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Processes for Improved Variable Rate Irrigation and Nitrogen Within Potato-Wheat-Wheat Cropping Systems
Get PDFProper irrigation and nutrient management are vital for optimal crop production within agricultural fields. Improving irrigation and nutrient application through precision agriculture is necessary to conserve the limited resources available, while improving yield and quality of crops produced through such a system. Variable rate irrigation (VRI) and variable rate nitrogen are systems used to apply water and nitrogen more precisely to agricultural fields to reduce runoff, deep percolation, leaching, and other negative impacts of over application, while providing the optimal rates to produce maximum yields. However, the processes to utilize these systems have proven to be more difficult than expected, and the technology has developed at a faster rate than the knowledge to manage such systems. Much research has been performed to determine different ways to use VRI and VRN, but many studies have been more technical than application based.
This research has focused on farm-scale trials to assist in further exploration of managing VRI and VRN in three ways. First, determine sensor placements based on resources available to the farmer to assist in making in-season irrigation decisions. Second, utilize satellite imagery to estimate in-season variation of soil moisture throughout fields that could assist with irrigation management. Third, trial a zone delineation and management plan for VRN that utilizes resources readily available to growers.
These analyses found that farmer\u27s experience combined with yield maps are reliable tools for placing soil moisture sensors that capture soil VWC variability for precision irrigation. Utilizing satellite imagery with some vegetative indices were useful in estimating soil moisture throughout a field, and exploring some soil indices could prove useful in estimating soil moisture at different crop growth stages. These studies also found that sectioning a field into high and low yield productivity areas and applying different rates of N based on those productivity areas resulted in higher crop yields and improved nitrogen use efficiency. Overall, these results show the benefit of utilizing resources readily accessible to the farmer, as well as the experience of the farmer to implement VRI and VRN systems to improve crop production as well as conservation in resources
White Light Observations of the Total Solar Eclipse
Get PDFThis year, we have had the opportunity to see two total solar eclipses. I helped create training materials for volunteer scientists who took photographs of these eclipses. Our group worked with the Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast Initiative, which has organized groups for this project across North America. My role was to work with the DEB team to write instructions for our systems, and then to observe both eclipses
Exploring Microbialite Mats of Great Salt Lake
Get PDFAmong the major contributors to the bottom of the food chain in the Great Salt Lake, microbialites are mats of microorganisms supported by rock-like structures. The microbiome includes photosynthesizers such as cyanobacteria, but they also include more complex organisms such as algae. We have recently, for the first time, discovered evidence of fungi associated with the microbiolite mats. Little research has been conducted on fungi of the Great Salt Lake. The microbialites are the foundation for the food chain in the lake, and without them, the food chain will likely face a collapse. As the Great Salt Lake is shrinking, more areas are exposed to drying out and high salt conditions. We identified the most abundant species of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and other eukaryotes via DNA extraction, amplification, and sequencing of the microbiolite mat. We found that Acaulospora kentinensis which constitutes 1.9% of the tank with 6 month regrowth and 54.2% of the tank with 3 month regrowth is an Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and that its relative Acaulospora mellea was found to increase the salt tolerance of sweet sorghum cultivars. It was also found that the most prolific Eukaryotes present in GSL are Picocystis salinarum which constitute 8.6% of the tank with 6 month regrowth and 46.4% of the tank with 3 month regrowth is a green algae typically found in hypersaline environments. With this information, isolation of new cyanobacteria from the lake is being done for further characterization. The overall goal of this research is to genetically identify the species present in GSL microbialites in order to help recover microbiolites from environmental stressors that are a direct result of the lake shrinking. This issue is urgent because if the microbialites desiccate, then the food chain will crumble
Progress on the Optically Transparent Antenna Payload for the GASRATS CubeSat
Get PDFThe Get Away Special Radio and Antenna Transparency Satellite (GASRATS) is an education and technology demonstration CubeSat mission being developed by the Get Away Special (GAS) Student Satellite Team at Utah State University (USU) in collaboration with USU professor Dr. Reyhan Baktur. The 3U CubeSat (34x10x10 cm) will demonstrate an optically transparent, solar panel-integrated patch antenna in low Earth orbit and verify its long-term durability in the space environment
Evaluation of Clinical Features of Venturi Adapters for CPAP in Procedural Sedation
Get PDFResearch has shown that CPAP therapy reduces airway obstruction and oxygen desaturation during procedural sedation. However, the cost and real estate associated with a non-invasive ventilator render this an impractical approach. A Venturi adapter is an alternative device for administering CPAP, which amplifies oxygen flows to produce high flows sufficient for CPAP with cheap and compact hardware. A clinically useful Venturi adapter will generate low noise levels, exhibit high efficiency for generating pressures with low oxygen flows, and minimally dilute the end-tidal carbon dioxide sample for monitoring. To meet these needs, we designed and resin-printed a custom Venturi adapter for CPAP. This study aimed to compare our custom Venturi adapter to other Venturi adapters already on the market. Our custom design exhibited higher efficiency, lower noise levels, and less CO2 dilution than the other adapters we studied. However, despite minimal CO2 dilution, accurate end-tidal CO2 monitoring was still not feasible
Investigation of Poly(olefin Sulfone) Depolymerization and its Dust Mitigation Abilities for Potential use on Spacecraft
Get PDFThe ubiquity of particulate contamination requires dust mitigation techniques to provide low-scatter surfaces and edges on sensitive optical devices in space. Poly(olefin sulfone)s have been shown to photodegrade with the assistance of a photobase generator when exposed to UV light (254 nm) and heat (120°C). These may be applicable to minimizing dust on optical surfaces for space applications. However, their behavior in vacuum has not been fully characterized. We synthesized poly(2-methyl-1-pentene sulfone) (PMPS) and poly(1-hexene sulfone) (PHS) with and without a photobase generator. We studied the photodegradation (172 nm or 254 nm) of thin films in vacuum. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was used to quantify film thickness over time. The PMPS and PHS films both degraded when exposed to UV light in vacuum, though PHS to a lesser degree. We found that heat was not required to cause degradation, and that degradation occurred with UV irradiation even without a photobase generator. We also found that the degradation process removes dust particles from a surface. This investigation shows that poly(olefin sulfone)s could be used to protect optical surfaces until their deployment in space
Toxicosis from Range Lupine Ingestion in a Research Herd of Rafter 7 Merino Sheep
Get PDFAn outbreak of lupine alkaloid neurotoxicosis and death occurred in sheep grazed on rangeland areas of the Nevada Great Basin during the summer of 2023. Overall, 97 sheep died despite veterinary supportive care. Lupinus argenteus var. utahensis was implicated as the causative plant with high levels of lupanine (11.5 µg/mg) and spartiene (13.7 µg/mg) in collected and archived samples. Previous reports of sheep deaths due to lupine ingestion have not been recorded in this region. An increased abundance of the number plants producing seed pods having a high alkaloid content may have been associated with abnormally elevated levels of precipitation in the months leading to the event
Online ACT for Caregivers: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study
Get PDFFamily caregivers for people with dementia are a resilient population operating under stressful circumstances that can put them at risk of multiple negative outcomes. Existing interventions may be difficult for family caregivers to access due to time and transportation constraints; an alternative is online, self-guided interventions that caregivers can access from their own homes. The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate the impact of ACT for Caregivers, a six session online, self-guided program based on the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Participants had an average age of 61.93 (SD = 13.69), had been caregiving for an average of 4.69 years (SD = 4.74), and were primarily female (84.1%) and White (87.7%). Fifty-four percent were spousal caregivers and fifty three percent lived in the Mountain time zone. Both statistical data at three time points (n = 113 family caregivers) and semi-structured interviews at two time points (n = 28 family caregivers) were used to examine the impact of the program on multiple outcomes, including stress reaction to symptoms of dementia, burdensomeness of caregiving, positive aspects of caregiving, quality of life, depressive symptoms, sleep quality, and psychological flexibility. Quantitative results demonstrated improvement in all outcomes during the intervention that was maintained or increased at follow-up. Qualitative results converged with the quantitative results and highlighted common aspects of change across outcomes. Results suggest that the program is a promising avenue for intervention with family caregivers
Artificial Carbon Sequestration in Utah
Get PDFCarbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas that helps keep Earth warm and habitable. But since humans began burning large quantities of fossil fuels during the Industrial Revolution, there has been a rapid increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide from approximately 280 parts per million in 1750 to more than 420 parts per million in 2024. Natural carbon storage processes have been unable to keep up with humans’ carbon dioxide emissions, and the sudden rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide has led to rapid global warming and climate change. One climate adaptation tool that may help rebalance Earth’s carbon cycle is artificial carbon storage. This fact sheet provides information on how geological carbon sequestration works and its potential in Utah
Metal Assisted O\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e-Dependent Carbon-Carbon Bond Cleavage of β-Diketones and Flavonols
Get PDFAlmost everything we interact with on a daily basis has been synthesized by chemists ranging from plastics, food preservatives, and medications. The diversity of synthetic molecules are achieved by the formation of new bonds between existing molecules and/or through the cleaving of bonds found in a molecule. There are uncountable amount of conditions reported to facilitate chemical reactions which all depend on the nature of molecules being used and the environment it is used in. In recent years, more attention has been paid to identify chemical reactions that can use more environmentally favorable conditions and reduce the use of limited and expensive reagents. Specifically, certain carbon-carbon (C-C) bonds require harsh conditions and expensive transition metals to facilitate C-C bond cleavage. The Berreau lab has worked on understanding how to cleave C-C bonds in a family of molecules classified as β-diketones. More readily available copper, nickel and cobalt transition metal complexes were used in conjunction with environmentally friendly diatomic oxygen (O2) to facilitate the cleavage of a specific C-C bond in the β-diketone. A portion of the work presented herein builds upon the understanding of the nature of the metal center on the reaction between O2 and β-diketones. Another family of molecules that are of interest to the Berreau group are flavonols. Flavonols are found in plants and vegetables that are consumed by humans and have beneficial health effects associated with them. Our lab has synthesized a π-extended flavonol (Flav-1) that has found application in biomedical applications owing to its ability to release carbon monoxide (CO) under specific conditions. While toxic and high concentrations, CO is an endogenously produced signaling molecule that has health benefits at low concentrations. Numerous studies have been performed to understand neutral Flav-1’s CO release properties in solution and in biological environments. Chapter three of this dissertation discusses the solution, toxicity and CO release properties of a Cu(II)-Flav-1 complex as it compares to neutral Flav-1. The last chapter investigates the thermal solution properties and O2 reactivity leading to CO release of the anionic form of Flav-1