http://hdl.handle.net/2097/1145 2013-05-19T15:03:35Z 2013-05-19T15:03:35Z Bremer, Dale J. Keeley, Steven J. Jager, Abigail L. Fry, Jack D. Lavis, Cathie C. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/15422 2013-03-28T16:55:22Z 2013-03-28T00:00:00Z

In-ground irrigation systems affect lawn-watering behaviors of residential homeowners Bremer, Dale J.; Keeley, Steven J.; Jager, Abigail L.; Fry, Jack D.; Lavis, Cathie C. Urbanization is increasing the land area covered with turfgrasses, which may have implications for water quantity and quality. The largest sector of turfgrass is residential lawns. Our objectives were to compare lawn-irrigation perceptions, knowledge, and behaviors of residential homeowners with and without in-ground sprinkler systems (IGS and NIGS, respectively); homeowners were surveyed in three Kansas cities, each with distinctive water quantity and quality issues. Surveys were mailed to 15,500 homeowners in Wichita, 10,000 in Olathe, and 5000 in Salina; the return rate was 11% to 13%. Homeowners with IGS watered more frequently than NIGS; 67% to 90% of IGS and 19% to 31% of NIGS homeowners watered two to three times per week or more. More IGS homeowners watered routinely and applied the same amount of water each time than NIGS homeowners, who mostly watered and adjusted watering amounts based on lawn dryness. More IGS than NIGS homeowners wanted their lawn green all the time, followed lawn-care guidelines, and considered their neighborhood appearance important. Among IGS homeowners, 41% to 54% claimed to know how much water their lawns required compared with only 29% to 33% of NIGS homeowners. However, 65% to 83% in both groups did not know how much water they applied when they irrigated. About 7% to 9% of homeowners swept or blew clippings or lawn-care products into streets or storm drains; this percentage was unaffected by whether they had IGS or not. All homeowners’ lawn irrigation knowledge and habits must be improved to help conserve water and protect water quality, but educational efforts should concentrate on IGS homeowners because they water more frequently.

2013-03-28T00:00:00Z Knewtson, Sharon J. B. Kirkham, Mary B. Janke, Rhonda R. Murray, Leigh W. Carey, Edward E. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/15299 2013-04-12T18:11:31Z 2013-02-12T00:00:00Z

Soil quality after eight years under high tunnels Knewtson, Sharon J. B.; Kirkham, Mary B.; Janke, Rhonda R.; Murray, Leigh W.; Carey, Edward E. The sustainability of soil quality under high tunnels will influence management of high tunnels currently in use and grower decisions regarding design and management of new high tunnels to be constructed. Soil quality was quantified using measures of soil pH, salinity, total carbon, and particulate organic matter (POM) carbon in a silt loam soil that had been in vegetable production under high tunnels at the research station in Olathe, KS, for eight years. Soil under high tunnels was compared with that in adjacent fields in both a conventional and an organic management system. The eight-year presence of high tunnels under the conventional management system resulted in increased soil pH and salinity but did not affect soil carbon. In the organic management system, high tunnels did not affect soil pH, increased soil salinity, and influenced soil carbon (C) pools with an increase in POM carbon. The increases in soil salinity were not enough to be detrimental to crops. These results indicate that soil quality was not adversely affected by eight years under stationary high tunnels managed with conventionally or organically produced vegetable crops.

2013-02-12T00:00:00Z Wu, Qingyu Shigaki, Toshiro Han, Jeung-Sul Kim, Chang Kil Hirschi, Kendal D. Park, Sunghun http://hdl.handle.net/2097/15298 2013-02-12T17:49:13Z 2013-02-12T00:00:00Z

Ectopic expression of a maize calreticulin mitigates calcium deficiency-like disorders in sCAX1-expressing tobacco and tomato Wu, Qingyu; Shigaki, Toshiro; Han, Jeung-Sul; Kim, Chang Kil; Hirschi, Kendal D.; Park, Sunghun Deregulated expression of an Arabidopsis H[superscript +]/Ca[superscript 2+] antiporter (sCAX1) in agricultural crops increases total calcium (Ca[superscript 2+]) but may result in yield losses due to Ca[superscript 2+] deficiency-like symptoms. Here we demonstrate that co-expression of a maize calreticulin (CRT, a Ca[superscript 2+] binding protein located at endoplasmic reticulum) in sCAX1-expressing tobacco and tomato plants mitigated these adverse effects while maintaining enhanced Ca[superscript 2+] content. Co-expression of CRT and sCAX1 could alleviate the hypersensitivity to ion imbalance in tobacco plants. Furthermore, blossom-end rot (BER) in tomato may be linked to changes in CAX activity and enhanced CRT expression mitigated BER in sCAX1 expressing lines. These findings suggest that co-expressing Ca[superscript 2+] transporters and binding proteins at different intracellular compartments can alter the content and distribution of Ca[superscript 2+] within the plant matrix.

2013-02-12T00:00:00Z Shoemaker, C. A. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/15284 2013-02-01T16:03:06Z 2013-02-01T00:00:00Z

Using a social-ecological model in development of treatment progams that target behavior change Shoemaker, C. A. Goodyear, S. N.; Shoemaker, C. A. Horticultural therapy and therapeutic horticulture programs often lack a clearly specified theoretical foundation or conceptual model, thus it is difficult to clearly articulate the outcomes a patient or client may experience from the program. One approach that may help with this challenge is to use a social-ecological model in horticultural therapy programming. Social ecology is the study of the influence of the social context on behavior, including institutional and cultural variables and is used to develop practical guidelines for designing, implementing, and evaluating health promotion programs. The most common models to describe this approach are 5-level (individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy) or 4-level (individual, relationship, community, and societal) and can be represented by an onion, with one level wrapping around another. For an intervention to be effective it must address multiple levels since, through research, we know that factors at multiple levels affect human behavior. This paper will explain the social-ecological model and provide an example of how it can be used to develop an intervention.

2013-02-01T00:00:00Z