Soil health as influenced by the integration of cover crops and poultry litter in north-central Mississippi

Soil health-based agricultural management practices are widely promoted to improve soil structure, infiltration and reduce erosion. This study was conducted at two locations in North-Central Mississippi to evaluate the influence of different cover crop species and poultry litter on soil health that can impact crop production, climate change, and resilience. The results indicated that the cover crops showed a little effect on some soil health indicators compared to control treatment. However, in one location, rye, and a mixture of cover crops decreased bulk density and increased available water content and organic matter. The poultry litter had a positive effect on most soil physical and chemical health indicators. The cover crop species at Pontotoc decreased bulk density, increased field capacity, CEC, and total carbon. However, there was no significant effect of cover crops on most soil chemical health indicators, and soil responses may take more than five years for the changes to appear

Determinants of sustainability reporting by environmentally sensitive firms in Nigeria

The effects of man’s actions and industrialization on the bio-system have not been pleasant. The effect of environmental challenges likes drought, desertification, erosion, gas flaring, and pollution is suffering by Nigerian now. Indirectly, it affects the social and political landscape of Nigeria. Hence, this research has been made to investigate the relationship between sustainability reporting and its determinants like environmental policy administrators, corporate financial performance, board independence and corporate foreign ownership concentration. The research primarily targeted the nature and trend of sustainability disclosure in compliance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI-4 or G4) which is internationally recognized for sustainability reporting standards and guidelines. Concentrating on environmentally sensitive companies in Nigeria, the research covered 67 firms over a 6-year period (2009-2014). Data were analyzed through content analysis, descriptive statistics, and robust random effect regression after embarking on proper data screening and diagnostic tests. The results showed an appreciably higher level of sustainability disclosure by environmentally sensitive firms. However, on matters of influence only board independence and duality showed significant relationships. Both of which have inverse relationship with sustainability information disclosure indicating that an independent board and division of the CEO’s duty does not encourage higher disclosure of sustainability information. The significance of these results is to enable the appropriate authorities to maintain the increasing trend in disclosure with the prospect of future improvements through mandatory disclosure. In addition, the research could serve as a basis for a major overhaul of the “Code of Corporate Governance - 2011”

The Multiple Barrier Approach to Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Communities: A Case Study

The drinking water contamination tragedy in Walkerton, Ontario during the spring of 2000 led to many changes in water management for the province. Among these changes has been the increased use of the multiple barrier approach (MBA) to safe drinking water as the basis of water management for communities throughout Ontario. The MBA is also used in the management of water for First Nations communities throughout Ontario and Canada. Literature on water quality management for First Nations suggests that despite these changes, many communities continue to face challenges for ensuring the safety and quality of their drinking water supplies. Fort William First Nation, Gull Bay First Nation, and Mattagami First Nation, were selected for this study in order to investigate the use of the MBA in these communities. Data was collected using key informant interviews with representatives of institutions that affect water management for the case study communities, direct observations during visits to two of the communities and attendance at a First Nations water policy forum, and through a review of recent reports and publications on safe drinking water for First Nations. The research has provided insight into the challenges that the case study communities face for ensuring safe drinking water under the MBA, as well as opportunities that exist to address those challenges. The findings suggest that the MBA currently does not meet the unique needs of some First Nations communities. They also suggest that specific adaptations of existing water management strategies to the MBA framework may lead to a more effective approach to ensure safe drinking water for First Nations communities. This thesis focuses on several key ways to make these changes: Strengthen public involvement and awareness; Introduce effective legislative and policy frameworks; Encourage research, science and technology for First Nations’ water management; Allocate sufficient financial resources to First Nations to recruit, train and retain qualified water managers and maintain drinking water infrastructure, and; Increase efforts to ensure that water management goals are supported by local and indigenous traditional knowledge, beliefs and perspectives

Fish diversity behavior and microhabitat use in secondary channels of the Bitterroot River Montana

The central Bitterroot River floodplain is characterized by a complex secondary channel network that provides a range of aquatic environments for native and nonnative fish. To better understand fish communities using these aquatic habitats, I used snorkeling and electrofishing to evaluate habitat variation, fish community diversity and microhabitat use in six secondary channels between August 1998 and September 1999. Secondary channels provide a range of habitats and microhabitats influenced by secondary channel proximity to the Bitterroot River, upwelling groundwater, and inchannel habitat complexity created by woody debris. Secondary channel morphologies remained stable over the year, while secondary channel water chemistry varied seasonally and in relation to the mainstem Bitterroot River. Fish community diversity was greatest in complex channel reaches and tended to decrease with distance from the mainstem. Of the eight fish species commonly encountered, microhabitat use and day-night fish behavior patterns were apparent. Among young-of-year and juvenile age classes of different species, microhabitat use overlapped and day-night behaviors were similar. During the day, young fish generally selected microhabitats associated with dense cover, while at night these fish moved into less protected, low water velocity microhabitats. Adult fish of larger species used microhabitats that differed from those used by young-of-year and juveniles of the same species. Adult fish occupied deeper microhabitats or those associated with large woody debris or overhead bank cover. However, these results were species-specific in many cases and were influenced by site-to-site differences in microhabitat availability. Bitterroot River secondary channels provide a variety of habitats occupied by numerous fish species and age classes. Protection of the Bitterroot River floodplain from inappropriate development is critical to maintaining the region’s habitat and fish diversity

The Production of Pyrolytic Biochar for Addition in Value-Added Composite Material

Pyrolytic biochar has recently gained attention for its potential value as a carbon sequestering by-product that can be used in industrial applications. While biochar is typically targeted for soil amendment applications, higher value applications such as addition in consumer products and building materials needs to be investigated. In this study, biochar is produced from three different Canadian feedstocks using three different pyrolysis methods. The biochar is characterized to determine the effects that feedstock selection and pyrolysis conditions has on biochar properties. The biochar is also incorporated into concrete at varying concentrations to create a lightweight and sustainable material. The effect of biochar addition on the mechanical strength, as well as the thermal and acoustic properties of the concrete is studied. Biochar was also added to polymer composites. The carbon microstructure was analyzed, and the effects of biochar on the dielectric properties of the composite material was determined

Introgressing a new source of host-plant resistance to European corn borer into two elite maize inbred lines

Eleven accessions of Peruvian maize were evaluated for mechanisms of resistance to leaf feeding by European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner). Antibiosis was identified as one mechanism of resistance that operates at a level equivalent to CI31A which is a maize inbred line containing high levels of 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA), thus having strong antixenotic and antibiotic properties towards leaf feeding by European corn borer. Antixenosis may be another mechanism of resistance operating in the Peruvian maize but at a level lower than CI31A. The 11 Peruvian maize accessions were used as donor parents in a backcross plant breeding program designed to introgress the European corn borer resistance trait into two elite U.S. Corn Belt adapted inbred lines. Resistance to European corn borer leaf feeding and sheath and collar feeding was recovered in the F1 indicating dominant genetic control. There was no correlation between resistance to European corn borer leaf feeding and sheath and collar feeding, indicating that genetic control of resistance to leaf feeding is independent of that for sheath and collar feeding. Some BC2 S1 x Private Tester hybrids of maize had a mean yield not significantly different than the highest yielding commercial check for each experiment. BC3 experimental lines have been developed which have yield potential plus the unique source of resistance to leaf, sheath, and collar feeding by European corn borer. Fifteen experimental lines of maize derived from the backcross breeding program were evaluated for resistance to the European corn borer, corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea (Boddie)), fall armyworm, (Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith)), and sugarcane borer, (Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius)). Experimental lines 100-R-3 and 116-B-10 had varying levels of resistance to all of the insects tested. Experimental line 107-8-7 was identified as being resistant to corn earworm while maintaining low levels of maysin. Experimental line 81-9-B had very high levels of resistance to corn earworm

Interspecific Hybridization in Plant Biology

Many crop gene pools are derived from a small number of founders. As a consequence of long histories of strong directional selection, crop gene pools have narrow genetic diversity available to provide inherent solutions to changing needs or challenges. Notoriously, plants can mate across taxonomically-determined species boundaries, and interspecific hybridization is widely used in plant genetics research. Interspecific hybridizations have conferred practical improvements to crops, some of which are unexpected based on the phenotypes of the parents. Genomics has provided insights into the fundamental consequences of interspecific hybridization for plant biology. Additionally, genomics has allowed the development of molecular tools for dissecting the genetic control of phenotypic variation in interspecific hybrid populations and manipulating interspecific introgressions in crop improvement. This Research Topic aims to publish peer-reviewed research to interspecific hybridization and its consequences, both fundamental and applied. While such work is prominent in plants, consideration will also be given to salient work in other taxa. A key threshold for publication will be the extent to which findings are of cross-cutting interest and importance, i.e. not only to those working on the target taxon but to a wide range of biological scientists.Peer reviewe

Drought and saline stress tolerance induced in somatic hybrids of solanum chacoense and potato cultivars by using mismatch repair deficiency

Global climate change, especially when involving drought and salinity, poses a major challenge to sustainable crop production, causing severe yield losses. The environmental conditions are expected to further aggravate crop production in the future as a result of continuous greenhouse gas emissions, causing further temperature rise and leading to increased evapotranspiration, severe drought, soil salinity, as well as insect and disease threats. These suboptimal growth conditions have negative impact on plant growth, survival, and crop yield. Potato is well known as a crop extremely susceptible to drought, which is primarily attributed to its shallow root system. With potato being the fourth major food crop, increasing potato productivity is thus important for food security and for feeding global population. To maintain a sustainable potato production, it is necessary to develop stress tolerant potato cultivars that cope with the already ongoing climate change. The aim of our study is to analyze the response of potato somatic hybrids to drought and salt stress under in vitro conditions; the somatic hybrids studied are the wild relative Solanum chacoense (+) Solanum tuberosum, with or without mismatch repair deficiency (MMR). Upon this selection of drought and salt tolerant genotypes, somatic hybrids and their parents were phenotyped on a semi-automated platform, and lines tolerant to medium water scarcity (20% compared to 60% soil water capacity) were identified. Although none of the parental species were tolerant to drought, some of the MMR-deficient somatic hybrids showed tolerance to drought and salt as a new trait. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland