Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11875/18
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Browsing Electronic Theses and Dissertations by Department "Agricultural Sciences"
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Item Consumer Preferences for the Attributes of Equine Oil Supplements(2022-12-01T06:00:00.000Z) Hansen, Rachel Deming; Chen, Danhong; Ullrich, Doug R; Sivankutty Nair, ShyamThe equine nutrition market is expected to grow with higher household disposable income. However, there is hardly any research on consumer attitudes toward equine oil, a key supplement to promote healthy weight gain for horses. The objective of this study was to understand consumers’ preferences regarding the nutrition, product, and package attributes of equine oil supplements when making purchase decisions. Among 110 equine owners or renters who responded to the anonymous online survey, approximately 64.55% had used fat supplements for their horses, and 23.64% had tried rice bran oil in particular. When rating the importance of nutritional attributes on a scale of one to five, consumers identified the following three factors as the most important: horses find the oil highly palatable and do not refuse to consume it (mean = 4.10), promoting weight gain for hard keepers (mean = 4.03), and good source for fat supplementation (mean = 3.90). Consumers considered being grown and made in the USA (mean = 3.44), top dress on current ration (mean = 3.11), and family or farmer owned (mean = 2.99) as the most critical product attributes. In terms of packaging, unit price per ounce (mean = 3.85) and ease of use (mean = 3.56) were the most important, and 90.91% of participants would prefer that an equine oil supplement be packaged in bulk with a pump dispenser. The findings from this study will shed light on the packaging and labeling practices of equine oil supplements and provide guidance on how to promote their nutritional benefits.Item Effect of Age on the Inflammatory Response in Horses Following an Incremental Exercise Test(December 2022) Gentry, Amber Megan; Stutts, Kyle J; Suagee-Bedore, Jessica; Martinez, Rafael EHorses experience systemic and external inflammation following exercise as a mechanism of recovery indicated by elevated inflammatory markers and heat. Further, aged horses are at greater risk of prolonged inflammation than young horses. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the inflammatory response of unconditioned young (YNG; 14 to 16 mo) and aged (OLD; 19 to 24 yr) Quarter Horses following a 17-min incremental exercise test (IET; 6.44 kph, 16.09 kph, 19.31 kph and 22.53 kph). Blood was collected pre-exercise, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h following exercise. Skin surface temperatures were collected on the left side pre-exercise, 15 min, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h following exercise. Muscle soreness evaluations were conducted pre-exercise, 12 h, 36 h, 60 h, and 84 h following exercise. Data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Plasma percentages of 18:2 were greater in YNG 24 h following exercise than OLD (P<0.05). Plasma percentages of 18:3 and 22:6 were greater (P<0.05) prior to exercise than following exercise. There was an effect of age, where plasma IL-1β concentrations, mRNA abundance of IL-1β, and mRNA abundance of IL-18 in OLD were greater (P<0.05) than YNG. There was an effect of exercise, where mRNA abundance of IL-18 and caspase-1 were greater (P<0.05) 24 h following exercise than prior to exercise. Aged horses had greater (P<0.05) muscle damage 12 h following exercise compared to prior to exercise. The shoulder, forearm, back, and gaskin skin surface temperatures were greater (P<0.05) 15 min following exercise. All four muscle groups on the right side had a greater (P<0.05) muscle soreness score 12 to 60 h following exercise, while only the neck and shoulder on the left side exhibited muscle soreness in response to exercise (P<0.05). These results indicate that the response to an IET is affected by age in regard to plasma lipid content, plasma IL-1β concentrations, plasma CK concentrations, and gene expression of IL-1β, while age and exercise affect expression of IL-18. Additionally, these results suggest that exercise affects body surface temperatures and muscle soreness, regardless of age.Item Effectiveness Of Curriculum Development In Advanced Plant Science In Invasive Species And Agriculture Biosecurity(December 2022) Brandon, Jacob Dylan; Anderson, Mark J; Ullrich, Doug R; Ford, Richard KThe volume and diversity of material that agriculture teachers must be semiefficient in is astronomical in comparison to other disciplines. Texas there are 29 courses that a certified agriculture sciences teacher can teach based upon the local and regional needs. That is why in our study we are looking at developing curriculum Advanced Plant and Soil Science, a course that 144 out of the 1300 high school programs offered to their high school students. Additionally Advanced Plant and Soil science is offered as a science credit in public schools in Texas. This course also coincides with two topics that are seldom discussed in other curriculum materials available to agriculture teachers in Agricultural Biosecurity and Invasive Species. This study will be creating a unit of instruction and curriculum on Agricultural Biosecurity and Invasive Species that align with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) in Advanced Plant and Soil Science. We will first develop the material for the instructors and students with assistance from the Texas Invasives Species Institute. Secondly, we will distribute this material to 10 schools across the state of Texas (n = 10) and gather a pre/post-survey that inquires their knowledge and confidence in teaching agriculture biosecurity and invasive species. We will also receive all the students pre/post-test scores, and all quizzes that are encompassed in the curriculum of 11 lessons. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and a paired t-test in comparing students test and quiz scores to evaluate if the material was absorbed. Then using the same analysis to evaluate the pre/post-survey from the instructors on confidence in teaching and if they absorbed any of the material that they are not used to. This in return will help evaluate material effectiveness for both the student and the instructor in a course and topic that does not have substantial research or guides for teachers.Item Effects of Crude Rice Bran Oil and a Flaxseed Oil Blend in Young Horses in Training(2022-05-01T06:00:00.000Z) Mowry, Kayla Christine; Stutts, Kyle J; Suagee-Bedore, Jessica K; Leatherwood, Jessica L; Anderson, Mark JRice bran oil and a flaxseed oil contain omega-3 fatty acids with the potential to reduce post-exercise inflammation and muscle damage. This study observed body fat and muscle parameters, heart rates, and plasma lactate, glucose, interleukin-1β, creatine kinase, and fatty acid profiles in lightly worked young horses undergoing a 16 min incremental exercise test (IET; 16.1, 19.3, 22.5, and 25.7 kph) after 60-d of oil inclusion. Horses received their energy requirement as 40% from concentrate and 60% from hay, with oil replacing 25% of concentrate calories. Treatments consisted of CON (n=4), which received no oil, FLAX (n=4), which received a flaxseed oil blend, and RICE (n=4), which received crude rice bran oil. Blood was obtained pre-exercise, 1 min, 30 min, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-IET. Data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA. All treatments increased (P < 0.05) in body fat and muscle parameters after 30-d of the study. Plasma lactate and glucose concentrations were greater (P < 0.05) 1 min post exercise in all treatment groups, and all treatment groups exhibited heart rates greater than 150 beats per min (bpm), indicating anaerobic exercise. Plasma creatine kinase activity was not different in CON during the study, greater (P < 0.05) in RICE from pre-exercise to 30 min post exercise overall, and lesser (P < 0.05) in FLAX at 30 min post exercise on day 30 compared to day 0. Plasma interleukin-1β was greater (P < 0.01) in CON on day 60, but no differences were shown in FLAX and RICE throughout the study. Plasma alpha-linolenic and linoleic acids were highest (P < 0.05) in FLAX after 30-d of inclusion, while CON horses had greater (P < 0.05) EPA overall and DHA after 60-d. These results indicate that 30 to 60-d of inclusion of crude rice bran oil or a flaxseed oil blend may benefit lightly worked young horses by reducing training program related increases in interleukin-1β, while only the flaxseed oil blend reduced exercise induced increases in creatine kinase. Results also indicate that neither oil induces loss of muscle mass nor increase in body fat. Additionally, the flaxseed oil blend has the potential to increase plasma omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.Item Evaluation of Weaning Methods on Performance and Immune Response to Vaccination in Beef Calves(December 2023) Browning, Paige Elizabeth; Stutts, Kyle J; Kelley, Stanley F; Martinez, Rafael EThe weaning process is a stressful process for any species. In beef cattle, several weaning methods have been employed in an attempt to minimize this stress and the effects of this stress which include decreased growth rate and suppression of the immune system. This study was conducted to compare weaning methods of beef calves regarding post-weaning growth and immune function. To accomplish this, a sample of Angus and Angus cross beef calves (n = 147) were stratified by age, sex, and sire and divided into three treatment groups: abrupt weaning (AW), fence line weaning (FL), and nose flap weaning (NF). All calves were vaccinated at weaning (d 0) and weaned according to their treatment group. Blood samples were collected via coccygeal venipuncture on d 0 and d 14 to evaluate immune response to vaccination and quantify cortisol concentration as an indicator of stress. Weights for each calf were recorded biweekly for 42 d after weaning. Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS with main effects of treatment and sex and their interaction using ANOVA. Weaning weight, post-weaning weights, and post-weaning gain data were analyzed with age of calf included as a covariate. Body weights were not different among treatment groups at weaning, or 14 d, 28 d, or 42 d post-weaning, however, the FL group had a greater (P < 0.05) total post-weaning gain than the AW group with the NF group being intermediate to the other treatment groups. There was no effect of weaning method on cortisol concentration at weaning or 14 d post-weaning, but a difference in immune response was observed. Calves in the NF weaning group had a greater (P < 0.05) immune response to vaccination than calves in the AW or FL weaning groups. Based on the results of this study, alternative methods of weaning may have a positive impact on calf weight gain throughout the post-weaning period and immune response to vaccination in beef cattle by diminishing the stress of the weaning process.Item Perceived Stress and Unfavorable Eating Behaviors of Women in Agriculture(2022-05-01T05:00:00.000Z) Haines, Camryn; Chen, Danhong; Ullrich, Doug R; Paine, Darin JMental health is a major dilemma among many Americans and citizens of the world. The pressing concern of mental health can be attributed to daily stressors, cultural barriers, unhealthy eating habits, and many more factors that directly affect one’s psychological and physical health. Although there has been a constant increase in the number of women employed within the agriculture industry, there is little to no research as to how their daily and occupational stressors may affect their mental health. This study is aimed to analyze the stress of women in agriculture and the effects of stress on eating behaviors and subsequent health outcomes using structural equations modeling. A survey was created using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), as well as questions relating to demographics such as ethnicity, marital status, education level, and job satisfaction. As a measure of three eating behavior aspects, the TFEQ measures women’s cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. To measure the perception of stress, the PSS is used to determine the degree to which one’s life situations are appraised as stressful. The survey is distributed via an anonymous link and is posted to agriculture-related social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The survey was also sent to two Agricultural Sciences departments from two universities: Texas A&M University and Sam Houston State University. The survey was aimed toward women involved in any sector within the agriculture industry and had no requirement for age or occupational status (manual, non-manual, unemployed/housewife). This study was v deemed exempt by Sam Houston State University Institutional Review Board (Protocol #: IRB-2021-298). As expected, women who believed that they were negatively impacted by gender inequality relating to income tended to report higher stress levels. The results also showed that perceived stress was positively associated with a higher level of emotional eating, which ultimately leads to higher BMIs (Body Mass Index). A higher stress level was also associated with a higher level of uncontrolled eating, but the pathway from uncontrolled eating to BMIs was not statistically significant. The data suggests that when women are feeling anxious, stressed, or lonely, they tend to look to food for comfort. Because of this, it is recommended that manufacturers provide foods that satisfy both physical and mental health needs.Item THE EFFECT OF DENTAL FLOATING ON NUTRIENT DIGESTION IN NON- PREGNANT QUARTER HORSE MARES(2021-07-19) Starrett, Ashley Brooke; Bedore, Jessica S.Irregular wear patterns can cause poor feed digestion, weight loss, performance problems, and pain in the horse when wearing a halter or bridle. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that dental floating would increase crude protein and fiber digestion in non-pregnant stock-type mares. The study was conducted on 16 mares of mature age (4-17) that have not previously received dental care in the previous year. A diet consisting of ad libitum Cynodon dactylon hay and 1.36 kg of a balancer concentrate was fed daily prior to and during the study. Eight mares received dental work and eight served as untreated controls. Feces were collected for four days, before and 56 days after dental work, whereby acid insoluble ash (AIA) was used as a marker of digestibility. Feces and feed were analyzed for dry matter, AIA, crude protein, NDF, and ADF using standard wet chemistry laboratory techniques. Estimated apparent neutral detergent fiber digestibility was not affected by the time by treatment interaction or treatment (P>0.1). However, digestibility was greater on day 56 (86.3±1.3%) than day 0 (67±1.3%). There was a tendency for an effect of the time by treatment interaction for estimated apparent acid detergent fiber digestibility (P=0.073), whereby digestibility was not different for groups on day 0 (50.3±0.8% vs. 50.3±0.8%; P > 0.9) but was greater (P = 0.014) in dental treated horses (59.5±0.8%) than controls (56.5+0.8) on day 56. There was a tendency for dentistry to improve the month by treatment interaction for estimated apparent crude protein digestibility (P=0.0931), whereby digestibility was not different for groups at day 0 (50.2±0.8% vs. 49.9±0.8%; P > 0.9) but was greater (P = 0.0883) in dental treated horses (59.5±0.8%) than controls (56.5+0.8) at day 56. The main finding of this study was that dental correction tended to improve fiber and protein digestion, which is possibly due to the increased amount of mechanical digestion of forages. The second objective of this study was to determine whether the Computerized Horse Aging Program (CHAP) could accurately age horses within a 95% confidence interval and 10% margin of error. Photos were uploaded to the mobile app and compared to registered ages using Bland-Altman agreement analysis. The app accurately predicted age using upper incisors in horses between 8 and 13, while lower incisors were accurate between 8 and 10 years. CHAP can accurately predict age within 1 year, in horses aged 8-13.Item The Effect of Seasonal Variation and Fertilization on the Nutritional Content of C4 Grasses(2021-08-01T05:00:00.000Z) Miller, Rachel Marie; Bedore, JessicaHorses are an herbivorous species of mammal that evolved to consume grass and other forages for their nutritional needs. They quality of forage consumed is important to the health of the animal, and there can be an effect of season and fertilization seen in the nutritional content of the grass. Many studies have looked at the nutritional content of C3 grasses, but few have looked at C4 grasses common in Texas. Therefore, the focus of this research was to analyze the nutritional content of 3 varieties of warm season grasses in response to season, time of day, and fertilization. Plots were set up in a grid design to prevent cross-contamination. Half of the plots were fertilized at a rate of 260 kg/ha (FERT) and half were unfertilized (CON). Samples were collected at 6AM and 6PM on, or as close to the first of the month as possible, from June through September, which encompassed the entire growing season for these grasses. Samples were analyzed for NDF, ADF, crude protein, and the water-soluble sugars fructose, glucose, and sucrose using standard laboratory procedures. The fiber content of all three varieties of grass was lowest in June and highest in August and September. There was an average NDF content of 63.8 ± 0.5 %DM and an average ADF content of 34.0 ± 0.6 %DM in June, versus an average NDF content of 68.1 ± 0.5 %DM and an average ADF content of 40.2 ± 0.6 %DM in September. The crude protein in all three varieties of grass was higher in FERT samples than CON samples, with an average protein content of 10.5 ± 0.5 %DM in CON samples and an average protein content of 13.4 ± 0.5 %DM in FERT samples. There were no significant effects of time, treatment, or month in the sugars, or any effects of interactions. This indicates that C4 grasses grown in East Texas have a lower overall nutritional content than C3 grasses, especially in the sugar content. Therefore, horses that may be sensitive to rich pasture may be safely grazed throughout the growing season of these C4 grasses.Item The Effects of ZINC on the In Vitro Digestibility of Feeds in Cervids(2022-05-01T05:00:00.000Z) Thibodeaux, Reese; Urso, Philip M; Beverly, Marcy M; Kelley, Stanley FThe captive white-tailed deer industry has an estimated impact of $1.6 billion, annually. However, nutritional requirements for cervids are determined through research based on sheep and goats. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of zinc on differences in dry matter digestibility in vitro for white-tailed does (Odocoileus virginianus). Deer (n=2) were harvested ethically, rumens were collected, and placed into a cooler containing warm water. Rumen contents were agitated, and fluid was filtered using cheese cloth while applying CO2. Fluid was placed into four separate incubator jars with filter bags containing a 1:1 alfalfa to coastal hay blend. Zinc doses of 0.073 mg/kg/d equivalents were added to two of the jars (treatments), and the additional two jars received 0.00 mg/kg/d (control). Following 48 h of incubation, in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) showed no significant differences between the control and the treatment groups. Average dry matter digested in vitro was 91.87% and 95.13%, respectfully. There were no differences detected in ADF, NDF, IVTD, or OM between the treatment groups. While no detectable differences were observed in this study, this methodology did prove to be viable and functional for microbial digestion in vitro. This study can be replicated with multiple experimental units to confirm the observations of increased digestibility. Formal nutritional guidelines can be created to allow for more efficient feeding of cervids. In turn, reducing feed costs for the operation and continue the growth of the captive deer industry.Item UNDERSTANDING FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO HOUSEHOLD FOOD INSECURITY AND POVERTY DYNAMICS IN GERT SIBANDE DISTRICT MPUMALANGA PROVINCE OF SOUTH AFRICA(2021-08-01T05:00:00.000Z) Agboola, Peter Temitope; Danhong, Chen; Shyam, Nair SThe challenges posed by the risk of food insecurity, poverty, and hunger have been a major concern in many households in Sub-Saharan Africa and the world at large. This concern is attributable to the negative impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to an increment in food prices and food shortages within South Africa. This study has evaluated the factors contributing to farming households’ food insecurity and poverty in Gert Sibande Municipality of Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. The study was restricted only to two local municipalities out of seven municipalities in Gert Sibande district. A structured questionnaire was administered for data collection. A total of 383 households were involved in the study. Within each municipality, several villages were selected for the survey through the probability random sampling technique. Data were collected between the 23rd of November 2020 and the 25th of January 2021. All responses from the questionnaires were tabulated and processed using Microsoft Excel, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program, and STATA. The Household Food Insecurity Assessment Scale (HFIAS) and Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) indices were calculated to gauge the households’ food insecurity and poverty status. The HFIAS category indicated that 34.46%, 4.18%, 40.47%, and 20.89% of the households were food secure, mildly, moderately, and severely food insecure, respectively. The FGT poverty index showed that 32.64% of the households were poor while the remainder (67.36%) were categorized as non-poor households. The study applied two regression models: an OLS regression and a logistics regression to identify factors influencing farming households’ food insecurity and poverty status. Factors such as electricity as the cooking energy, growing cereals, being employed, and employment income were negatively associated with food insecurity, whereas housing ownership and access to government child support were positively associated with food insecurity. While household size was positively associated with being poor, employment income, access to social grant, and receipt of remittance were negatively associated with households’ poverty status in the study area. Policy recommendations are made on encouraging younger people to engage in agriculture due to the ageing of farming households. Promoting education and enhancing the standard of education by the government through extension agents could increase the employability of the household heads, thus contributing to improved income for the households. As a larger household size is associated with a higher probability of being poor, endorsing family planning methods for farming households might be needed. Securing multiple sources of livelihood, including both on-farm and off-farm activities, could potentially lead to higher income for the farming households.