Agriculture Commons^™

Putting Theory Into Practice: Predicting The Invasion And Stability Of Wolbachia Using Simulation Models And Empirical Studies, Philip R. Crain

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

A new strategy to fight mosquito-borne disease is based on infections of the maternally-transmitted, intracellular bacterium Wolbachia pipientis. Estimates predict that Wolbachia infects nearly half of all insect species, as well as other arthropods and some nematodes. Wolbachia manipulates the reproduction of its host to promote infection, most commonly causing a form of conditional sterility known as cytoplasmic incompatibility. Generally, Wolbachia infections are benign and do not inflict significant costs upon its host. However, studies demonstrate that some infections are associated with substantial costs to its host. These same infections can also induce pathogen interference and decrease vector competency …

Selective Utilization Of Microhabitats By Web-Building Spiders, Kelton D. Welch

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Natural enemies are members of complex ecological communities, and their ability to contribute to the biological control of pest organisms is strongly influenced by a convoluted network of ecological interactions with many other organisms within these communities. Researchers must develop an understanding of the mechanisms that shape trophic webs to predict and promote top-down effects of predators. The behavior of predators can have a strong influence on their potential as biological control agents.

Web-building spiders are a useful example organism for the study of natural enemy behavior because of the experimentally tractable nature of their foraging behavior. Specifically, patterns in …

Enhancing Beneficial Insect Biodiversity And Biological Control In Turf: Mowing Height, Naturalized Roughs, And Operation Pollinator, Emily Dobbs

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

The goal of this study was to evaluate several sustainable turf maintenance techniques for their potential to increase beneficial insect populations, which could then provide ecosystem services including pest suppression and pollination. The three techniques in question were 1) raising mowing height in commercial and residential lawns, 2) establishing naturalized roughs on golf courses, and 3) creating pollinator refuges on golf courses through the program Operation Pollinator. We found that raising mowing heights did increase populations of some predators such as spiders and staphylinids, but did not increase predation, which was ubiquitously high because ant populations were unaffected by mowing …

Endosymbiotic Prevalence And Reproductive Manipulation Of The Spider Mermessus Fradeorum, Meghan M. Curry

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Spiders are host to a plethora of heritable endosymbiotic bacteria. Broad-taxa screening studies indicate that endosymbionts are particularly common among spiders, however, little is known about how these bacteria affect their spider hosts. In insects these bacteria ensure vertical transmission by either conveying a benefit to the host or manipulating host reproduction to eliminate males that serve as evolutionary dead-ends for maternally-inherited bacteria. Common modes of reproductive manipulation include parthenogenesis, male killing, feminization, and cytoplasmic incompatibility. Screening an assemblage of Mermessus genus spiders, I detected a high frequency and diversity of endosymbiont infection. Within a single species, M. fradeorum …

Nutrition Knowledge And Dietary Habits Of Farmers Market Patrons, Lindsey M. Mayes

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

A balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been strongly associated with weight management, improved overall health, and decreased incidence of chronic disease. Availability of locally grown produce is associated with a higher intake of fruits and vegetables; there were 7,864 farmers markets operating in the U.S. in 2012, a 9.6% increase from 2011. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the demographics, nutrition knowledge, and dietary habits of farmers market patrons at ten diverse markets in Kentucky. A total of 153 surveys were collected; the average age of study participants was 46 ± 21 year. Respondents reported …

Nutrient Contents, Color, Texture, And Sensory Evaluation Of 12 Arkansas Grown Soybean Cultivars In Canned Products, Quyen Nguyen, Navam Hettiarachchy, Srinivas J. Rayaprolu

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

Soybean was introduced in the U.S. in the 1800s, and it has been proven to have several health benefits. New cultivars of soybeans with varying hull colors have been developed using plantbreeding technology. Canning is one of the effective processing methods to extend the shelf life of products. However, very little information is available on canned soybeans. This research studied the composition of 12 soybean cultivars including two cultivars with brown seed coat (R08-4014 and R09-349), three cultivars with black seed coat (R07-1927, R07-10396, and R09-345), and seven regular cultivars with yellow seed coat (R05-1772, R05-4969, R07-2001, R08-4005, R08- 4006, …

Effects Of Tank-Mixing Of Micronutrients And Amitraz By Foliar Application On Abundance Of Agonoscena Pistaciae In Pistachio Orchards, Mohammad Rouhani, Mohammad Amin Samih

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Fertilization is one of the effective factors on the common pistachio psylla Agonoscena pistaciae Burckhardt and Lauterer (Hem.: Aphalaridae) population. Fertilization has a central role in all metabolic processes, as well as in the cellular structure, cell wall structure, and growth of all organisms, and various pesticides are now used to control this pest, as well. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a pesticide (amitraz) mixed with micronutrients (Ca, Zn, and N) on the population density of A. pistaciae. We tested the effects of mixing pesticides and micronutrients on A. pistaciae in a pistachio orchard. …

Molecular Cloning And Expression Analysis Of Fvmyb1 From Fraxinus Velutina Torr., Tian Li, Zheng-Ying Peng, Yu-Ping Bi, Zhong-Xue Fan

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

V-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog (MYB) transcription factors play important roles in the processes of plant growth, development, and stress responses. In this study, a full-length cDNA sequence of a MYB gene, designated FvMYB1, was isolated from Arizona ash (Fraxinus velutina Torr.) for the first time. Sequence analysis showed that the deduced amino acid sequence of FvMYB1 encoded novel MYB proteins with single DNA binding domains. Based on the R3 domain amino acid sequence, the FvMYB1 was closely related to some proteins whose functions were known. The expression pattern of FvMYB1 in different organs of Arizona ash was analyzed …

Marker-Assisted Breeding Of A Durum Wheat Cultivar For Γ-Gliadin And Lmw-Glutenin Proteins Affecting Pasta Quality, Ahmet Yildirim, Özlem Ateş Sönmezoğlu, Abdulvahi̇t Sayaslan, Mehmet Koyuncu, Tuğba Güleç, Nejdet Kandemi̇r

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The pasta quality of durum wheat is one of the most important properties for the industry and consumers. Therefore, breeding for improved grain quality without yield penalties, using modern breeding methods, has been a primary objective in durum wheat breeding programs in recent years. In this study, 2 important gene regions that encode pasta-quality associated proteins (/gamma-gliadin 45 and LMW-2 glutenin) were transferred to a registered Turkish durum wheat variety, Sarıçanak-98, from a high-quality Canadian durum wheat cultivar, Kyle, through a marker-assisted backcross breeding method. Each of the F1 and backcross (BC) plants were backcrossed 4 times to the recurrent …

Seed Priming Improves Irrigation Water Use Efficiency, Yield, And Yield Components Of Late-Sown Wheat Under Limited Water Conditions, Hakoomat Ali, Nadeem Iqbal, Ahmad Naeem Shahzad, Naeem Sarwar, Shakeel Ahmad, Athar Mehmood

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

A randomized complete block design field study with split plot arrangements was conducted during 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 at the Agronomic Research Station in Khanewal, Pakistan, to evaluate if seed priming could improve grain yield and water use efficiency of late-sown wheat under limited water supply conditions. Seeds of cultivar Inqlab-91 received one of the following treatments: they were soaked in aerated distilled water for 12 or 24 h (hydropriming), layered between moist gunny bags for 12 or 24 h (matriconditioning), soaked in tap water for 12 h (on-farm priming), or hydroprimed for 12 h and then kept at -20 °C …

Evaluation Of Yield And Quality Parameters Of Phosphorous-Solubilizing And N-Fixing Bacteria Inoculated In Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.), Sancar Bulut

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Considering current agricultural practices and certain indicators, it is impossible to comment on sustainability of these practices. Chemical fertilizers are among such unsustainable practices. Because of increasing mineral fertilizer costs and negative environmental impacts of these fertilizers, the interest in biological nitrogen fixation is increasing within the scope of sustainable agriculture (without significant yield losses). Therefore, effects of phosphorus-solubilizing (Bacillus megatherium var. phosphaticum [M-13]) and nitrogen-fixing (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia [82] and Ralstonia pickettii [73]) bacteria and chemical fertilizer treatments on wheat yield and quality parameters were compared with control treatment in present study. Significant differences were observed among treatments with regard …

Seed And Germination Characteristics Of Wild Onobrychis Taxa In Turkey, Süleyman Avci, Mehmet Demi̇r Kaya

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Turkey is of great importance for the biodiversity of genus Onobrychis Adans. and hosts 55 species that are adapted to dry and poor environments. This study was conducted to evaluate 35 Onobrychis taxa in terms of 1000-seed weight, germination percentage, mean germination time, and hard and swollen seeds and to determine the suitability of mechanical scarification for dormancy breaking in species with hard or impermeable seed coats. Seed dormancy was detected in 19 of the investigated species and 14 of the endemic species. Germination percentages of these taxa ranged from 5.5% to 98.0%. The lowest germination rate (5.5%) and the …

Study Of Postharvest Changes In The Chemical Composition Of Persimmon By Hplc, Hande Baltacioğlu, Nevzat Artik

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Chemical composition, total phenolic content, phenolic compounds, sugars, and L-ascorbic acid content of persimmon fruits of 6 different persimmon cultivars obtained from Ordu, Turkey, were evaluated in this study. Four astringent persimmon cultivars (Türkay, Hachiya, 07 TH 13, and Moralı) and 2 nonastringent persimmon cultivars (Tozlayıcı and Fuyu) were used for analysis. In order to determine total phenolic content in persimmon fruits, the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method was used. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds, sugar, and L-ascorbic acid. Total phenolic content was higher in the astringent species than in the nonastringent species. Phenolic …

Morphological Characterization Of Cherry Rootstock Candidates Selected From Samsun Province In Turkey, Aysen Koç, Şükrüye Bi̇lgener

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Sweet cherry and sour cherry production in Turkey occupies an important place in worldwide production and is still of considerable importance in terms of providing further fruit species and gene resources. In this study, 88 sweet cherry, 16 sour cherry, and 9 mahaleb types displaying potential for cultivar rootstocks were selected from wild cherry populations in Samsun Province of the Central Black Sea Region in Turkey. The morphologic characteristics of the studied genotypes were compared with the standard clone rootstocks PHL-A, MaxMa 14, Montmorency, Weiroot 158, Gisela 5, Gisela 6, and SL 64. A total of 22 morphological and phenotypic …

Stochastic Operation Analysis Of Irrigation Reservoir In Low-Flow Conditions: A Case Study From Eleviyan Reservoir, Iran, Mohammad Taghi Sattari, Hali̇t Apaydin, Fazli Öztürk

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

In Iran, an arid and semiarid country, the distribution of precipitation is irregular and uneven, making the replenishment of reservoirs difficult during periods of scant rainfall. In this paper, a method has been devised to make available the maximum amount of water for irrigation, drinking, and the flow regime of Sofi Creek. The optimal performance of the Eleviyan Dam was evaluated based on reservoir inflows. Before the construction of the dam, 21 years of flow data (October 1973 to September 1994) was measured, and possible low flows were calculated. In this study, 2 scenarios are considered; the first scenario is …

Possibilities For Reducing Tractor Engine Friction Losses At Cold Start Using An Ultrasonic Irradiation Technique, Florin Mariasiu

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Challenges to the effectiveness of specific activities and production technologies in agriculture become more pressing each day as worldwide demand for agricultural products increases. The mechanization of agriculture brings positive quantitative and qualitative effects; however, the modernization of production tools (tractors and agricultural machinery) needs to be directly linked to increasing economic efficiency of use. Period of use and life expectancy of agricultural tractors can be increased by reducing the friction and wear that occurs among moving mechanical parts. A special case in point is the cold start process in compression ignition engines. In a cold start great forces develop, …

Susceptibility Of Winter Rape Cultivars To Fungal Diseases And Their Response To Fungicide Application, Irena Brazauskiene, Egle Petraitiene, Gintaras Brazauskas, Antanas Ronis

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The productivity of winter oilseed rape cultivars is limited by various pests and diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the differences in the susceptibility of Lithuanian-grown winter rape cultivars to main fungal diseases, their yield performance, and their response to the fungicide application. A 2-factorial field experiment was carried out at the Institute of Agriculture of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry over 3 growing seasons (2007/08, 2008/09, and 2009/10). The influence of fungicide application and cultivar (15 cultivars during the first and second seasons, and 6 cultivars during the third season) on the incidence …

Modeling Temporal Variability Of Soil Co_2 Emissions From An Apple Orchard In The Harran Plain Of Southeastern Turkey, Ali̇ Volkan Bi̇lgi̇li̇, Güzel Yilmaz, Ali̇ İki̇nci̇

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Broad interest in reducing greenhouse gas emissions requires a better understanding of controls on carbon dioxide (CO_2) release under different agricultural management practices. The objective of this study was to investigate and model seasonal variation of soil CO_2 emissions from an apple orchard field (Malus domestica L. 'Starkrimson'). Soil CO_2 emissions from an apple orchard managed with common practices were measured weekly over a 3-year period (May 2008 to May 2011) from both under the crowns of trees (CO_2-UC) and between rows (CO_2-BR) using a soda lime technique and were modeled using available environmental data. The study area is located …

Determination Of The Impact Of Creeping Of Furniture Joints On Their Rigidity, Jerzy Smardzewski, Robert Klos, Beata Fabisiak

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The study presents research results on the effect of creeping on changes in the rigidity of selected joints used in constructions of upholstered furniture, expressed as the substitute modulus of elasticity Ez. The modulus was calculated analytically for this purpose using the Maxwell-Mohr constitutive equation. In addition, actual runs of creeping curves were determined and a theoretical model well describing the obtained results was selected. Simultaneously, a detailed statistical analysis was carried out. It was found that creeping exerted a significant impact on the mechanical quality of the examined joints by reducing their substitute modulus of elasticity by 11%-16%. This …

Functional Characterization Of Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenase And Caffeic Acid O-Methyltransferase In Brachypodium Distachyon, Gina M. Trabucco, Dominick A. Matos, Scott J. Lee, Aaron J. Saathoff, Henry D. Priest, Todd C. Mockler, Gautam Sarath, Samuel P. Hazen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background: Lignin is a significant barrier in the conversion of plant biomass to bioethanol. Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) and caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) catalyze key steps in the pathway of lignin monomer biosynthesis. Brown midrib mutants in Zea mays and Sorghum bicolor with impaired CAD or COMT activity have attracted considerable agronomic interest for their altered lignin composition and improved digestibility. Here, we identified and functionally characterized candidate genes encoding CAD and COMT enzymes in the grass model species Brachypodium distachyon with the aim of improving crops for efficient biofuel production.

Results: We developed transgenic plants overexpressing artificial microRNA designed …