Effects of Water Uniformity of a Drip Irrigation System on Crop Productivity.
Salman Alanazi
South Dakota State University
Water drip irrigation is an effective technology to improve water use efficiency in agricultural production. However, water uniformity of drip irrigation systems may affect crop productivity and water use efficiency. This study aims to investigate the effects of water uniformity of a drip irrigation system on crop productivity. A water drip irrigation system was designed and installed in a greenhouse to examine the factors that may affect the water uniformity of the system and then determine the effect of water uniformity on corn and sunflower growth. The study will provide useful information for the design and/or application of water drip irrigation systems in crop production in the future.
Design Different Coating Materials for Biochar-based Control Release Nitrogen Fertilizer to Improve Water Quality in Agricultural Production.
Abdulkarim Aldekhail
South Dakota State University
Biochar-based control release nitrogen fertilizers (BCRNFs) have been demonstrated not only increasing nitrogen use efficiency and crop productivity but also improving water quality in agricultural production by reducing N leaching and/or run off into the water systems, but economic challenges remain. This study aims to select and design cost-effective and biodegradable coating materials for BCRNF fabrication to increase productivity, profitability and sustainability of agricultural production. Polylactic acid (PLA) and Polyglycolic acid (PGA) were selected to produce new BCRNF samples using different ratios of PLA to PGA. The properties and performance of the produced BCRNF samples were tested and characterization, and then optimize the PLA and PGA combination to produce the most cost-effective BCRNF that not only increase nitrogen use efficiency and crop productivity but also improve water quality in agricultural production.
A Study of Precipitation Variability in an Arid Region.
Faisal Almutairi
South Dakota State University
Climate variability impacts the hydrologic cycle especially precipitation. This research study will explore the variability of precipitation in an arid region. Most climate variability studies have been performed on regional and continental scale and not local scale. The geographical area being studied is around Phoenix, AZ. Phoenix is in an arid region with a reported average annual precipitation amount of 7.5 inches. This study will use an observed rainfall data from 1938 to 2021. Statistical analysis of the precipitation. Data will be classified as very wet years, wet years, average years, dry years and very dry years. Additional analysis of common characteristics of climate classification will be performed to compare and contrast the features of each classification on an annual and monthly basis. Understanding precipitation variability is an important factor in determining extreme events.
Sustainable Development of Biochar for Adsorption of Iodinated X-ray Contrast Media.
Collins Antwi Boasiako
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Iodinated X-ray Contrast Media (ICM) is an intravenous radiocontrast agent containing iodine, which is widely used for radiological visualization of human tissues and cardiovascular system in hospitals. These chemicals are poorly biodegradable and therefore cannot be effective removed in conventional wastewater treatment plants, resulting in their presence in drinking water. In this study, we aim to develop advanced adsorbents and focus on the adsorption of diatrizoate because diatrizoate (1) is a representative ionic ICM and has been frequently detected in wastewater treatment plant effluent-receiving water bodies and in drinking water sources, and (2) is one of the recalcitrant ICM whose removal in wastewater treatment and drinking water is limited. Adsorption by activated carbon presents an effective option to remove certain organics from our drinking water and waster water treatment plants. However activated carbon is not effective for diatrizoate adsorption, and our tests revealed that high activated carbon loading is required for the adsorption of diatrizoate. Besides that, the production of activated carbon is energy intensive and expensive. Biochar, a granular carbon produced by pyrolysis or thermal decomposition of agricultural biomass, can remove toxic pollutants during water treatment by adsorption. This study focuses on biochar because: it is environmentally friendly, inexpensive and easy to produce.
Feasibility of Different Sized Rainwater Harvesting across Climate Regimes.
Mustafa Aydogdu
South Dakota State University
Rainwater harvesting (RWH) provides an opportunity to capture, store, and use rainfall for supplemental irrigation. RWH enables the reduction of potable water use and downstream peak flow and flow volume. RWH can be used for irrigation of high tunnels, but it is unknown how cost-effective this practice is and how much it can reduce peak flow and treated water use across different climate regimes in the continental United States. This study will simulate the water balance of precipitation, runoff, evapotranspiration (plant demand) and the amount of treated and supplemental RWH water. Site selection is made based on availability of 30 years of daily precipitation and evapotranspiration data. One variable will be tank size where simulated runoff generated from a 40x60 ft high tunnel roof will be captured in tanks ranging in size from 250 gallons to 3,000 gallons. The study will consider locations across up to 10 states with a variety of climate regimes. Irrigation cost will be determined from local utility rates and RWH tank cost is assumed to be $1.00 per gallon of storage. This study will provide guidance on the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of RWH across multiple climate scenarios.
Precipitation Variation Influenced No-till Corn N Response in Semi-arid Regions of South Dakota.
Dwarika Bhattarai
South Dakota State University
In long-term no-till fields, South Dakota (SD) farmers reported a reduced fertilizer-nitrogen (N) requirement compared to conventional tillage to obtain optimum corn (Zea mays) yield. Reduced fertilizer recommendation may be due to improved soil health resulting from increasing soil organic matter, higher soil microbial activities, and improved water and nutrient use efficiency over the years the no-till system is used. However, the impact of seasonal precipitation on soil health measurements and N recommendations have not been studied yet. This project aims to determine the impact of varying water regime across site years on soil health measurements that ultimately influences corn N recommendation. The effect of six N rates (0, 45, 90, 135, 180 and 224 kg N ha-1) on corn grain yield was evaluated in 21 no-till sites throughout SD for three years, 2019-2021. Soil samples for nitrate-N, ammonium-N, pH, EC, and various soil health parameters including phospholipid fatty acid were collected from various depths before planting and after harvest. Corn yield and economic optimum N rates varied by site year, indicating site location and amount of precipitation influenced fertilizer-N requirements. The amount of precipitation received at critical stages of corn growth influenced yield. In addition, corn yield at irrigated site showed greater N response as compared to dryland. Improving soil health measurements by better management practices can help to reduce the use of N fertilizers.
Woodchip Analysis of an Aged Woodchip Bioreactor in South Dakota.
Amelia Brandenburger
South Dakota State University
A woodchip bioreactor is used as an edge of the field treatment to help identify and prevent the amount of nitrate that flows out of fields before hitting the local ditches or streams. When the woodchip bioreactor starts to break down (usually with time) at any level, the flowability of the bioreactor is compromised. This will then lead to the poor performance of the nitrate removal aspect of the woodchip bioreactor. During this summer I looked at different woodchip samples from a bioreactor located in eastern South Dakota and analyzed them to see different properties and how these affected the performance of the bioreactor. Some of the properties that I looked at were total porosity, bulk density and I also be found the particle size distribution of the woodchips. This project is an extension of a graduate (Shelby Duncan- South Dakota State University) thesis that was completed and successfully defended in April 2022.
Influence of Nitrogen Stabilizers and Application Dates in No-tillage Corn Production on Nitrogen Use Efficiency.
Skye Brugler
South Dakota State University
The goal of the 4R stewardship approach is to minimize nitrogen losses while optimizing the effects on the plant. Few comprehensive assessments have been conducted on this approach. The goal of this project is to determine the effect of nitrogen rate, and application timing on hydrolysis inhibitor-treated urea (NBPT), and polymer-coated urea (ESN), compared to untreated urea. These fertilizer treatments were also compared in both a rain-fed and irrigated no-till environment. This study was initiated in the spring of 2021 at the SDSU research farm located in Aurora SD. The study consisted of five different rates of untreated urea (0N, 60N, 100N, 140N and 180N) to determine EONR. This study also included three different applications of 140N pre-plant and split Spring/ Summer applications of nitrogen stabilizer treatments. Each treatment was replicated four times in a RCB design. Findings from the first year show a lower EONR in the irrigated environment. The two nitrogen stabilizers, ESN and NBPT, demonstrate statistically similar yield production in both environments. ESN was the most effective in the irrigated environment compared to both NBPT and untreated urea. Interestingly, the split application of NBPT was most effective in both environments compared to the other applications. This overall demonstrates that nitrogen loss is not a one-size-fits-all all solution. Data from this study can be used for nitrogen loss calculations, required for recommendations.
Contribution of Convective Storms on Flooding in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Mark A. Cedar Face
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
The Black Hills of South Dakota are a unique hydrologic region, especially in the context of performing flood frequency analysis (FFA). This area is impacted by extreme flooding more compared to the rest of the state. This disparity leads to problems when conducting FFA. Previous FFA studies have used a mixed population analysis to improve the goodness-of-fit of the log-Pearson Type III distribution to gaged annual peak flows for sites in this region. This population of extreme floods occur in the Black Hills primarily during the warm season between May and September when convective storms result in high-intensity precipitation events. Previous research has demonstrated the orographic effects that the Black Hills have on the formation and development of these convective storms. It has also been documented how differences in geology impact peak flow characteristics observed in subregions of the Black Hills. However, no attempts have been made to attribute the spatial extent of these convective events and their cumulative precipitation to annual peak-flows. The goal of this research is to determine the fractional contributions of convective thunderstorms to flooding in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Differences Among Plant Community and Year Suggest Varied Impacts of Alerted Precipitation Regime in the Northern Great Plains.
Zigeng Chen
South Dakota State University
Climate change is leading to larger rain events and longer periods between rains. The grassland summer climate is one of frequent, small rains maintaining surface soil moisture that grasses exploit. The future will bring longer dry periods stressful to current vegetation and alter grassland ecosystem processes. We investigate these changes in western South Dakota where we simulate current frequent, small rains, and future infrequent, large rains without changing total summer precipitation. We conduct this experiment in a cool-season grassland typical of central South Dakota and a warm-season grassland typical of the western Great Plains. Less frequent precipitation caused the cool-season system to become drier while the warm-season system became wetter. Altered timing of precipitation had varied impacts on ecosystem CO2 uptake. Following a dry spring in 2020, larger rain events had minor impact on the cool-season community, but increased CO2 loss by 285% early in the warm-season community. Following a wet spring in 2021, larger rain events reduced CO2 uptake in both grasslands in the early season (by 14.7% in May and June) but greatly increased uptake by 500% in the late season. Larger rains also reduced N-mineralization in the cool season grassland and most significantly during early summer following a dry spring (by 70.5% in June). Our results suggest varied impacts of size and frequency of rain depending on the grassland community and preceding spring conditions.
Reducing Stream Fragmentation in Eastern South Dakota: Identifying High Priority Barriers and Evaluating Low-cost Techniques to Improve Fish Passage.
Colton Curtis
South Dakota State University
Stream connectivity is vital for the survival and persistence of fish populations and communities because it provides spatial and temporal access to necessary habitats. Fragmentation of streams has the potential to limit growth, survival, and reduce fitness for stream fishes. Stream road crossings can pose significant barriers to stream fish movement and are common across the landscape. While bridges generally maintain connectivity, culvert road crossings can reduce fish movement. Addressing fish passage at road crossings may provide a cost-efficient management tool for improving stream connectivity in Eastern South Dakota. We will identify, score, and prioritize culverts to receive fish ladders using a combination of field-collected survey data and remote sensing data. Field surveys will be used to train a deep learning model that can both identify and predict barrier severities across large spatial scales. After prioritization, ten high-priority barriers will receive fish ladders and another ten will be used as controls. To evaluate the fish ladders' effectiveness, we will place Passive Integrated Transponder antennas above, at, and below the fish ladder to quantify passage success from tagged individuals across multiple seasons. The results from this project will provide managers with a decision support tool for evaluating barrier severities and maximize the benefit to fish per dollar.
Depaving Detroit.
Riley Erickson
South Dakota State University
The City of Detroit, MI has an outdated stormwater infrastructure system and has been impacted by combined sewer overflows which cause sewer and stormwater to flow into surface waters. The City recently implemented a stormwater fee program that charges landowners $598.00 per impervious acre per month to help pay for more water management facilities in an attempt to mitigate the number of combined sewer overflow events. Non-profit organizations and churches are struggling to pay this fee due to their large impervious properties. There are two general ways to reduce how much a landowner pays; reducing the quantity of stormwater runoff and managing how fast stormwater runs off their property. Using green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) practices, it is possible to do both of these things while also enhancing the overall aesthetic of a site. The South Dakota State University Landscape Architecture Program was asked to develop conceptual plans for two nonprofit sites in Detroit. The organizations are being charged large sums of money due to large parking and roof areas at both sites. This poster presents a proposed design strategy that will revitalize each site by integrating GSI practices. The plans include a series of GSI practices with supporting hydrologic calculations demonstrating stormwater reductions at both sites as well as outdoor recreation elements for one of the sites significantly reducing the area of impervious cover.
Impacts of Cover Cropping and Livestock Integration on Soil Hydro-physical Properties.
Namrata Ghimire
South Dakota State University
No-till and cover cropping favor livestock integration since this can be a better alternative for managing the soil. Different soil properties like are known to be impacted by integration of livestock and cover crops. When considered the soil physical properties, there are lots of doubts whether animal grazing compacts the soil or improves it. So with the objective of determining the impacts of livestock integration and cover crops, the experiment was set up at Southeast Research Farm, South Dakota. This experiment has the four treatments (soybean-oat-corn(S-O-C) rotation, soybean-oat-corn with cover crops, soybean-oat-corn with cover crops as well as livestock integration and grazed pasture) each with soil cores collected from four depths (0-10, 10-20, 20-30 and 30-40) which were replicated four times. The image analysis system called Computed Tomography(CT) scanning was used for analyzing the images of the soil cores collected at different depths. The parameters like total porosity, macro porosity, meso porosity, fractal dimension, circularity and tortuosity were compared. The preliminary analysis performed showed the higher number of pores in S-O-C with cover crops and livestock grazing treatment followed by the grazed pasture mix. While insignificant treatment differences were seen in tortuosity. The fractal dimension was found to be higher for treatment with cover crops than the rest.
Nitrate Loss in Tile Drainage Outflow in Eastern South Dakota.
Myranda Hentges
South Dakota State University
Nitrate loss is financial loss for farmers and downstream water users. This project continues work to monitor tile drainage outflow from 34 tile outlets in Eastern South Dakota and determine risk factors for nitrate loss. Tile drainage is a useful tool that farmers use to maximize the production in their fields. However, nitrates may leach into these tile drains from fertilizer that is spread onto the fields. The amount of nitrate found in tile drainage outflow may vary among fields depending on the management practices and the soil characteristics. The objective of this study is to determine a baseflow concentration of nitrate in tile drain outflow and potential risk factors for nitrate loss whether it be field characteristics or agricultural management. The soil characteristics and management practices of each field will be evaluated, analyzed and then compared to the nitrate concentration to find any trends. This study is a continuation of a three-year study to determine the best management practices for the best results of nitrogen reduction.
Using Satellite Remote Sensing Data for Long Term Crop Residue Mapping in Eastern South Dakota.
Khushboo Jain
University of South Dakota
Crop residues are an important aspect of agro-ecology because they reduce soil erosion and can increase soil quality. Soil disturbances due to crop management such as tillage leave varying amounts of crop residue on the soil surface. Future food production is seriously threatened by climate change, especially as land and water resources become limited and more frequent floods and droughts become common. To reduce hazards brought on by climate change, the best farming adaption solutions must be found. Timely measurement of crop residue estimates, and tillage intensity measure the effectiveness of different management practices across agricultural lands. The objective of this study is to map crop residue cover and soil tillage intensity in eastern South Dakota from 1991 to 2021. Farming is a major industry in South Dakota and is mainly dependent on rain for crop production. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the effect of various environmental factors such as precipitation, soil moisture and soil type on agriculture management practices in this region. We will also be using Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Sentinel-2 optical satellite data to build a methodological framework to accurately measure crop residue and tillage over large spatial scales and with high spatial resolution. In parallel to satellite imagery, field measurements will be used to train machine learning algorithms. Eight spectral indices, polarized SAR bands derived from optical and microwave satellite imagery, and crop type, crop residue and tillage type estimates from field measurements will be used to train the model. This research will aid in examining the long-term effects of crop residue and tillage on cropland in eastern SD.
Infiltration Rate Variability Across and Within Fields in the Willow Creek Watershed.
Zachary Jannusch
South Dakota State University and University of Wisconsin - Madison
Well-draining soils benefit agricultural producers and downstream systems alike, as these soils transport more water and produce less runoff. Many factors contribute to a soil’s infiltration rate, including texture, structure, and soil organic matter. While texture is inherent, structure and SOM have been shown to vary with management practices. This project aims to explore how infiltration rate varies with (1) tilling practices, (2) high vs low placement on a slope and (3) the presence of a tire track. A better understanding of how infiltration rates vary across and within fields allows for more accurate estimation and modeling at the field and watershed scale. Using the METER Saturo Infiltrometer we conducted tests to determine the saturated infiltration rate at 12 sites in 3 fields within the Willow Creek watershed. Bulk density samples and cone penetrometer readings were also taken for further analysis.
Analysis of SCS-Curve Numbers Coupled with GIS Approach by Using Soil Moisture Sensors Data for Willow Creek Watershed’s Agricultural Fields.
Umar Javed
South Dakota State University
The Soil conservation service curve number (SCS-CN) is a popular method for determining the volume of direct runoff based on selected rainfall event. We utilized soil moisture data to calculate runoff and curve numbers for 37 total locations in 19 agricultural fields. All fields are in the Willow Creek watershed and rainfall events occurred from June to September 2021. Soil of agricultural fields located in study area consist of Nora series. Geographic information system method was used for estimating the curve numbers by using Land Use and Land Cover data in combination with SCS-CN method approach. Hydrologic soil groups were identified by using the calculated curve numbers (SCS-CN method) and assessed (GIS approach) based on crop rotations at study area fields. Tillage practices effect on curve number variation was also considered to better analyze the soil characteristics. Calculated curve numbers varied from values prescribed by standard methods of assessment using hydrologic soil group and land use land cover. Most calculated curve numbers were assessed as A and B hydrologic groups, but their characteristics would fall in C and D hydrologic soil groups. Moreover, A and B hydrologic soil groups describe best the characteristics of Nora series soil. Data will be collected for an additional two growing seasons for a full analysis of curve number variation from standard values based on agricultural management practice, antecedent moisture, and precipitation characteristics.
Derivation of High Spatial Resolution Soil Moisture Map from Sentinel-1 in Support of Agriculture Management.
Lina Ndekelu
South Dakota State University
Existing soil moisture maps with spatial resolutions ranging from 1 km to 36 km are too coarse for use in agricultural decision-making processes. High spatial resolution (≤30 m) soil moisture datasets are urgently needed for practical applications in agriculture. The availability of high spatial and temporal satellite imagery coupled with recent advances in machine learning provide promising opportunities to generate finer spatial soil moisture datasets. The Sentinel-1 satellite imagery has been proven suitable for soil moisture retrieval, and it is yet being investigated for adequate methods to generate high resolution soil moisture maps. This study intends to develop a machine learning model to derive soil moisture from Sentinel-1 SAR (Synthetic-aperture radar) observations. The model will be trained using soil moisture in-situ measurement data provided by the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN). The derived product will be evaluated against several existing soil moisture products.
Low-cost Adsorbents for Phosphate Removal from Stormwater.
Foysol Mahmud
South Dakota State University
Stormwater may contain various nutrients at an urban environment and phosphate is one of them which can lead to several negative water quality impacts if the nutrient level is elevated. Over the past few decades, low-cost adsorbents have attracted more attention to increase the stormwater infrastructure's ability to remove phosphates effectively. For the application of a low-cost adsorbent for phosphate removal, two perspectives must be carefully assessed. Understanding the mechanisms and behaviors behind the adsorption interactions between the phosphate in runoff and the adsorbents is one. The other is to take care of any unintended chemical leaching patterns that may have an impact on water quality. Many low-cost materials have been evaluated for phosphate removal from stormwater including natural minerals, steel slag, water treatment residue, fly ash, and recycled steel byproducts. This presentation will provide a review of the application of low-cost materials for phosphate removal from stormwater. We will summarize the material characteristic, adsorption capacity, influencing factors and environmental impact for each material. In addition, the success and challenge of full-scale application of low-cost materials for phosphate removal will be also discussed. This presentation will also present future research directions based on the systematic literature review of phosphate removal using low-cost materials.
Challenges and Opportunities of Biopolymer-based Coating Control Release Nitrogen Fertilizers for Improving Water Quality in Agriculture.
Anne Carolyne Mendonca Cidreia
South Dakota State University
Application of control release nitrogen fertilizers (CRNFs) in agriculture not only increase nitrogen use efficiency and crop productivity but also improve water quality by reducing N leaching and runoff into water systems. The use of biopolymers as coating materials for CRNFs instead of synthetic polymers is encouraged to avoid soil contamination. Besides, natural-based biopolymers can control N release better through water retention and/or water repelling capacity. Superabsorbent biopolymers such as starch, cellulose, alginate, and chitosan can form three crosslinked networks able to absorb water multiple times its weight, slowing the diffusion of water into the fertilizer. Hydrophobic biopolymers such as natural rubber, wax and lignin hinter water absorption and slow the dissolution of nutrients. Nonetheless, these biosynthetic materials also have some limitations due to their poor mechanical properties and the necessity of using modifiers, crosslinking agents and plasticizers to improve their adherence to the fertilizer particles. Techniques applied to improve the biopolymer coatings’ performance are multilayer coating using hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials and nanoparticle introduction. This study aims to overview the challenges and opportunities of biopolymer-based CRNF technologies to find out an appropriate solution for effectively controlling N release and reducing N leaching and/or runoff eventually, improving the sustainability of agricultural production.
Relationship between tillage practices and wet aggregate stability, organic matter, and bulk density
Lena Ouandaogo
South Dakota State University
For the process of runoff and soil erosion aggregates stability is important to be considered. Therefore, this project focus was to analyze the relationship between aggregate stability, organic matter, bulk- density and the effects of tillage in each of the components that preceded. We found that an increase in organic matter creates an increase in aggregate stability, and inversely an increase in bulk density creates a decreasing aggregate stability since it is decreasing organic matter. Add to that, we got to the conclusion in which conventional tillage has a negative effect on soil aggregation compared to no-tillage system.
The Role of Fine-grained Sediment on Channel Width in the Cheyenne River Downstream of Angostura Dam
Damodar Poudyal
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Downstream of dams, rivers undergo hydrogeomorphic changes due to alterations of hydrology, bank vegetation, and sediment feed rate, which tend to become less drastic with distance from the dam. One aspect of change that has been commonly observed downstream of dams is channel narrowing. Based on Schumm's model, a large input of fine-grained sediment would be expected to increase narrowing. On the Cheyenne River, the channel has narrowed since the dam closure in 1949, but large inputs of fine-grained sediments from tributaries emerging from badlands geology, approximately at 59 miles downstream of dam, has tended to maintain the river width, rather than causing additional narrowing. The analysis addresses three major geomorphological processes: 1) establish the magnitude of the channel narrowing in the post-dam period, 2) determine how the magnitude of narrowing changed downstream of the location where large inputs of fine-grained sediment enter from the badlands region, and 3) infer the causes of the abrupt change in the width of Cheyenne River starting at the mouth of the Cedar Creek, near Red Shirt, SD. Historical and modern aerial photographs were analyzed to digitize the river boundaries. The spatiotemporal variations of channel planform over 74 years shows that the bankfull channel width decreases approximately 7.78 ft/year to 1.36 ft/year between Red Shirt and Wasta, they are appeared to be associated with the fine-grained sediment inputs from the badlands.
Characterization of Genes and Molecular Mechanism Involved in Expression of Nanowire in Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20.
Dheeraj Raya
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
The molecular mechanisms and genes involved in the onset of structural extrusions (e.g., nanowires) in sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) viz. Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20 (DA-G20) was carried out by biochemical validations and in-silico modeling. We hypothesized that nutritional and oxidative stress conditions result in the upregulation of universal stress proteins (e.g., USP-A & USP-II) in DA-G20, which in turn controls the expression of type-IV pilin components. An extensive study of Open Reading Frame (ORF) in the genome of DA-G20 was carried out, and we identified 12 genes from Flp subfamily Type IVb pili protein in DA-G20. The structural and functional properties of the identified genes were cross-validated with phenotypic properties of electrically conductive filaments of reference strains (e.g., Geobacter sulfurreducens, Pseudomonas aerugonisa). A significant similarity was found between the structure of Flp protein (major protein in nanowires) of DA-G20 and PilA protein of Geobacter sulfurreducens and Pseudomonas aerugonisa during superimposition which implies that they have related functions. Biochemical validations with Copper (Cu) to induce oxidative stress for expression of type-IV pilin did not show cellular extrusion from microbes. However, differential expression profiling of type-IV pilin encoding genes (e.g., Flp and TadE) and stress protein showed increased expression levels on the 7th and 8th day.
Controlled Release Fertilizer: A Way to Improve Water Quality in Agriculture.
Robiul Islam Rubel
South Dakota State University
Nitrogen in different forms like NH3, NH4+, NO3-, and NO2- found in the surface water or groundwater come from the fertilizer applied on agricultural land. When applied, leaching reached about 38-60 kg N ha−1 from conventional N managements. Fertilizer leached through the soil into groundwater, and runs off on surface into water systems like lakes or rivers. Around 40% of the applied fertilizer turns into losses that significantly impact the water quality on in the world. Excess nitrogen components in groundwater can accelerate eutrophication. It can increase aquatic plant growth and change the types of plants and animals living in the contaminated water. Over time, water becomes unusable for agriculture and domestic purpose. Controlled-release fertilizer is emerging as a promising technology in agriculture. Controlled-release fertilizer has been proven capable of reducing the leaching and runoff of the nitrogen from the cropland. This study tried to discusses the nitrogen cycle of fertilization and water contamination and their negative impacts, and then examine the challenges and opportunities of controlled release fertilizer technologies for reducing fertilizer nutrients loss and improving water quality in agricultural production. The study will provide some useful information to explore effective solutions to increase crop productivity while minimizing environmental impacts to improve the sustainability of agriculture.
Production of Muskmelon, Squash, and Watermelon Under Controlled Deficit Irrigation Using an Automatic Drip Irrigation System in Sandy Soil with the Use of Clear Plastic Mulch.
Bhuwan Shah
North Dakota State University
An automated irrigation system for the commercial production of watermelon, squash, and muskmelon was developed and installed near Oakes, ND in 2022. This new system also had remote access to the controller so that one can access the controller anywhere and anytime. The drip irrigation system was controlled by a watermark sensor using a Hunter controller (Wi-Fi enabled), solenoid valve, and flowmeter. The irrigation was managed in four ways, time-based, 10% management allowable depletion (MAD), 30% MAD, and 60% MAD during the whole growing season. Each plant had 4 varieties and each variety had 8 replicates. We will study the effect of these different irrigation schedules on the yield of all cultivars grown under clear plastic mulch and evaluate their yield and quality. We installed 36 watermark sensors, 24 soil moisture sensors, and 24 soil temperature sensors to monitor the soil potential, soil moisture, and soil temperature at 15 and 30 cm in each treatment. A weather station was installed to measure rain, relative humidity, and photosynthetic active radiation. Weight, length, and diameter were measured for each fruit while EC, pH, and Brix were calculated for 3 fruits/plants (fruit from first, mid, and final harvest). Variations could be seen in both the quality and quantity of produce among different irrigation treatments. The study indicates that the irrigation amount could be reduced without having an adverse effect on the yield. The sensor-controlled drip-mulch system will be the future of any ND specialty crops while it can conserve water, improve soil temperature, control weeds, extend the growing season, and increase the competition for ND specialty crops on market.
Overexpression, Purification, and Characterization of LuxR Protein Homolog of N-acylhomoserine Lactone-dependent Quorum Sensing System in Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20.
Aritree Shreya
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20(DA G20) is an anaerobic, biofilm-forming sulfate-reducing bacteria. It has been found to cause significant microbially induced corrosion (MIC) and biofilm formation in anaerobic seawater pipelines of different industrial applications (such as seawater cooling systems, and seawater injection for enhanced oil recovery) and desalination membranes. Previous studies have found that MIC by DA G20 poses significant economic and environmental threats each year in USA. This study is focused on the cloning, overexpression, purification and characterization of Quorum Sensing (QS) protein homolog (LuxR homolog) of DA G20 and their effects on biofilm formation. QS proteins activate intercellular communication between microbial communities and control their cumulative efforts to form biofilm and subsequent microbially induced corrosion. In this study, LuxR homolog of DA G20 has been cloned into E. coli BL21(DE3) expression host using pEt28a(+) expression vector. Recombinant QS protein has been successfully extracted for purification using Ni-NTA chromatography. Physico-chemical characterization, identification of specific signal molecules for activation of this QS protein will be carried out through in-silico approaches and experimental analyses. A better understanding of the functions of QS proteins from DA G20 will offer us the opportunity to tackle biofilm formation and MIC produced by this bacterium effectively and in an environmentally friendly way.
Modeling Spatiotemporal Soil Moisture Dynamics Using Machine Learning Algorithms.
Xiaomo Zhang
North Dakota State University
Monitoring soil moisture is increasingly becoming a research focus in the fields of agriculture, hydrology, meteorology, ecology and sustainability. Soil moisture estimated at the intermediate scales (10 to 100 m2) needs more research attention, when the measurements of soil moisture at a point (< 1 m2) using volumetric and gravimetric methods have advanced with a range of in situ sensors, and measurements at larger scales (100-25,000 km2) using the appropriate optical band have also improved with remote sensing technology. Machine learning models have recently been developed to predict field soil moisture using weather and soil moisture data measured at nearby weather stations in the Red River of the North Basin (RRB). But, the soil moisture data at weather stations are not always readily available due to limited budget and sensor failure among other reasons. Our objective is to develop machine learning models to predict soil moisture at weather stations using weather data and soil physical properties data in surface soil and root zone. We compared machine learning algorithms including multi-linear regression (MLR), support vector machine (SVM), Gaussian process regression (GPR) and neural networks (NN) to model the soil moisture dynamics at the intermediate scales using meteorological variables and soil properties. Our preliminary results show that the GPR were better than other models in surface soil while the SVM outperformed the other models in the root zone.