Master of Science / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Charles J. Barden / Due to health and nutritional disparities, prevalence of obesity and related diseases among American Indians is found to be higher than the U.S. general population. To promote a healthy lifestyle, the long term goal of this project is to increase fresh fruit and vegetable availability through gardening for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (PBPN) tribe in Kansas. In achieving this ultimate goal, two studies were conducted with the objectives of: 1) Evaluate the nutritional and behavioral health indicators for the residential population of the tribe and identify key constraints of gardening activity in the reservation; and 2) Conduct vegetable cultivar trials comparing different open pollinated (OP) and hybrid cultivars of tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum), pepper (Capsicum annum) and eggplant (Solanum melongena var. esculentum) to identify best yielding cultivars. Three surveys were conducted to assess the residential population with respect to gardening activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, health status, physical activity and socioeconomic status, using convenience samples. Cultivar trials comparing 6 pepper, 3 eggplant, and 5 tomato cultivars were conducted in 2012 and 2013 growing seasons. PBPN respondent group revealed significant health disparities compared to the general U.S. and Kansas populations. A higher proportion of this group was in poverty which had strong correlations with land ownership, gardening experience, and attendance to gardening workshops. “No knowledge” and “no space” were identified as key gardening constraints. Hybrid Jetstar was the best tomato cultivar identified, while Cherokee Purple was the best yielding OP cultivar. No difference in performance was observed among the three eggplant cultivars tested. Sweet pepper hybrids Flamingo and Alliance outperformed OP California Wonder which was moderate in production. OP chili pepper cultivars Anaheim 118 and hybrid Chili G76 outperformed hybrid Charger. Identified best yielding cultivars could be distributed among tribal members to support in-place gardening initiatives. Gardening limitations of “no land” and “no knowledge” could be mitigated by increasing participation at the community garden and attendance for gardening workshops. Strategic approaches should be implemented to attract people in poverty to engage in gardening and increase gardening activity in the reservation for nutritional, health and economic benefits.

Master of Science / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Cary L. Rivard / Grafting with inter-specific hybrid rootstock is effective for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) growers looking to reduce soilborne disease organically and increase fruit yield in the Southeastern US. However, production with grafted tomatoes has not been tested in the Great Plains region of the US. Small-acreage growers would like to produce grafted plants themselves, but many have difficulty with propagation due to water stress in the scion post-grafting and/or high temperatures within healing chambers. Growers may be able to reduce water stress post-grafting by removing the upper portion of the shoot to reduce leaf surface area, but no data exist on the potential effects of this practice on mature plant yield. Five high tunnel and one open-field study were conducted in 2011 and 2012 to investigate yield effects related to the use of two rootstocks and shoot removal during the grafting procedure. Grafting significantly increased fruit yield in five of the six trials (P<0.05). The average yield increases by Maxifort and ‘Trooper Lite’ rootstocks were 53% and 51%, respectively, across all trials. In some trials shoot removal during the grafting process reduced yield and could depend upon rootstock vigor. Another series of experiments were performed testing the efficacy of shoot removal for graft survival during the healing period prior to field planting. Five healing chambers designs were evaluated, and no significant effects of treatment design were observed upon grafted seedling survival. Plants grafted with no chamber had success rates of 81% to 91%. Additionally, three grafting leaf removal techniques were studied, and a partial leaf removal method had significantly higher success rates as compared to fully foliated and defoliated plants (P<0.05). Partial leaf removal may be recommended as a way to reduce water stress in the plant, and could potentially be a way to simplify the grafting process for small-scale producers.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Jack Fry and Megan Kennelly / Rough bluegrass (RBG, Poa trivialis L.) is a difficult-to-control weed that commonly infests cool-season turfgrass swards after movement of vegetative propagules or contamination from seed lots. Rough bluegrass is less tolerant of heat stress than desirable cool-season species such as tall fescue (TF, Festuca arundinacea Schreb. Syn [italicize]Schedonorus [italicize]arundinaceus Schreb.), and often declines during mid-summer due to biotic or abiotic stresses. The objectives of these 2011-2013 controlled environment and field experiments were to: 1) observe growth and physiological differences between ‘Laser’ and ‘Pulsar’ RBG and TF; 2) differentiate between physiological and pathological contributors to RBG decline; 3) determine the effects of TF seeding rate and mowing height on TF/RBG establishment when RBG is a seed contaminant; 4) evaluate herbicide combinations for selective RBG control; and 5) evaluate seasonal timing of glyphosate for nonselective RBG control. Tall fescue was less affected by elevated temperature than RBG. At 35°C, Laser and Pulsar experienced similar reductions in quality, gross photosynthesis (Pg), shoot and root biomass, and root length density compared to when grown at 23°C, but maximum electrolyte leakage was greater for Pulsar (63%) than for Laser (49%). Cell membrane thermostability could contribute to the better heat tolerance of Laser RBG. Evaluation of RBG foliage and roots did not reveal a fungal pathogen associated with RBG decline. Still, repeated applications of azoxystrobin (610 g a.i. ha⁻¹) or pyraclostrobin (556 g a.i. ha⁻¹) increased RBG quality, cover, and Pg during summer compared to untreated RBG, possibly due to poorly understood non-target physiological effects of the fungicides. Mowing TF at 7.6 or 11.4 cm reduced RBG incidence up to 57% compared to mowing at 3.8 cm. Tall fescue seeding rate had no effect on RBG incidence. Several herbicides and herbicide combinations resulted in some RBG injury in the field, but bispyribac-sodium was the only treatment that provided RBG control (16 to 92%) in Manhattan, KS; Hutchinson, KS; and Mead, NE. Spring-applied glyphosate resulted in the lowest RBG coverage (1 to 31%) among field studies in Manhattan and Mead, followed by late-summer applications (6 to 58%), and mid-summer applications (9 to 86%).

Master of Science / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Jason J. Griffin / Heat and drought tolerance make shantung maple (Acer truncatum) and caddo sugar maple (A. saccharum) good candidates for midwestern landscapes. Improving cutting propagation or mound layering techniques could increase the availability of these species. The influence of time of year, cutting position, and auxin concentration, formulation, and solvent on rooting of stem cuttings of shantung maple was investigated. Semi-hardwood cuttings rooted best (55%). Generally, rooting percentage decreased as indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) concentration increased. Cutting position, auxin formulation, and solvent did not affect rooting. Mean root number and mean root length were unaffected by treatments. Results suggest semi-hardwood cuttings and low IBA concentrations [< 2500 ppm (0.25%)] promote rooting. Auxin concentration influenced rooting of caddo and shantung maple mound layered shoots. Rooting peaked at 15,000 ppm (1.5%) IBA for both caddo (71%) and shantung maples (34%). Mean root number for caddo, but not shantung, increased as IBA concentration increased. Differences in mean root length were not significant. Growers may now propagate caddo maple by mound layering. For shantung maple propagation, stem cuttings are recommended. Propagation substrates can strongly influence rooting success of stem cuttings. Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) chips (ERC) have been suggested as a propagation substrate component. This report investigated ERC as a perlite substitute in a 3 perlite: 1 sphagnum peat moss (v/v) rooting substrate. Stem cuttings of spreading euonymus (Euonymus kiautschovicus), forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia), English ivy (Hedera helix), lantana (Lantana camara), and coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) were rooted in substrates containing increasing concentrations of ERC hammer milled to pass a 4.8 mm (0.19 in) screen. All species rooted well (≥95%) in all substrates except forsythia which rooted poorly in all substrates (8% to 36%). ERC did not affect mean root number or mean root length in any species except spreading euonymus where mean root number peaked at 0% and 100% ERC content and mean root length decreased with increasing ERC content. Bulk density, container capacity, and total porosity increased as ERC replaced perlite. Physical properties of all substrates were suitable for cutting propagation. ERC can effectively replace perlite in rooting substrates for many ornamental species.

Master of Science / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Candice Shoemaker / Agriculture is a driving industry for most areas of the United States, and the Great Plains region is no exception. In the state of Kansas, agriculture is the primary industry capturing a spot in the USDA 2012 Census of Agriculture’s Top 10 states for total agricultural sales, total crop sales, and total livestock sales (USDA, 2012). Despite the thriving agricultural industry, little research has been completed on the food systems supporting Kansas communities. What are the characteristics of a local food system within the fabric of an agriculturally rich state? The goal of this study was to evaluate the characteristics and perceptions of the local food system supporting Manhattan, Kansas – a metropolitan area located in North Central Kansas. Specifically, we wanted to understand producer barriers to expanding beyond direct markets into institutional markets such as school dining services, grocery stores, and hospital food services. The objectives were to 1) understand producer concerns for selling to institutions, 2) identify resources producers need to access institutional markets, 3) understand institutional preferences for local purchasing, and 4) understand producer and institution definitions of “local” food. In February 2013, a survey was mailed to 162 Kansas producers identified within a 150 mile distance of Manhattan, Kansas. The response rate was 63% and descriptive statistics were completed. Interviews were completed with eleven local institutions in March/April 2013. Common themes were qualitatively assessed. In general, farms were small-scale, producing a diversity of products, and utilizing direct-to-consumer markets while selling to institutions on a limited basis. Producer concerns for selling to institutions included low prices, small production quantities, and delivery costs. Institution concerns included product quantities, quality, and seasonality, quality of communication, and food safety. There was no consensus on a definition for “local” food systems. Opportunities for developing the local food system of Manhattan, Kansas include increasing seasonal production, increasing producer access to resources, and fostering relationships between local producers and institutions.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Candice A. Shoemaker / Public health research shows that targeting behavior directly when promoting healthy behaviors is not as effective for sustainability. Instead the recommendation is to integrate a theoretical framework that identifies factors which affect the targeted behavior and develop the intervention aimed at those factors. The objectives of this dissertation were to measure the healthful benefits of gardening for youth. Strategies were developed for creating an after-school garden club curriculum to target healthy eating, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and gardening. Accelerometers were used to determine physical activity intensity during a garden club session following a curriculum developed to promote physical activity through gardening. In a separate experiment, a portable gas analyzer was used to measure energy expenditure of youth while gardening. The constructs of Social Cognitive Theory were used to provide a guide with strategies for developing a curriculum with a theoretical basis for an after-school garden club targeting overweight prevention. Strategies presented include activities for targeting the theoretical constructs as well as for implementing evaluations. Fourth and fifth grade students at four randomly selected elementary schools in Manhattan, Kansas were invited to join the garden club. Students with parental permission attended the club for ten weeks in the fall and twelve weeks in the spring. During the second year of implementation students with parental permission participated in the accelerometer study. For six days students wore an accelerometer and completed a daily activity log detailing their activities during that time. Students in the fourth and fifth grades from eight Manhattan, Kansas elementary schools were invited to participate in the energy expenditure study during the summer of 2010. Students who participated in this study (n=20) wore a portable gas analyzer and heart rate monitor while performing four gardening tasks. Data were used to calculate energy expenditure of youth while gardening. A theoretically-based after-school garden club curriculum was developed to target increasing youth healthy behaviors. Results from the accelerometer study showed that students were significantly more physically active at the moderate and vigorous intensity level and significantly less sedentary at garden club compared to not at garden club. For students who participated in the energy expenditure study, the gardening tasks (transplanting, weeding, cultivating, and raking) were moderate physical activity (3-5.99 METs). Gardening can be a valuable tool for promoting and increasing physical activity in youth.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Horticulture, Forestry, and Recreation Resources / Dale Bremer / Greg Davis / In 2005, turfgrass was estimated to cover approximately 20 million ha of urbanized land. That area is increasing with rapid urbanization, stressing the importance of water conservation in the lawn and landscape industry. Turfgrasses have been identified for replacement by presumably more water-efficient ornamental plant species to conserve water. However, research comparing drought resistance and evapotranspiration (ET) of turfgrasses with ornamental landscape plants is limited. Two studies were conducted to evaluate water use and performance under drought stress of several ornamental and turfgrass species. An online course was developed to educate students about critical water issues related to irrigation in urbanizing watersheds. In a field study, ET was measured using lysimeters and plant water status was evaluated under deficit irrigation (100%, 60%, and 20% ET) in Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm. ‘Sharps Improved’, and Ajuga reptans L. ‘Bronze Beauty’. Evapotranspiration was similar between A. reptans and F. arundinacea, and was 32 and 35% greater than ET of B. dactyloides. In a greenhouse study, the performance of one turfgrass (Poa pratensis L. ‘Apollo’) and eight landscape species (Achillea millifolium L., Ajuga reptans L. ‘Bronze Beauty’, Liriope muscari Decne., Pachysandra terminalis Siebold and Zucc., Sedum album L., Thymus serpyllum L., Vinca major L., and Vinca minor L.) was evaluated during a severe dry down and subsequent recovery. S. album, L. muscari, and P. terminalis performed the best, requiring 86 to 254 d to decline to a quality rating of one (1-9 scale: 1=dead/dormant, 9=best quality). The remaining species required 52 to 63 d. The only species to recover were P. pratensis [46% pot cover (PC) after 60 days], S. album (38% PC), and V. major (35% PC). A survey was developed to measure student learning as it relates to the level of sense and meaning present in the content of a new online course entitled “Water Issues in the Lawn and Landscape.” Survey results were compared with student learning as measured through a post-test. Post-test scores declined as the difference between sense and meaning increased (r =-0.82; P=0.03), indicating student learning is higher when both sense and meaning are present.

Este projeto consiste em um estudo das ocupações de horticultores ceramistas na Província Cárstica do Alto São Francisco, na porção sudoeste do Estado de Minas Gerais. Através de um levantamento sistemático de aspectos topográficos e paisagísticos foram selecionados dois sítios arqueológicos para sofrerem intervenções. Partindo de um estudo técnico e estilístico dos materiais cerâmicos coletados em cada um deles foi possível levantar uma série de fatores comuns entre as chamadas tradições cerâmicas Una e Sapucaí. Datações radiocarbônicas obtidas a partir de carvões, coletados nestes sítios, também foram importantes no sentido de situar cronologicamente estas manifestações culturais. Foi feito um levantamento etnohistórico para a região a fim de encontrar pistas dos portadores destas tradições que, porventura entraram em contato com os exploradores europeus, visto que vários trabalhos acadêmicos, nacionais e internacionais, apontam o Alto São Francisco como área de domínio da \"temível nação Cataguá\", que teria ocupado este território ao longo dos séculos XVI e XVII. Com base nesta série de dados obtidos com estas diferentes etapas de trabalho, defendo uma unicidade entre as duas tradições ceramistas / This project makes a study about the prehistoric occupations of making pottery groups of the Upper São Francisco Carstic Province, in the southwest portion of the Minas Gerais State. Two archaeological sites had been selected for excavations, this selection was preceded by systematic surveys which attempted to the topographic and landscapes aspects of each place visited. A range of commons characters between the so called pottery traditions Una and Sapucaí, emerges from a technical and stylistic study of the potsherds collected in each one of these sites. Radiocarbon dates gained from collected charcoals in both sites were very important in a way of situate these cultural manifestations in a chronological scale. We made a etnohistory survey for the region, thence a number of national and international studies presents the Upper São Francisco as an area under the domination of the \"dreadful Cataguá nation\", which had been occupied along the XVI and XVII centuries. I claim for a straight connection between these two pottery traditions, based on a rank of data achieved with such different stages of investigation.

Det har under lång tid odlats frukt i Sverige. Fruktodlingen var länge knuten till herrgårdar och slott. Sedan slutet av 1800-talet började fruktodlingar anläggas i områdena runt Vånga, Kivik och Båstad i Skåne. Det växer fram en ny typ av näring som är mer industriellt präglad än den tidigare herrgårds- och slottsodlingen. Syftet med studien är att undersöka industrifruktodlingsarealens utveckling mellan åren 1926 och 2014 i socknarna Västra Karup vid Båstad och Södra Mellby vid Kivik. Socknarna valdes som undersökningsområden för att de ligger i två fruktodlingsdistrikt i Skåne. Metoden som används är digitalisering av fruktodlingarna i kartmaterialet och beräkning av arealen i GIS-programmet ArcMap.   Fruktodlingsarealen ökade i båda socknarna under första hälften av undersökningsperioden och minskade under den andra. I Västra Karup är arealen minst i slutet av undersökningsperioden och i Södra Mellby i början, arealen var störst i båda socknarna i mitten av perioden. Ökningen beror bland annat på avskärmningen från världsmarknaden under andra världskriget samt ett importstopp på utländsk frukt och minskningen på tullar och ett borttaget importstopp.

Orientador: Arthur Bernardes Cecílio Filho / Coorientador: Glauco de Souza Rolim / Banca: Renato de Mello Prado / Banca: José Ricardo Mantovani / Banca: Jairo Osvaldo Cazetta / Banca: Adriano Bortolotti da Silva / Resumo: Neste trabalho foram estudados processos relacionados ao desenvolvimento e crescimento do tomate industrial. Os experimentos foram conduzidos nos anos 2013 e 2014 em três áreas diferentes da cidade de Guaíra-SP. No capítulo 1, objetivou-se calibrar e testar o modelo CROPGRO-Tomate com dados de cinco experimentos de campo com tomate industrial sob diferentes concentrações de fósforo no solo. Os tratamentos dos experimentos para calibração foram para a área 1: 0, 150, 300, 450, 600 e 750 kg ha-1 P2O5 e para as áreas dois e três: 0, 200, 400, 600, 800 e 1000 kg ha-1 P2O5, em delineamento de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. Nos experimentos para testar o modelo foi aplicado 450 kg ha-1 P2O5. A cada 15 dias após o transplante (DAT) plantas foram recolhidas para a medição de biomassa e área foliar. No final do ciclo de cultivo foram coletadas plantas para avaliação da produção. Todos os dados coletados foram utilizados para calibração e teste do modelo CROPGRO-Tomate. O modelo foi acurado (índice d médio = 0,91 e RRMSE médio = 0,24) para simular a resposta do tomate industrial à diferentes concentrações de P no solo. O objetivo do experimento 2 foi estimar o índice de área foliar (LAI) do tomate industrial utilizando dados obtidos por métodos destrutivos e não destrutivos, dados meteorológicos e número de folhas (NL). Os métodos de medição da área foliar foram Li-Cor (destrutivo), ImageJ e Canopeo (imagens digitais). Também para a estimativa de LAI foram utilizadas soma de grau-dias (ΣDD), radiação global (Qg) e número de folhas (NL). As fotografias foram tiradas aleatoriamente, em duas áreas diferentes a 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 e120 DAT utilizando um quadro vazado de 1 m2 de área colocado sobre as plantas. As fotografias foram tiradas em 24 pontos diferentes, em cada ponto foi coletada uma planta para ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In this work were discussed processes related to development and growth of processing tomato. The experiments were conducted in the years 2013 and 2014 in three different areas in the city of Guaíra-SP. In chapter 1 the objective was to calibrate and test the CROPGRO-Tomato model with data of five field experiments with processing tomato under different phosphorus concentrations in the soil. The treatments of experiments for calibration were for the area 1: 0, 150, 300, 450, 600 and 750 kg ha-1 P2O5 and for the areas two and three: 0, 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 kg ha-1 P2O5, in randomized block design with four replications. The experiments for testing the model 450 kg ha-1 P2O5 was applied. In each 15 days after transplanting (DAT) plants were collected for measuring biomass and leaf area. At the end of crop cycle plants were collected for evaluation of production. All data collected were used for calibration and testing of CROPGRO-Tomato model. The model was accurate (average d index = 0.91, average RRMSE = 0.24) to simulate response of processing tomato to different soil P concentrations. The objective of Experiment 2 was to estimate the leaf area index (LAI) of processing tomato using data obtained by destructive and non-destructive methods, meteorological data and number of leaves (NL). For Experiment 2 the methods of measuring leaf area were Li-Cor (destructive), ImageJ and Canopeo (digital images). Also for estimation of LAI it were used sum of degree-days (ΣDD), global radiation (Qg) and number of leaves (NL). Photographs were taken at random, in two different areas at 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, DAT 120 using a 1m2 square frame placed over the plants. Photographs were taken in 24 different points, in each point it was collected one plant for leaf area measurement using Li-Cor and leaves counting. LAI ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor