On a global scale, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plays an important role in tackling the threat of food insecurity due to its high yield and broad global acceptance. However, pathogens threaten potato production, causing direct yield loss and rendering potatoes tubers unmarketable. Breeding new cultivars that carry multiple resistances is...
This thesis project has the following specific objectives: (i) Determine pathogenicity of Globodera ellingtonae to potato utilizing two trials conducted over a 16 week period, (ii) Elucidate the host range of G. ellingtonae using a variety of different Solanum weed species and crop species, and (iii) Characterize population decline of...
Scouringrushes (Equisetum hyemale L.; E. xferrissii Clute; E. laevigatum L.) are ancient perennial seedless vascular plants historically associated with wetlands, low-lying roadsides or field margins with more plant available water. There has been little research conducted on scouringrush species in the context of agricultural production because traditional farming practices confined...
This dissertation has focused on lignin byproducts that result from the alkali processing of wheat straw. The first study evaluated the application of “standard” lignin quantification methods for summative analyses of alkali-based processes. Mass closure during NaOH processing at 25, 50, and 75°C of wheat straw was evaluated using the...
Optimization of comminuting and heating conditions for surimi gel preparation obtained from three fish species: Alaska pollock (AP) (Theragra chalcogramma), Pacific whiting (PW) (Merluccius productus), and threadfin bream (TB) (Nemipterus spp.) was the focus of this study. Three parameters during comminution were separately evaluated: chopping time, chopping temperature, and salting...
The adult western spotted cucumber beetle (WSCB), Diabrotica undecimpunctata
undecimpunctata Mannerheim is considered a major pest of snap beans grown for
processing in Western Oregon. Control consists of 1 or 2 insecticide sprays prior to
harvest. A commercial semiochemical-based insecticide bait, Adios TIC®, 1.3% carbaryl
+ 5% buffalo gourd root...
This dissertation explores two economic phenomena involving forest-dependent areas: wage distribution and migration pattern of individuals. Are forest-dependent rural areas less desirable for workers from the standpoint of labor market returns? Are different skills (e.g. education, experience) rewarded differently in these areas? If there are interregional wage differences, would that...
A firm's productivity is composed of two parts: pure technical change and location-specific (agglomeration) externalities. Regional productivity is thus an aggregation of productivity of firms producing similar goods and located in a given region. International trade can affect both components of regional productivity. First, trade openness in a closed economy...
China has experienced rapid economic growth in the last twenty years, accompanied by large-scale land conversion, severe environmental degradation, and rising carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Designing policies for sustainable development requires a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between economic growth, land-use change, carbon sequestration and emissions in China. This dissertation...
Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is important in the production of wines as it reduces acidity through the conversion of malic acid to lactic acid. However, successful MLF can be difficult to achieve due to yeast antagonism of the bacterium responsible for
the secondary fermentation, Oenococcus oeni. In particular, yeast produced sulfur...