Agricultural production in the Sahelian region of Africa is
among the lowest in the world. Cyclical infestations of locusts and
grasshoppers have contributed to this low productivity. The infestations
appear to be triggered by heavy rainfall at the beginning of a crop season
after extended drought. Because locusts and grasshoppers...
Lower atmospheric flux measurements are a difficult subset of atmospheric data to accurately collect. The interplay of cost, precision, specialty, resolution and repeatability compound an already difficult experimental problem. In response to this, a new, novel instrumentation approach to measuring within the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is introduced.
The combination...
In recent years, there has been renewed interest in black raspberry (Rubus
occidentalis L.) breeding. This has been spurred, in part, by an increase in black
raspberry consumption due to studies that have shown them to be particularly high in
anthocyanin content indicating high levels of antioxidants. Present cultivars are...
Irrigated agriculture constitutes the greatest consumptive water use globally, so that irrigation efficiency measures are an important part of global efforts to best utilize this limited resource. However, greater irrigation efficiency must be achieved while simultaneously maintaining or increasing crop yields and farming profitability. Incremental water use decisions are made...
We have sufficient evidence that our historical management of natural resources is not sustainable. Food production is stagnating or declining. Nonrenewable energy sources on which the energy sector has historically depended are being rapidly depleted. Water resources, for which the energy and food sectors compete, are being depleted and impaired....
Hydraulic conductivity of hemp stems under water-stress conditions was investigated. When plants face with water-stress conditions, embolies (cavitation) are triggered in xylem channels and water transport from the root to the leaves is affected. The relation between percentage loss of water transfer ability within the xylem channels can be described...
Feeding conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) improves reproductive performance in dairy cows; however, the molecular mechanisms by which CLA improves reproduction are not well understood. Therefore, we evaluated whether the CLA isomers, trans-10, cis-12 CLA and cis-9, trans-11 CLA altered synthesis of steroidogenic hormones in bovine luteal cells by measuring concentrations...
Strawberry is one of four crops included in the USDA-NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative-funded RosBREED project along with apple, peach, and cherry. Phenotyping strawberry for specific horticultural and commercial traits is important to identify associations with genotypic marker(s). This process is the first step in translating genomic knowledge into enhanced...
Red tree voles (Arborimus longicaudus) are a unique species of Arvicoline rodent found in western Oregon and northwest California. Their preferred habitat is mature and old-growth coniferous forest dominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Tree voles are an important prey item for northern spotted owls and many other predators, but are...
Forest disturbances, such as wildfires, pine beetle outbreaks, and floods are important features of many landscapes and ecosystems. Many disturbances are increasing in size, frequency, and intensity due to changing climates and land management decisions. The changing ecological and aesthetic conditions following a disturbance can lead to negative short- and...