Plant Biology Commons^™

Isolation, Characterization & Identification Of Cultivable Field Pea Seed Bacteria In South Dakota, Diana Wairimu Njuguna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a legume, cultivated on over 25 million acres, particularly in Canada, France, China, Russia, and the United States. Its seeds harbor microbiota including bacteria and fungi, either on the surface (epiphytes) or within seed tissues (endophytes). These microbes can be pathogenic or beneficial, enhancing seedling metabolism and protection from environmental stresses. Characterizing beneficial seed microbiota enables development of microbial inoculants for seed treatment. Seeds from 12 varieties (green or yellow seed coats) were harvested from Sturgis and Dakota Lakes in 2021. Epiphytes were extracted using sonication followed by grinding the seeds to obtain endophytes. Isolates …

The Everyday Scientist: Down In The Weeds In The Heart Of The South, Pamela Zendt

Master's Projects

The Everyday Scientist: Down in the Weeds in the Heart of the South is a creative nonfiction capstone project that was released as a book. The narrative documents my two-year journey as a community scientist and explores how ordinary people contribute meaningfully to scientific research in the natural world. Rooted in my desire to connect my passion for the outdoors with the goals of the Master of Arts in Professional Writing program, this project illustrates that environmental science is not only for trained professionals. Instead, it thrives on the curiosity, dedication, and participation of volunteers who follow established protocols, collect …

Greenhouse Management For The Smaller Structure--Educational And Hobby, Stacy A. Adams

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Greenhouses used for teaching or by hobbyist are smaller than those used for commercial production or found in the retail environment. Structural materials, covering, mechanical equipment, and control systems often are packaged as a kit made available through greenhouse suppliers. Supplier construction services may not be available, in which buyers must use local contractors to complete the installation. Greenhouses are unique structures that differ greatly from sheds or other outbuildings. They have coverings that allow maximum light transmittance, protected from UV degradation, and can handle wide inside to outside temperature extremes. This extension circular provides valuable information on the character, …

Terrarium- An Ecosystem In A Jar, Stacy A. Adams

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

STEM education is supported through hand's-on activities in the classroom. Content understanding and reaffirmation of knowledge is supported through this informative STEM-Quick card that teachers or extension educators can distribute to participants for reference. Terrariums provide an example of a closed ecosystem where water and carbon cycling is demonstrated and plant growth can be observed. This card presents the steps to building and caring for an easy to create terrarium.

Characterizing The Targeting Of Toc159 Receptors To The Chloroplast Outer Envelope Membrane And Their Role In The Assembly Of Distinct Toc Complexes, Michael Fish

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Global agriculture and food security face challenges from climate change, population growth, and other human-driven pressures. Enhancing our understanding of plant biology, particularly chloroplast function, is critical for improving crop yield and stress resilience. As the sites of photosynthesis and key regulators of plant responses to environmental cues, chloroplasts depend on the precise import of thousands of nuclear-encoded proteins to maintain their biogenesis and function. While much is known about the core translocon components in the chloroplast outer envelope membrane that form the TOC complex, the mechanisms underlying their targeting, assembly, and regulation remain incompletely understood.

Plastids, including chloroplasts, evolved …

Frozen Green Leaves As Potential Nutrient Subsidies In North American Mangrove Ecosystems, Katelyn Overstreet, Emily M. Dangremond, Ilka C. Feller

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Avicennia germinans, the black mangrove, has shifted its range limit northward, and increased in abundance in the Southeastern United States. In January 2018, a 3-day freeze event caused substantial defoliation of green leaves in A. germinans near its northernmost range limit in St. Augustine, FL. During their recovery, plants that lost their leaves grew similarly to plants fertilized with nitrogen, leading to the hypothesis that freeze-killed green leaves (frozen green) may have acted as a fertilizer. To assess the value of frozen green litter as a nutrient subsidy, we performed an experiment in which A. germinans seedlings were grown …

Responses Of Native And Invasive Aquatic Vegetation To Changes In Water Depth In An Ozark Spring-Fed Pond, Daphne Miles

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Spring-fed aquatic ecosystems in the Ozark Highlands are characterized by stable water depths, clear water, and diverse aquatic vegetation (filamentous algae, submerged, floating, and emergent plants). Sudden changes in water depth can impact aquatic vegetation dynamics but the impacts of prolonged changes are poorly understood. I investigated seasonal and annual changes to aquatic vegetation abundance in a spring impoundment during and after a two-year period of low water depth that was caused by a broken outlet below an artificial dam. Water depth was significantly lower in 2020 and 2021 (low water years), compared to 2022 and 2023 (high water years). …

Allodus Podophylli: The Infection Cycle Of Mayapple Rust, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

This article addresses the parasitic fungus, Allodus podophylli, that causes Mayapple Rust. This disease is extremely common throughout the entire geographic range of Mayap-ple, Podophyllum peltatum, the 2025 VNPS Wildflower of the Year.

Wildflower Of The Year; Mayapple (Podophyllum Peltatum), W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

Mayapples are perennial herbaceous plants with thick fibrous roots that arise from a creeping rhizome.

Quantification Of Auxin-Cytokinin Response During Lateral Root And Nodule Development In Medicago, Aniket Singh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lateral roots (LRs) and nodules are post-embryonic root organs in legumes formed through the activity of de novo meristem. LRs, which are present in all vascular plants, are developed primarily via intrinsic developmental cues, whereas root nodules, found only in a small group of plants known as legumes, are formed in response to legume–rhizobium symbiosis. LRs arise from the pericycle layer of the root, whereas nodule initiation can begin either in the pericycle (indeterminate nodules with persistent meristem, as in Medicago) or in the cortex (determinate nodules with transient meristem, as in soybean), pointing toward a conserved developmental origin, especially …

Ocean Acidification Mitigation: Potential Expansion Of Sav Restoration Strategy In The Chesapeake Bay, Cree N. Taylor

UROP Posters

Zostera marina is a species of marine macrophyte that has been largely prioritized in past submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) restoration initiatives within the Chesapeake Bay because of its 1) previous abundance, 2) demonstrated carbon burial abilities, and 3) observed ability for meadows of Z. marina to ameliorate low pH conditions. Due to the temperature variability and poor water quality associated with anthropogenic disturbances in the Chesapeake Bay, Z. Marina beds have experienced several die-off events with limited capacity for regrowth. This systematic review explored the possible benefits of focusing future SAV recovery initiatives on ensuring a diverse variety of SAV …

Effects Of Gas Exchange Rates Between C3 And C4 Plant Species, Samantha L. Moya, Mollie Ouk, Aisha Goni

UROP Posters

Spinach and basil (C3 plants) were compared with corn (C4 plant) to

explore how photosynthetic pathways affect CO2 consumption. Corn

seeds were obtained and planted in Miracle-Gro® soil to be observed

over the duration of a month. Leaves (starting from 3,4, and 10) from

each plant were then taken and placed into a bottle and closed off

with a CO2 gas probe that measured levels of carbon dioxide in ppm.

Spinach and basil leaves were used as a comparison for measuring

the rate of CO2 concentration. This is done to compare the gas

exchange rates between C3 and C4 plants. …

Npr1 As A Temperature-Sensitive Regulator Of Pipecolic Acid-Mediated Plant Systemic Immunity, Spencer Tout

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Healthy plant development requires balancing both abiotic (e.g. climate) and biotic (e.g. pathogen) challenges, which intercept important signaling pathways in plants. For example, climate change-associated elevated temperature can negatively modulate various aspects of plant immunity, including the production of central immune signals salicylic acid (SA) and N-hydroxypipecolic acid (NHP). Since SA and NHP signaling both require the master immune co-activator protein NON-EXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES 1 (NPR1), it is important to investigate NPR1 as a potentially temperature-regulated molecular hub. Although the NPR1 gene is not transcriptionally downregulated at elevated temperatures (28° C vs. 23° C), little is known about …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Benguet Pine (Pinus Kesiya) Xylem For Deep Well Water Filtration, Allen Conner C. Hizon, Robert Zachary M. Santos, Juan Jose B. Lacson, Jefferson Danilo G. Villarin, Juan Carlo T. Gumangan

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Even today, many rural and remote communities still do not have access to safe drinking water, which is a basic right of every human. To address this problem, the effectiveness of the Benguet pine tree (Pinus kesiya) xylem as a sustainable water filtration method for well water was investigated. The physical and chemical properties of the filtered and unfiltered deep well water were tested: the total dissolved solids (TDS) and the electrical conductivity using a 5-in-1 electronic water quality tester and the pH level using pH strips. On the other hand, the microbiological metrics, such as heterotrophic plate …

The Effect Of Thidiazuron Treatment On The Growth Of Vanda Limbata Blume In Vivo, Novika Ditasya Putri, Nintya Setiari, Yulita Nurchayati, Sri Widodo Agung Suedy

Makara Journal of Science

Vanda limbata is one of the most popular ornamental orchids. Currently, its growth is slow, making it necessary to improve its cultivation techniques. One of the possible ways to achieve this is to use plant growth regulator (PGR) treatment. Thidiazuron (TDZ) is a cytokinin used to increase the growth of V. limbata. This study aimed to determine the effect of TDZ concentration on the growth rate of V. limbata. The study involved cultivating V. limbata on planting media and spraying it with TDZ at various concentrations. This research uses a CRD (Completely Randomized Design) single-factor, which is TDZ concentration at …

Impacts Of Gibberellin Application On Citrus: An Overview From Seed Germination To Fruit Quality Enhancement, Siti Auliya Rahma, Rahmat Budiarto, Syariful Mubarok, Supatida Abdullakasim

Jurnal Kultivasi

Gibberellins are key plant hormones, and their application in citrus plants is frequently reported. This review aims to provide an overview of the application of gibberellic acid (GA3) in citrus cultivation, emphasizing their effects on growth, flowering, fruit quality, and ripening. Citrus fruits often face challenges like irregular fruit set, size inconsistency, and environmental stress, impacting yield and profitability, with exogenous gibberellin application as a potential solution. Applying gibberellins can accelerate citrus seed germination and seedling growth, enhance vegetative growth, inhibit flowering, delay fruit ripening, and improve fruit quality. However, the efficacy of gibberellins varies across species and conditions, highlighting …

An Overview Of Gibberellin Inhibitors For Regulating Vegetable Growth And Development, Erik Setiawan, Rahmat Budiarto, Jajang Sauman Hamdani, Mansour Ghorbanpour

Jurnal Kultivasi

Gibberellin (GAs) promotes plant growth processes like germination, shoot elongation, root development, and flowering, while its inhibition is occasionally used in some vegetable crop practices. This paper aims to review the current literature on GAs inhibitors in practical vegetable crops and suggest future strategies for increasing yield. In some vegetable crops, inhibiting GAs with natural (abscisic acid, ethylene) or synthetic (paclobutrazol, prohexadione-Ca) regulators is key to improving yield and quality. Abscisic acid (ABA) counteracts GAs in germination and stress adaptation, while ethylene (ET) opposes GAs in senescence and growth inhibition. The application of paclobutrazol (PBZ) and prohexadione-Ca (Pro-Ca) is known …

Correlation Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Dosage With Level Of Colonization, Nutrient Concentration, And Photosynthesis Pigment Of Cavendish Banana Plant, Muhammad Akhsan Akib, Nur Ilmi, Risnawati, Retno Prayudyaningsih, Syatrawati

Jurnal Kultivasi

The commercial development of Cavendish bananas still faces many obstacles, including the availability of seedlings/suckers at low prices, so technological substitution is needed to stimulate the growth of Cavendish banana suckers in the form of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) biological agents. The research aims to determine the correlation between AM doses and colonization levels, tissue nutrient concentrations, and photosynthetic pigments in Cavendish banana seedlings/suckers. It is also a novelty in this research study. The research was carried out in Parepare city at coordinates 3°59'30.204" S; 119°38'42.936" E using four AM doses as independent variables, namely 0 g, 5 g, 10 g, …

Comparative Study Of Rice Morphological And Physiological Characteristics Of Rice Grown Under Organic And Inorganic Farming, Amad Safrudin, Ratna Dewi, Dulbari

Jurnal Kultivasi

Organic farming practices have shown a potential to improve rice yields, aside from the popular conventional ones. This study aimed to comparatively analyze the morpho-physiological characteristics of rice plants grown under organic and inorganic farming. This research was conducted at the Polinela Organic Farm experimental station (5°21'10"S 105°13'43"E, 114 m sea above level), from February to April 2023 using a completely randomized design. The results showed that rice grown organically exhibited a notably higher chlorophyll index and actual water use efficiency compared to those grown inorganically. Conversely, inorganic farming resulted in a greater number of tillers than organic farming. However, …

Phenology And Resource Allocation Strategies Of Diploid Flowering Rush (Butomus Umbellatus) In Ohio And New York, Maxwell G. Gebhart, Ryan M. Wersal, Andrew R. Hannes, Nathan E. Harms, Bradley T. Sartain, William L. Wolanske, Mia Yeager

Biological Sciences Department Publications

Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus L.) is an emergent perennial monocot that has invaded aquatic systems along the U.S.–Canadian border. Currently, there are two known cytotypes of flowering rush, diploid and triploid, within the invaded range. Although most studies have focused on the triploid cytotype, little information is known about diploid plants. Therefore, phenology and resource allocation were studied on the diploid cytotype of flowering rush in three study sites (Mentor Marsh, OH; Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area, NY; and Unity Island, NY) to understand seasonal resource allocation and environmental influences on growth, and to optimize management strategies. Samples were harvested once …