Agriculture Commons^™

Forum: Alternative Strategies For Keeping Animals Healthy, Cyril G. Gay

Agricultural Research Magazine

The general public needs to know more about the importance of preventing and controlling livestock diseases and the financial impact they would have on our lives and food supply if left unchecked. Part of our mission at the USDA Agricultural Research Service is to conduct research to protect the safety of our nation’s agriculture and food supply through improved disease detection, prevention, and control.

Antibiotics are recognized as one of the most important biomedical discoveries for treating infectious diseases of animals and humans. The use of antibiotics has had a major impact on increases in food-animal production and has resulted …

New Insights Into Irrigation Management, Ann Perry

Agricultural Research Magazine

Pacific Northwest potato and sugar beet farmers who irrigate their crops with sprinklers need to know a lot more than when to turn on the faucet. The region’s powdery silt loam soils don’t contain much stabilizing organic matter, and existing soil aggregates that facilitate water infiltration can be broken up during irrigation. Afterwards, the loose particles of sand, silt, and clay that remain can dry to form a solid crust that greatly limits infiltration into the soil.

This means that growers not only need to calculate how much water should be supplied during irrigation, but they also need to ensure …

Genetics And Bermudagrass: It's Not Easy Being Uniformly Green, Dennis O’Brien, Karen Harris

Agricultural Research Magazine

Golfers and golf course superintendents expect a lot from their putting greens. They want fine, lush, carpetlike surfaces that a ball will roll smoothly across. They also want a grass that tolerates frequent low mowing, has uniform color and texture, tolerates pests and cold temperatures, and offers a dense canopy that shades out weeds to minimize the need for herbicides.

Southern putting greens are made up of single cultivars of bermudagrass, but golf course superintendents have complained for years about the appearance of nonuniform plants, or “off-types,” that can throw off the green’s appearance and “playability.” The bermudagrass cultivar Tifgreen, …

New Tool Opens A Bigger Window To Insect-Plant Warfare, Dennis O’Brien, Elaine Backus

Agricultural Research Magazine

When an aphid, leafhopper, or psyllid lands on a plant to feed, it begins a process of chamical welfare. As piercing-sucking insects, they use needlelike stylets to insert saliva into plant tissues and open a pathway to ingest fluids critical to the plant’s survival. When punctured, the plant senses the attack and secretes proteins and other chemical defenses to prevent fluids from being pulled out, thus creating a stress on the plant. This warfare costs growers billions of dollars each year in lost ornamentals, vegetables, citrus, and other important agricultural crops.

Because much of the action takes place in the …

Table Of Contents May-June 2012 Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Magazine

4 Strategies That Work: Alternatives to Antibiotics in Animal Health

8 New Insights Into Irrigation Management

10 150 Years of Making History: USDA’s 150th Anniversary, May 15, 2012

20 New Tool Opens a Bigger Window to Insect Warfare

22 ARS Assists in Fight Against Kudzu Bug

23 Genetics and Bermudagrass: It’s Not Easy Being Uniformly Green

150 Years Of Making History, Don Comis, Tara Weaver-Missick, Robert Sowers

Agricultural Research Magazine

The only thing that stands between the United States and an invasion of cattle-killing screwworms is a daily flight of airplanes flooding a 100-mile-wide section of the Isthmus of Panama with male screwworm flies raised in a laboratory and sterilized with radiation in Panama. The screwworm infestations of the past would probably come back if the releases stopped for a couple of months or so, says Dan Strickman, Agricultural Research Service national program leader for veterinary and medical entomology.

“This is a great example of agricultural research changing the history of this country, and it’s a cutting-edge example of integrated …

Evaluation Of Viability Of Lactobacillus Acidophilus La-5 During Simulated Digestion Process Using A Dynamic In Vitro Model, Jenifer Tharani

Master's Theses

In recent years, there has been an upsurge in medical research assessing the therapeutic benefits of probiotic bacteria and growing commercial interest in food fortification with these bacteria. Probiotic bacteria such as L. acidophilus are known to be predominant Lactobacilli species in the intestinal tract of healthy humans and suggested to provide clinical health benefits such as enhancement of immunity against intestinal infections, prevention of diarrhea and hypercholesterolaemia and improvement in lactose utilization. Many studies have demonstrated the possibility of incorporating probiotic bacteria in an ice cream matrix and shown its viability can be maintained throughout the shelf life of …

A Report On The Gascoyne River Catchment Following The 2010/11 Flood Events, Peter-Jon A. Waddell, P W.E Thomas, Paul A. Findlater

Resource management technical reports

In December 2010 an extreme tropical storm resulted in widespread flooding at Carnarvon and across the catchment. Another two flood events followed during the summer of 2010–11

The rationale for this assessment is to provide illustrative evidence on the role that perennial vegetation groundcover management has in influencing the risk of flooding and soil loss in the catchment. It may be possible that the impact of flooding associated with extreme storm events can be reduced. This report focuses on catchment condition and is not a review of the pastoral industry’s economic viability.

Using Arbuscular Mycorrhizae To Influence Yield, Available Soil Nutrients And Soil Quality In Conventional Vs. Organic Vegetable Production, Gary Thomas Cundiff

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research is a two year study on the effects of endomycorrhizae on vegetable production using conventional vs. organic practices. Objective of this study was initiated to determine if mycorrhizae improve yield, available soil nutrients and soil quality from two different fertilizer sources. Measurements were taken on yield, available soil nutrients, and soil quality in comparison of glomalin production and soil loss percentage. Two plant species were chosen, Tomatoes (‘Big Beef’) and Bush Beans (‘Tenderette’). A randomized split block 2 x 3 factorial treatment arrangement was used with two crops and three different inputs: Mo- 0 mycorrhizae, M1- recommended rate, …

Gibberellic Acid Sensitivity Among Common Bean Cultivars (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.), Alexander Pavlista, Dipak Santra, James Schild, Gary Hergert

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

To lower seed yield loss from directly harvested common bean or dry bean, height of the lower pod-bearing nodes needs to be raised. The objective of this greenhouse study was to stimulate lower stem elongation by gibberellic acid (GA₃) of dry bean cultivars. Seeds of cv. Matterhorn, erect indeterminate Type II, and cv. Poncho, prostate indeterminate Type III, were dipped in GA₃ at 62.5 to 16,000 ppmand planted. After 14 d, the height of the unifoliate and first trifoliate nodes showed maximum stimulation of stem elongation by 1000 ppm GA₃ for ‘Poncho’ and by 2000 ppm …

Serving As Suppliers To Institutional Foodservices: Supply Chain Considerations Of Small And Medium Scale Specialty Crop Producers, Laura Westray

All Theses

Institutional foodservice, which includes schools, hospitals, and long-term care facilities, is an important food marketing channel. The centralized nature of the US food system effectively, and supply, logistic and other constraints, effectively precludes small and medium scale (SMS) specialty crop producers from serving as suppliers to these types of operations. Passage of The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and increasing public attention to food safety issues, further complicates this matter. While the FSMA Tester-Hagen Amendment provides regulatory exemptions for SME producers, it is likely that in the future food purchases on or behalf of institutions will require more stringent food …

The Effect Of Chlorine And Ozone In Controlling Microbes On Organically Grown Cilantro And Carrots, Adam Holtz

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project investigates the relative efficacy of ozonated water and chlorinated water for the purpose of sanitizing freshly-harvested organic produce. The aim of this study was to assist the Cal Poly Organic Farm in deciding whether or not to invest in an ozone generator. The crops used for testing were grown organically in the same field. Carrots and cilantro were harvested and promptly treated with 5 ppm ozone solution or 25 ppm sodium hypochlorite solution. Carrots were sampled at 0, 7, and 14 days storage to determine microbial populations. Cilantro was similarly tested at 0, 6, and 12 days …

Nebline, May 2012

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Lincoln’s Biosolids Land Application Program is 20 Years Old

Farm Views

Urban Agriculture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Environmental Focus

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

Preparing Your Bird For The Poultry Showmanship Contest, David D. Frame

All Current Publications

The first and most important rule of showmanship is kindness to your bird. The more cooperative your bird is, the better success you’ll have in the show ring. Careful preparation prior to the show is necessary to be an effective show person.

Determining The Difficulties Of Ornamental Horticulture Programs, Elizabeth Basham

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this senior project was to develop a survey to determine the difficulties that high school ornamental horticulture instructors were facing with their programs. Many schools throughout California have faced difficulties with their programs and have had to limit the offerings of the courses that would have been available to their students. Based upon the results from the survey it was determined that many of the instructors felt that their programs had been declining in success due to budget limitations, student involvement, standardized testing requirements and community support. The results of the survey can be utilized to aid …

Nest And Brood Site Selection And Survival Of Greater Prairie-Chickens In The Eastern Sandhills Of Nebraska, Lars Anderson

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

Greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnata) are a grassland bird species of conservation concern. Although greater prairie-chickens have declined over much of their range, the Nebraska Sandhills has the largest population in North America. However, the responses of nest and brood site selection and survival to vegetation characteristics are unknown. I studied prairie-chickens on private rangelands in Rock and Brown Counties from 2009-2011. I fitted 139 females with radio collars to locate nest and brood sites and to determine nest and brood survival rates. Females were trapped on leks during the breeding season and I monitored them throughout the …

Integrated Management Of Common Reed Along The Platte River In Nebraska: Control, Timing, Water Use, And Economic Analysis, Ryan E. Rapp

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

There are two biotypes of common reed, which includes the native common reed (Phragmites australis subsp. americanus) and non-native (invasive) common reed (Phragmites australis subsp. australis).The non-native biotype of common reed has invaded wetland habitats in many states of the US, including Nebraska.

Three studies, disking followed by herbicide, mowing followed by herbicide, and herbicide followed by mechanical treatment were initiated in 2008 in Nebraska. The objective was to evaluate common reed control along the Platte River using an integrated management. Herbicide followed by mechanical treatment had excellent control (≥92%) with all treatments except glyphosate applied …

Cultivating An Opportunity: Access And Inclusion In Seattle's Community Gardens, Alice K. Opalka

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores the social dynamics of community gardens and their participation within them in the contemporary food justice movement in Seattle, Washington. Community gardens are seen as solutions to myriad urban and environmental problems, such as food deserts, community empowerment, urban greening, environmental education and sustainability of the food system. Three case studies of Seattle organizations, the P-Patch Program, Lettuce Link and Alleycat Acres, provide a basis for analysis of the purported benefit of community empowerment as a function of organizational structure, history and policies. City government support, flexibility, and a critical outlook towards the processes of inclusion and …

Insecticidal Control Of Bemisia Tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Transmitting Carlavirus On Soybeans And Detection Of The Virus In Alternate Hosts, Difabachew K. Belay, Randy M. Huckaba, Axel M. Ramirez, Jose C. V. Rodrigues, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A Carlavirus transmitted by Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is an important disease of soybean nurseries in Puerto Rico causing substantial germplasm losses. Insecticide bioassay experiments were conducted at Dow AgroSciences (DAS) Research Station, Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, either by spraying insecticides on B. tabaci infested soybean leaves or introducing B. tabaci adults onto insecticide-sprayed soybean leaves. Moreover, host plants were surveyed to detect the virus in overwintering hosts that serve as a source of inoculums. The direct spray experiment showed that Nuprid 2F (Imidacloprid), Capture 2 EC (Bifenthrin), Thionex (Endosulfan), Lannate LV (Methomyl), and Dimethoate gave good level ( …

Performance Characteristics Of Rayon From Bamboo In Bed Sheets Through Laundering, Jennifer Kohler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In recent years, consumers have been encouraged to purchase bamboo fabric for various applications, including bed sheets. A variety of claims and marketing campaigns have stated that the benefits of rayon from bamboo result in this fiber being a suitable option for bed sheets and other clothing and household products. The purpose of this study was to test the performance characteristics of rayon from bamboo to determine if it is an appropriate textile for the bed sheet application. To identify the performance characteristics of this fiber, three tests were conducted (a) dimensional stability; (b) fabric hand; (c) the weight, thickness, …