Experimental Warmingin First-Year Seedlings Of Deciduous Tree Species, Jiae An, Saerom Han, Hanna Chang, Min Ji Park, Seongjun Kim, Jaehong Hwang, Min Seok Cho, Haegeun Chung, Yowhan Son

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Increasing temperature might affect physiological and growth traits of seedlings, which are particularly important for tree survival. This study was conducted to investigate the physiological and growth responses of first-year seedlings to open-field experimental warming during one growing season. Seedlings of three deciduous tree species (Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance, Zelkova serrata (Thunb.) Makino, and Quercus variabilis Blume) were warmed with infrared heaters with a mean air temperature difference of 3.07 °C between the treatments. Physiological traits (net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and total chlorophyll content) were measured in July, September, and October 2014, and growth traits (root collar diameter …

Comparison Of Two Halophyte Species (Salsola Soda And Portulaca Oleracea)For Salt Removal Potential Under Different Soil Salinity Conditions, Sema Karakaş, Mehmet Ali̇ Çullu, Murat Di̇ki̇li̇taş

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Salt-induced land degradation has gradually increased in several major irrigation schemes within arid and semiarid regions. To maximize crop productivity under saline conditions, either salt tolerance crops should be cultivated or areas should be desalinated. One of the most promising and cost-effective ways to maximize crop productivity is to use salt tolerant plants to remove salt from the soil. For this study, four levels of saline soils were cultivated with the halophyte species Salsola soda L. and Portulaca oleracea L. in pots. The soils had the following salinity levels: 1) nonsaline soil (NSS, 0.9 dS m-1), 2) slightly saline soil …

Bioinformatics Profiling And Characterization Of Potentialmicrornas And Their Targets In The Genus Coffea, Farzana Bibi, Muhammad Younas Khan Barozai, Muhammad Din

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding small endogenous RNAs with lengths of 18 to 26 nucleotides that have been shown to regulate gene expression at posttranscriptional levels by targeting mRNAs for degradation or by inhibiting protein translation. Although thousands of miRNAs have been identified in many species, limited miRNAs have been reported in the genus Coffea, a member of the family Rubiaceae that is endemic to tropical Asia and South Africa. The genus Coffea, whose seeds are known as coffee beans, is used to make coffee. In this study, we identified 51 potential genus Coffea miRNAs, belonging to 51 …

Polyphenols In Northern Hungarian Mentha Longifolia (L.) L. Treatedwith Ultrasonic Extraction For Potential Oenological Uses, Katalin Patonay, Marietta Korozs, Zoltan Muranyi, Erika Pénzesné Kónya

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The main objective of this study is to investigate three equalized batches of a wild Mentha longifolia (ML) population from northern Hungary for extractability by gentle ultrasonic extraction, antioxidant activity, and phenolic constituents. This is the first analytical investigation in a Hungarian population of this species. Antioxidant properties of ML extracts were evaluated with DPPH, photochemiluminescence-O2-. scavenging assay, FRAP, and total polyphenol measurements. HPLC-DAD determination was performed for the main phenolic constituents. The extracts are medium or strong antioxidants in DPPH and FRAP assays and show strong O2-? scavenging capacity. Rutin, quercetin, kaempferol, apigenin, naringenin, rosmarinic, vanillic, gallic, syringic, caffeic, …

Mineralogical And Micromorphological Characteristics Of Red Pineand Oak Root Zone Soils In Southern Turkey, Somayyeh Razzaghi, Nadia Vignozzi, Selim Kapur

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Plant species exert differential effects on soil mineralogical and micromorphological characteristics. The effect of red pine and oak tree roots on the mineralogical and micromorphological characteristics of rhizosphere soils in two sampling sites in the Göksu catchment was studied. The climate, topography, and bedrock conditions were kept consistent, whereas the plant factor was kept as the only variable in each site. Rhizosphere soils under the canopies of 100 years old and naturally occurring trees were compared via macromorphology, submicroscopy, mineralogy, and physical and chemical properties. The soils of red pine (RP1 and RP2 profiles) were determined to have higher porosity …

Qtls For Iron Concentration In Seeds Of The Cultivated Lentil (Lens Culinaris Medic.) Via Genotyping By Sequencing, Seçi̇l Aldemi̇r, Duygu Ateş, Hülya Yilmaz Temel, Bülent Yağmur, Ahmad Alsaleh, Abdullah Kahri̇man, Hakan Özkan, Albert Vandenberg, Muhammed Bahatti̇n Tanyolaç

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Lentil, Lens culinaris Medic., is an important cool season grain legume because of the high level of iron (Fe) in its seeds since Fe deficiency is widespread and causes anemia. Thus, identifying genes controlling Fe concentration in the seed was needed for mapping in the lentil genome. The objectives of this study were to (i) detect phenotypic variation in Fe concentration in the seeds of a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population, (ii) construct a high-density linkage map using genotyping by sequencing (GBS), and (iii) identify localization of the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling genes for Fe concentration in lentil seeds. …

Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana L.) Antiviral Protein Inhibits Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus Infection In A Dose-Dependent Manner In Squash Plants, Hi̇kmet Murat Si̇pahi̇oğlu, İlhan Kaya, Mustafa Usta, Murat Ünal, Di̇lek Özcan, Meryem Özer Di̇lmen, Abdullah Güller, Vicente Pallas

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) of Phytolacca americana L. (pokeweed) is a single-chain ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) characterized by its ability to depurinate plant ribosomes. Here, we isolated, cloned, and expressed the ribosome inactivating protein (RIP) gene, designated as pokeweed antiviral protein type 1 (PAP I), from the summer leaves of pokeweed collected from the Black Sea region (Turkey). Our findings presented here provide direct evidence that exogenous application of PAP I causes concentration-dependent inhibition of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) infection on squash plants. Squash plants were exposed to PAP I protein with and without DMSO for four consecutive days. Regular …

Selected Engineering Properties Of Tiger Nut As A Function Of Moisture Content And Variety, Ahmet İnce, Kubi̇lay Kazim Vursavuş, Yasemi̇n Vurarak, Pinar Çubukcu, Meli̇h Yavuz Çevi̇k

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Some physical and mechanical properties of two tiger nut varieties (Sarışeker and Balyumru) were determined at four moisture contents. Physical properties including length, width, thickness, geometric mean diameter, mass, 1000-tuber mass, bulk density, tuber density, surface area, terminal velocity, angle of repose, porosity, and friction coefficient were affected by moisture content at a 1% probability level, excluding sphericity. All parameters decreased with a decrease in moisture content except tuber density, porosity, and firmness. Variety only had a statistically significant effect on width, geometric mean diameter surface area, and terminal velocity at different probability levels. Force, deformation, firmness, energy absorbed, and …

Agronomic And Chemical Performance Of Selected Origanum Dubium Boiss.Clones For Industrial Use, Kenan Turgut, Yaşar Özyi̇ği̇t, Begüm Tütüncü, Esra Uçar Sözmen

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Origanum dubium Boiss. is an economically important wild oregano species that is intensely collected from the natural flora of Antalya, Turkey. This herb is used mainly to produce an essential oil due to its high yield and high carvacrol content. The aim of this study was to improve the biomass yield and essential oil and carvacrol content of O. dubium for industrial use. In preliminary studies, a basic population was established using seeds collected from wild plants and then trials of A and B clones were run. Dry biomass yield per A clone plant and essential oil content varied at …

Effect Of Wood Chip Size On Hemicellulose Extraction Andtechnological Properties Of Flakeboard, Nadi̇r Ayrilmiş, Jin Heon Kwon, Tae Hyung Han

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The effect of chip size on hemicellulose extraction of wood and technological properties of flakeboard were investigated. Three different sizes of wood chips were treated with hot water in a digester at 170 °C for 90 min. After hydrothermal treatment, the wood chips were washed with water and then dried in a dryer. Flakes were produced from control and treated chips using a flaker. Flakeboards were produced from the flakes using urea-formaldehyde resin. The results showed that chip size had a significant effect on the chemical properties of hydrothermally treated wood under pressure in hot water. As chip size was …