Soil respiration (RS) is a major carbon pathway from terrestrial ecosystems to the atmosphere and is sensitive to environmental changes. Although commonly used mechanical thinning and prescribed burning can significantly alter the soil environment, the effect of these practices on RS and on the interactions between RS and belowground characteristics in managed forests is not sufficiently unders...

the objective of the present field experiment was to examine how plant density and enhanced source, i.e. thinning treatments, may affect grain yield and its components for a non-prolific maize hybrid, sc704. the environment of the hybrid maize crop was changed at intervals over its life cycle by removing every other plant in rows equispaced at 75 cm apart with a population of 13.34 plants m...

In apple (Malus×domestica Borkh), as in many fruiting crops, fruit maintenance vs abscission is a major criteria for production profitability. Growers routinely make use of chemical thinning agents to control total fruit load. However, serious threats for the environment lead to the demand for new apple cultivars with self-thinning properties. In this project, we studied the genetic determinism...

Assisted Hatching (AH) is a technique performed after In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and involves the artificial thinning or opening of the Zona Pellucida (ZP) prior to Embryo Transfer (ET) as an attempt to improve the probability of embryo implantation. AH can be performed by embryologists via mechanical, chemical, or laser-assisted means. A few studies suggest that a larger size of ZP opening/t...

Kernza intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) is the first commercially developed perennial grain crop in North America, with multiple environmental and economic benefits. One of major challenges for adoption this dual-use forage decline yield subsequent harvest years. Post-harvest management practices (e.g., chopping, burning, chemical, mechanical thinning) could reduce intraspecific...