Agriculture Commons^™

Learning From Data: Plant Breeding Applications Of Machine Learning, Alencar Xavier

Open Access Dissertations

Increasingly, new sources of data are being incorporated into plant breeding pipelines. Enormous amounts of data from field phenomics and genotyping technologies places data mining and analysis into a completely different level that is challenging from practical and theoretical standpoints. Intelligent decision-making relies on our capability of extracting from data useful information that may help us to achieve our goals more efficiently. Many plant breeders, agronomists and geneticists perform analyses without knowing relevant underlying assumptions, strengths or pitfalls of the employed methods. The study endeavors to assess statistical learning properties and plant breeding applications of supervised and unsupervised machine learning …

Nebline, August 2016

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: 4-H Clover College 20th Anniversary — Grows From 8 to 58 Workshops

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

Special pullout section: Lancaster County Super Fair 2016 Schedule & Map

The Impact Of Crop Insurance On Indonesian Rice Production, Zaura Fadhliani

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study builds a theoretical model of the yield-based MPCI crop insurance policy for a risk averse rice farmer in Indonesia and presents the comparative statics analysis of policy variables on yield through the coupling, wealth, and insurance effects. Moreover, Using yield data from 1979 to 2014 for the Tuban Regency, this study applies numerical optimization to the model and simulates the effects of different policies on input use, certainty equivalents, indemnity payment, and premiums. The theoretical analysis shows that no coupling effect exists for change in the coverage level, while a coupling effect exists for change in the subsidy …

Experiences Of Agricultural Education Preservice Teachers Engaging In Critical Friendships, Sable Sellick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Like educators in other disciplines, agricultural education preservice teachers must find ways to improve as teachers using methods such as reflection or peer observation. Critical friendship combines both, promoting reflection through the use of a critical friend who observes an individual’s teaching and provides constructive criticism to help the individual advance their practice. This qualitative study sought to use the critical friendship concept to assist agricultural education preservice teachers in reflecting on their teaching techniques. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups; one group selected a critical friend in agricultural education, and the other group selected a critical …

Evaluation Of Agricultural Policy In The Dairy Sector In Kosovo And Efficiency Analysis At The Farm Level, Egzon Bajrami

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis consists of two studies on the dairy sector in Kosovo. The first study evaluates the effect of the Subsidy per Head Scheme (SPHS) on increasing production, land use, gross income and number of dairy cows on dairy farms in Kosovo. Results from the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) approach using four alternative matching algorithms revealed that SPHS has not had any impact on increasing land use, gross income or the number of dairy cows per farm. Furthermore, SPHS had a negative impact on decreasing land use and number of cows for the participating dairy farmers in the program. In …

The Impact Of Climate Change In Bangladesh On The Rice Market And Farm Households, Mst Ashrafun Nahar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bangladesh is trying to achieve self-sufficiency in domestic rice production but climate change effects on agricultural production makes it challenging to attain the goal. The country is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change since it is the major cause to rise in sea level, more warm summer, and happening food and cyclone in the country.

This study develops an Aggregate Farm Household Model to analyze the impact of potential land loss and yield reduction from climate change on production, consumption, prices, welfare, and the ability of government to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production. The model is calibrated to …

Interseeding Forage Kochia Into Established Crp Grass Stands, Jeffrey E. Banks, Robert L. Newhall, Blair L. Waldron

All Current Publications

This fact sheet is a summary of a research project that documented that interseeding forage kochia into existing CRP can increase its potential use for fall and winter grazing by livestock.

Nanking Cherry In The Garden, Elizabeth Hamilton, Tiffany Maughan, Brent Black

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes Nanking cherry and its use in gardens. It includes a history, description of the plant, how to grow it, including propagation, site selection, soil preparation, planting and spacing, fertilization, irrigation, and pruning. It also includes common pests and diseases of cherries in Utah.

Calculating Fertilizer For Small Areas, Tiffany Maughan, Grant Cardon, Dan Drost

All Current Publications

This fact sheet and accompanying Excel Workbook is meant to help gardeners convert fertilizer recommendations to fit their individual garden plot size,

Understanding The Semen Evaluation Portion Of The Breeding Soundness Evaluation, C. Kim Chapman, Kerry A. Rood

All Current Publications

This fact sheet explains the semen examination section of the bull breeding soundness evaluation form. It indicates what each category on the form is, why it is important, and what the requirements are for a bull to be considered a satisfactory breeder.

A Primer In Community-Based Social Marketing, Ivy Thomson, Roslynn Brain

All Current Publications

This guide is written to help produce behavioral changes within communities. It was not produced just for people who specialize in marketing or public outreach, but for the administrative assistants in small organizations who need to draft a program to increase use of public transportation, for parents who want to improve local air quality for their children, for students who want to initiate sustainable behaviors at their schools, the frustrated commuters who would like to decrease traffic congestion.

Characterization Of Broiler Lines Divergently Selected For Breast Muscle Color, Sara Katherine Orlowski

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An increase in the consumption of poultry has generated an increase in demand for higher yielding broilers. This has led to an increase in atypical meat and issues with appearance. Color is a direct result of a pH decline as meat goes through rigor mortis with meat generally becoming lighter. If the pH declines too rapidly or too slowly, meat quality can suffer. Physical properties of meat can be altered by pH. A fast pH decline results in pale meat with decreased tenderness. A slow pH decline can result in darker meat with a reduced shelf-life. With a known relationship …

Study On Physical Characteristics Of Buckwheat (Fagopyrum Esculentum Moench) Seeds, Li Jincai, Zhao Xiheng, Zhao Jiancheng, Guo Huimin, Wang Chao

Food and Machinery

To investigate the physical characteristics of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) seeds, ten physical characteristics of five buckwheat cultivars were researched on their seeds, shells and kernels. The results showed that buckwheat seed moisture percentage was 11.6%-13.4% and the size of more than 90% of buckwheat seed grains was 3.8-5.0 mm. The color values of L^*, a^* and b^* in kernels were about 1.8 times, 1.7 times and 2.6 times higher than those in seeds, respectively. And then the thousand grain weight of buckwheat seeds and the volume weights of seeds and kernels were measured to be …

Effects Of High Moisture Protein Extrusion Process Parameters On The Influence Of System Parameters And Its Physical Characteristics, Gao Yang, Lu Shuwen, Ren Chuanying, Hong Bin, Li Jialei, Wang Kunlun, Xie Tiemin

Food and Machinery

The influence of different extrusion conditions for texturized vegetable protein on the extrusion parameters, texture characteristics and color characteristics was studied. The results showed that the composition and moisture content of the material on the extrusion parameters was significantly. Higher soy protein isolate content resulted in higher die pressure, die temperature, specific mechanical energy. Higher moisture content of the material resulted in lower die pressure, die temperature, specific mechanical energy. The effect of the composition and moisture content of the material on the texture characteristics was significantly. The effect of the composi-tion and moisture content of the material on the …

Study On Inhibition Kinetics Of Polysaccharide From Yam On Α-Glucosidase, Li Pei

Food and Machinery

The research extracted polysaccharide from the Chinese yam by the methods of enzymolysis. UV scanning and infrared spectroscopy were used to identify the components and structure. Using PNPG as the substrate, the enzyme-inhibitor model was used to study the inhibition ability of polysaccharide from the Chinese yam of the α-glucosidase, and the double reciprocal plot method was used to determine the type of inhibition. The UV scanning results showed that the extract does not contain nucleic acids and proteins, and the infrared spectra showed that the extracts had the characteristic absorption peak of polysaccharide. The enzyme-inhibitor model showed that the …

Applications Of Indica Rice Starch-Based Fat Substitute In Low-Fat Emulsified Sausages, Qiao Lijuan, Liu Zhongyi, Xia Qiu, Ou Xiaoyu, Wang Dang, Wu Hai

Food and Machinery

Indica rice starch was hydrolyzed to prepare fat substitute by high temperature α-amylase. The product was used as pork backfat replacers in low-fat emulsified sausages. The effect of mass ratio of fat substitute and water, degree of substitution and DE (dextrose equivalent) of starch-based fat substitutes on low-fat emulsified sausages has been investigated by single factor test. The applicability of fat substitute in low-fat emulsified sausages was investigated by comparing the cooking loss, pressing loss, thermal stability, deformation force, carrying power, chromatic aberration and sensory evaluation of low-fat emulsified sausages. The results showed that the physicochemical property and sensory quality …

Principal Component Analysis Of Volatile Compounds In Chicken Soup Based On The Gender Of Broiler, Zhang Yan, Xia Yangyi, He Cui, Zhou Tao

Food and Machinery

The volatile compounds of traditional chicken soup based on the gender of broiler were identified using solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME—GC—MS) and were further quantified based on internal standard analysis, and the main flavor components were analyzed by principal component analysis, respectively. Results showed that: 78 kinds of volatile compounds were detected in chicken soup . 76 and 67 volatile compounds were detected from hen broth and rooster broth, and were 1 369.84 μg/100 mL and 1 029.61 μg/100 mL, respectively. The main volatile flavor compounds in both chicken soup were aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, hydrocarbons, acids …

Study On Method Of Apple Grading Based On Hidden Markov Model, Xie Fengyun, Zhou Jianmin, Jiang Weiwen, Zhang Huihui, Tang Hongbing

Food and Machinery

In order to adapt to the request of apple grading technology, a classification method for apple grading was proposed based on hidden Markov model (HMM). Three different colors and shapes of apples were studied. The hexagonal pyramid model (HSV) was extracted as the color features of the apple, and the Hu invariant moment was extracted as shape features of the apple. These features of the apple were coded by Lloyd algorithm, which was used as the inputting of HMM. According to the HMM pattern recognition method, the different colors and shapes of apples were identified and classified, and then the …

Effects On Impact Acoustics Characteristics Of Pistachio By Multiple Factors, Zhong Chenyu, Feng Tao, Wang Tao, Zang Fuyao

Food and Machinery

An experimental pistachio sorting device based on impact acoustic of pistachio was designed in the study. Judged by the integrated logarithmic decrement difference, the impact acoustic characteristics of pistachio caused by different microphone position, different falling height of pistachios and different tilt angle of collision block was compared and analyzed. The research shows that the result could achieve better sorting reliability under two conditions. First, when the angle between the microphone and the impact surface is 45° with the distance between the microphone and the impact point is about 10 cm; Second, when the pistachios falling height is between 70 …

The Structures And Properties Of The Mgo(X1∑+) In The External Electric Field, Zeng Fanjin, Guo Xiaotian

Food and Machinery

Through the geometry optimization of the ground state of the magnesium oxide molecular, and the theoretical calculation by using b3p86 method combined with 6-311 + + G basis set, the ground state electronic structure of the Magnesium Oxide molecule under the external electric field (-0.015 ~ 0.015 AUA.U.) was obtained. The effect of external electric field on the bond length, energy, energy level distribution, frequency and dipole moment of Magnesium Oxide molecule was discussed. The results show that the electric field effect has obvious effect on the molecular structure of the MgO, and the study can provide some reference for …