Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Minnesota, 1934. / Vita. Published also as Technical bulletin 133, December 1938, of the Minnesota Agricultural experiment station. "Literature cited": p. 46-48.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1967. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Florida, 1973. / Description based on print version record. Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-56).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1968. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliography.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1969. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliography.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-64).

Master of Science / Food Science Institute / Weiqun Wang / Sorghum is a versatile grain that is generally consumed in Asian and African countries but is gaining interest in the United States due to its gluten-free and bioactive compound enriched health benefits. There are many varieties of sorghum that come in a wide range of colors. These genetic factor-depended phenotypic colors are contributed by various phytochemical pigments that reside within different components of the sorghum kernel, especially in the pericarp and endosperm. Various pericarp pigments are reflective of the certain phytochemical levels which may include anthocyanins, carotenoids, and condensed tannins. This article reviews recent studies on the association of pericarp pigments in various sorghum accessions with anthocyanins and carotenoids, respectively. It covers aspects of the potential health benefits of these colored dietary constituents. However, further investigations are warranted to clarify the diversity of these bioactive constituent interactions with genetic and environmental factors. How these phytochemicals correlate to the sorghum pericarp pigments could be important in future use of sorghum as a functional food with potential health benefits.

Master of Science / Department of Agronomy / Johanna A. Dille / Curtis R. Thompson / The acetolactate synthase inhibitor herbicide-resistant grain sorghum technology introduced will allow for the application of nicosulfuron for postemergence (POST) grass control, however it is essential to determine a program-based approach to ensure broad spectrum weed control. Field experiments were conducted at three locations across Kansas in 2015 and 2016 to assess a range of possible herbicide programs for grass and broadleaf weed control and crop tolerance using Inzen™ Sorghum. The experiments consisted of 1 early pre-plant (EPP), 2 preemergence (PRE), and 3 POST, and 5 PRE followed by POST herbicide treatments. Weed control and crop response were evaluated visually at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after POST treatment (WAPT). Treatments containing nicosulfuron and/or bromoxynil & pyrasulfotole caused 10 to 20% crop injury at 1 WAPT in both 2015 and 2016 at the three locations. Treatments containing nicosulfuron + dicamba caused up to 30% injury with more injury in 2015 than in 2016. In 2015 at Manhattan the nicosulfuron-only treatment provided 64% control of Palmer amaranth and, when tank mixed with dicamba or bromoxynil & pyrasulfotole, control ranged from 71 to 76%. When nicosulfuron POST followed PRE of S-metolachlor & atrazine, Palmer amaranth control was 96 to 100%. At both locations, nicosulfuron provided 35, 55, and 61% control of large crabgrass, yellow foxtail, and stinkgrass, respectively. Annual grass control ranged from 85 to 100% when nicosulfuron followed a PRE S-metolachlor & atrazine. Greenhouse experiments were set up to determine the efficacy of nicosulfuron on four annual grass species at six different rates, two different rates, and the addition of atrazine. The four grass species evaluated were large crabgrass, yellow foxtail, barnyardgrass, and wheat. Nicosulfuron was applied at 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 times its labeled rate of 35 g ha⁻¹. A full factorial of rate by height by atrazine was applied for a total of 24 treatments replicated 4 times on each species. Each nicosulfuron rate was applied with and without atrazine at 840 g ha⁻¹ on 5 to 10 cm tall plants and on 15 to 20 cm tall plants. Visual ratings were taken 1, 2, and 4 weeks after treatment (WAT). Aboveground biomass was harvested 4 WAT, dried and weighed. Treatments containing nicosulfuron from 4.4 to 70 g ha⁻¹ all caused similar reduction in biomass compared to the nontreated check. Averaged over the inclusion of atrazine, nicosulfuron applied at 35 and 70 g ha⁻¹ provided 17% less control when treating 15 to 20 cm large crabgrass compared to the 5 to 10 cm large crabgrass, respectively. Overall barnyardgrass, yellow foxtail, and wheat can be effectively controlled with nicosulfuron when applied at proper heights, rate, and atrazine.

Doctor of Philosophy / Food Science Institute / Weiqun Wang / Anthocyanins are the most abundant water-soluble flavonoid pigments that are biosynthesized via the phenylpropanoid pathway in plants. Consumption of anthocyanin-rich vegetables and fruits has been linked with multiple health benefits in chronic disease prevention. This dissertation consisted of three studies as follows focused on the profiles and contents of anthocyanins in various sorghum accessions and sweetpotato leaves. Study 1: Sorghum is a rich source of various phytochemicals, but the contents of anthocyanins in various sorghum accessions are not clear. This study was to identify and quantify the anthocyanins by HPLC-DAD in selected 25 sorghum accessions with various phenotypic pericarp pigments. The predominant anthocyanins found in sorghums were 3-deoxyanthocyanidins including the unique leuteolinidin and apigeninidin analogs. The high levels of total anthocyanins were found in the red pericarp PI297139 and the brown pericarp PI221723, followed by the brown pericarp PI35038 and the yellow pericarp PI229838. There were moderate to low levels of anthocyanins observed in all the other accessions except for the white pericarp that generally contained least to undetectable amount. Although anthocyanins appeared to be associated with the pericarp color in the sorghum accessions with the highest contents in each pericarp pigment category, a distinguishable diversity of anthocyanin contents was presented among and between the phenotypic pericarp colors, suggesting other colorful phytochemicals such as carotenoids might be contributed. Establishing a database of anthocyanin profile and diversity in sorghum accessions with various pericarp pigments may lead to the development of novel functional sorghum products with active anthocyanin-enriched health benefits. Study 2: As phytochemical-enriched edible greens, sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) leaves have become popular. However, the profile and content of phytochemicals in sweetpotato leaves are mostly unknown. We previously bred a purple-fleshed sweetpotato P40 that demonstrated cancer prevention due to high levels of anthocyanins in the tuberous roots. The objectives of this study were to identify and quantify anthocyanins in P40 leaves when compared with the white-fleshed Bonita and orange-fleshed Beauregard. The mature leaves of P40 at 6-week vine stage were collected and extracted for anthocyanin analysis by HPLC-MS/MS. Fourteen anthocyanins, including a novel anthocyanin (peonidin 3-caffeoyl-p-coumaryl sophoroside-5-glucoside), were identified and quantitated. The contents of anthocyanins in P40 leaves (38 ± 2.9 mg/kg DW) were much lower than that in the tubers (13,100 ± 70 mg/kg DW). Furthermore, anthocyanin contents in P40 leaves were even lesser than those of the white-fleshed Bonita (448 ± 50.4 mg/kg DW) and orange-fleshed Beauregard (240 ± 60.9 mg/kg DW). Total phenolic contents as measured by Folin-Ciocalteu were 36.8 ± 4.8 mg GAE/g DW in the leaves of P40, but 46.7 ± 2.1 mg GAE/g DW in Bonita and 41.2 ± 5.0 mg GAE/g DW in Beauregard. No anthocyanin was detectable in the stems of these three sweetpotato varieties. Taken together, this study reports for the first time the profile and content of anthocyanins in the leaves of three sweetpotato varieties with a new anthocyanin identified. The unexpected lower levels of anthocyanins in the purple-fleshed sweetpotato leaves when compared with the tuberous roots advanced our existing database and also validated a diverse phenotype of anthocyanin biosynthesis between sweetpotato leaves and tubers. Study 3: As phytochemical-enriched edible greens, sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) leaves have potential health benefits. However, how anthocyanin content in sweetpotato leaves responds to harvest stages and growth conditions remains mostly unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of harvest timing on the accumulation of anthocyanin in the leaves of several sweetpotato varieties: white-skinned and white-fleshed Bonita, red-skinned and orange-fleshed Beauregard, red-skinned and white-fleshed Murasaki, and purple-skinned and purple-fleshed P40. Anthocyanin content increased continuously in Bonita from 1st slip stage to vine stage, but P40 did not have the same response. Beauregard had most anthocyanin (592.5 ± 86.4 mg /kg DW) and total phenolic content (52.2 ± 3 mg GAE/g DW) of mature leaves at vine stage. The P40 variety had low anthocyanin and total phenolic content in the leaves although P40 tubers have the highest among these varieties. In the high tunnel studies, no significant differences in anthocyanin content were found in Beauregard leaves grown in the high tunnels versus the open field. Our study showed for the first time that anthocyanin levels were significantly affected by the growth stages. Our overall results indicate that growth stage and/or environmental factors among sweetpotato varieties affected anthocyanin content, which is highly variable and genotype-dependent. In conclusion, the three studies conducted in this dissertation provided a fundamental understanding of anthocyanin profiles and contents in various sorghum accessions with various phenotypic pericarp pigments and sweetpotato leaves in various growth stages and conditions. These results can be useful not only for the breeders but also consumers in the selection of sorghum accessions and sweetpotato varieties for anthocyanin-contained health benefits.

8 pp. / Irrigation water is a major input into production of a forage crop. The purpose of this research is to compare the yield and quality of forage sorghum grown with differing amounts of irrigation water. A linear move sprinkler system was used to apply 11 water application amounts from 23.79 to 35.52 inches over the season. Forage yield peaked at a water application amount of around 32.60 inches according to a quadratic function of yield vs water applied. Increasing irrigation amount decreased forage quality by increasing fiber components. Profit was maximized at 30.20 to 32.60 inches of applied water, which is slightly less than that for maximum yield.