Integrative Plant Science Professional Masters Projects
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Item Investigating Supplemental UV-B Doses and Durations in Two High-Cannabinoid Cannabis Sativa L. CultivarsTalan, Matthew (2024-08)This study investigates the effects of supplemental UV-B radiation on two high-cannabinoid Cannabis sativa L. cultivars—CBD-dominant ‘TJs CBD’ and CBG-dominant ‘Janets G’. The experiments examined varying doses and durations of UV-B exposure to assess their impact on plant growth, yield, and cannabinoid concentrations. Despite prior research suggesting potential benefits of UV-B in enhancing secondary metabolite production, the results revealed no significant effects on total cannabinoid content, plant growth metrics, or yield in either cultivar. The study indicates that the chemical profile of the cannabis plant does not substantially influence cannabinoid responses to UV radiation. These findings suggest that UV-B radiation, at the tested levels, does not enhance cannabinoid production in high-CBD and CBG cultivars. Future research could explore different light spectra or cultural management strategies to optimize cannabinoid production and consider UV-B's role in integrated pest management without adverse effects on plant health.Item Louisiana's Rural Community GardensRothschild, Jane Ainsley (2024-08)[Excerpt from introduction] Positive stories of Rural Southern communities are frequently overlooked by scientific literature, media, and the news. The longer these stories remain untold, the more our communities risk being left behind. Sharing stories of community action is not just about spreading hope but also about providing information about resources and steps for community engagement and promoting projects that deserve support. It's crucial that we seek out and listen to those who are doing good work in their communities. Without these stories of resilience, the 'lost-cause' narrative becomes self-fulfilling. The lack of recognition of uplifting projects in rural places can lead to a continued exodus of youth seeking better opportunities elsewhere, a slowdown in investment in our towns, and the worsening of the problems we face.Item Assessing Urban Transformation and Its Impact on the Urban Heat Island Effect in Austin, TexasQin, Yuze (2024-08)This thesis explores the impact of urban transformation on the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect in Travis County, Texas, over a decade from 2013 to 2023. Utilizing Landsat 8 satellite imagery, the study focuses on the correlation between Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes and Land Surface Temperature (LST). The analysis reveals significant expansion of built-up areas, primarily at the expense of soil cover, leading to a substantial increase in surface temperatures. Vegetation cover, though decreased, plays a crucial role in mitigating temperature rises. The findings emphasize the need for strategic urban planning to balance development with environmental sustainability, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions like Travis County.Item Orbiting Innovations: Pioneering Satellite technologies reshaping the future of Vineyard ManagmentNi, Wanjia (2024-08)In recent years, advances in satellite technology have significantly impacted vineyard management. Satellite systems like Landsat, Sentinel-2, PlanetScope, and SkySat provide valuable data for monitoring vineyard health, optimizing irrigation, and predicting yields. Landsat and Sentinel-2, with their specific resolutions and revisit intervals, are widely used for vine growth monitoring. Notably, the near-infrared and red band data from Landsat 8 are particularly effective in calculating vegetation indices, such as NDVI, to assess vine growth and detect potential diseases. In contrast, PlanetScope's high-frequency coverage and SkySat's high-resolution imagery offer significant advantages for real-time monitoring and detailed analysis of grapevine health. PlanetScope's daily global coverage allows for frequent monitoring of dynamic environments, while SkySat's 50 cm resolution is ideal for precise disease detection. This makes SkySat particularly effective in the early detection of Grapevine Downy Mildew. The combined use of Skysat and PlanetScope greatly improves the comprehensiveness and accuracy of vineyard disease management. In the future, the accuracy and efficiency of vineyard management will be further improved by combining hyperspectral imaging, microsatellite and artificial intelligence technologies. These technologies will provide more detailed spectral data and higher-frequency monitoring of vineyards, helping to optimize resource allocation, improve grape quality and address the challenges of climate change.Item Plant Micropropogation of HempMeleisea, Deborah (2024-08)Plant tissue culture is a common laboratory technique for growing plant cells, tissues, and organs. This method allows researchers to select any part of a plant to grow. In plant tissue culture, researchers dissect plants by removing desired parts such as the leaf, embryo, shoot, or stem. Once these plant parts are removed, they are considered explants. These explants are transferred into a container with a semisolid, nutrient-rich media. The nutrient-rich medium serves as a soil substitute to support the growth and development of explants and includes hormones, agar or gelling agents, vitamins, sugar, and nutrients. When the explants are transferred into the medium, the jars will be sealed to prevent contamination. The jars are then moved into a growing chamber or room where conditions are favorable for the optimum growth of explants.Item Microgreen whole-system optimization with light as a case studyMikhailova, Kristina (2024-08)Microgreens are a nutritious but highly perishable vegetable. Local production in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) including greenhouses and vertical farms may be economically viable but there are issues with high operational costs and energy expenses. The objective of this research is to find optimal light (Daily Light Integral) conditions of the growing environment as well as learn about other methods of analyzing plant growth and plant performance, with a goal towards understanding whole-system optimization, which is an important step for future implementation of microgreens and CEA, for example, in urban spaces. The requirement for reduced energy consumption in CEA is crucial and new methods of such systems’ optimization are required. Microgreens species arugula (Eruca sativa), mustard (Brassica juncea), and kale (Brassica oleracea) were sown at a density of 217 grams per m2 on a hemp substrate. Plants were grown in a vertical tower with 5 different light treatments (12, 15, 16, 18, and 21 hours/ day) under white LED lights with a varying light gradient (from ~100 to ~160 μmol·m-2·s-1). A total of four replicate crop cycles have been grown and analyzed. Microgreens were assessed for days to germination, days to harvest (first true leaf is 1 cm long), height at harvest, fresh and dry mass. Ranges of optimal DLI conditions for each species were determined through ANOVA and analytical regression analyses. For instance, it was recommended not to increase the DLI levels above 7-8 mol·m-2·hour-1 if the objective is to increase the height of the produced crop. In addition, an image processing technique, and a Convolution Neural Network (CNN) were integrated which allowed for a real-time monitoring of plant performance, laying the groundwork for future development of predictive growth models for a diverse range of microgreens. Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy was used to evaluate plant responses to different Daily Light Integrals (DLIs) and was proposed as a method of tuning future systems for optimized performance. It was recommended to segment a plant for the future study of plants’ oxidative stress responses with the use of ESR, in which ESR spectroscopy would allow to assess the concentration of free radicals in plants.Item Inclusive Youth Engagement at Cornell Botanic Gardens: Play-Based Strategies for Public Gardens without Children's SpacesGordon-Buxbaum, Sivan (2024-08)This capstone project addresses the need to make public gardens more appealing and accessible to families and children, particularly in the absence of dedicated children's areas. Traditional ornamental gardens often cater to an older demographic, missing opportunities to engage and educate younger visitors. By collaborating with local elementary schools and gathering insights from children about their interests in nature, plants, and play, this project aims to create three culturally-responsive, plant-focused, play-based stations, including activities, interpretation, and design, at the Cornell Botanic Garden. These stations are designed to deepen children's connections to nature while preserving the garden's aesthetic appeal. The research findings, methodologies, and processes will be consolidated into a comprehensive guide for public gardens worldwide, enhancing visitor experiences and fostering a lifelong love for nature and the environment.Item Spacial Sampling of Fruit Maturity Reduces Sampling Costs for Winegrapes in California and New YorkChock, Coby Kanaipono Keiichi (2024-08)Background and Goals: In winegrape production, clusters are sampled multiple times per growing season to assess fruit maturation. The economic cost of implementing a previously developed spatial sampling method using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) images to assess block variability was compared to the economic costs of random sampling (R20) and of sampling via the four corners approach (4C). The objective was to compare the travel distance to sample blocks between the spatial sampling protocol (NDVI3), R20, and 4C, and the time and cost associated with the required travel distance of each sampling method. Methods and Key Findings: Travel distances for each sampling method were calculated for six commercial vineyard blocks. The cost of required labor and travel was calculated for each travel distance. Travel distances per block for the R20, 4C, and NDVI3 methods ranged from 3.34 to 13.63 km, 0.68 to 2.41 km, and 0.36 to 1.58 km (all per sampling event), respectively. Total cost savings per sampling event using NDVI3 ranged from $5.54 to $32.40 when compared to R20, and from $0.33 to $4.61 when compared to 4C. Conclusions and Significance: The cost savings of using NDVI3 for maturation monitoring appears relatively small compared to R20 and 4C, but considering that most blocks are sampled multiple times leading up to harvest, and that larger wine companies have thousands of acres to sample for fruit maturity, savings may become more substantial. We conclude that adoption of the NDVI3 sampling protocol for fruit maturity may substantially reduce the cost of production for winegrapes grown in large blocks, compared to R20 and 4C sampling.Item Does Soil Health Impact Farmland Prices?Bucher-Melcer, Maximilian; DiTommaso, Antonio (2024-08)Since soil health influences farmland workability, one could expect it to influence land value. In this study, we explored the perceptions of farmland owners and renters regarding the value of soil health when purchasing or renting farmland. This was achieved through a survey and follow-up interviews. We found that while survey respondents are theoretically willing to pay over a 10% premium for farmland with excellent soil health, follow-up interviews revealed that farmland location, perception of soil health, the buyer's buying motivation (e.g., farming revenue, potential development value or pure financial speculation) and the neighboring farmer’s financial situation might be the ultimate price determinants. Additionally, the lack of publicly available soil health data for sold farmland parcels complicates price comparisons with land of poor soil health. Given the importance of soil health for achieving long-term food security, buffering climate change, and increasing biodiversity goals, we end by exploring policy solutions incentivizing farmers to build soil health, outlining additional research areas, and ways for farmland owners to promote their soil health when selling farmland.Item Horticulture Advancements for Dwarf Plum (Prunus domestica L.) as a Potential Space Crop CandidateShelton, Annie; Dardick, Chris; Mattson, Neil (2024)Previous research has identified FT Plums as a space crop candidate, but more research on practical horticultural management is required to increase their technical readiness level (TRL) for spaceflight suitability. Given the ongoing shift towards indoor farming and further advancements in space agriculture, it is imperative to develop Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) methodologies tailored to woody species to facilitate further progression in the field. Here, we advance the terrestrial and spaceflight TRL of FT Plums by investigating far-red (FR) supplementation on fruit production. The results of this study will provide advancements in FT Plums TRL and provide insights for indoor tree cultivation for terrestrial and spaceflight applications.