Matching Items (3)
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- All Subjects: Nutrients
- Creators: Muenich, Rebecca
Description
Intensified food production on large farms across the world has led to discussions on how to facilitate sustainable policies and practices to reduce nutrient pollution. In Chapter 1, I evaluated the co-variability of agricultural intensification, environmental degradation, and socio-economic indicators throughout the US to explore the potential evidence for the existence of sustainable intensification of agriculture in the US. I identified distinct agro-social-eco regions in the US that provide background for future regional studies of (sustainable intensification) SI in the US and beyond. I observed regions of moderate agricultural intensity and lower environmental degradation within the Great Plains, and regions of high agricultural intensity and higher environmental degradation throughout portions of the Midwest. Insights gained from this study can provide roadmaps for improved sustainable agricultural intensification within the US. In Chapter 2, the study summarized state regulations controlling a key nutrient input - the land application of biosolids from human wastewater treatment and manures from regulated animal feeding operations. Results indicate high variability of both manure and biosolids regulations among the states and stark differences in the regulation of land application of biosolids versus manures. This work can be used to identify opportunities for the strengthening of regulatory frameworks for managing these resources with minimal risk to the environment. In Chapter 3, I combined aspects of the previous chapters to understand the potential impact of specific CAFO land application regulations on nutrient pollution and assess if stricter regulations related to better environmental outcomes. I compared TN AND TP accumulated yields in surface waters across US States with state specific CAFO land application regulations across US Policy scenario tests revealed that more restrictions were associated with higher nutrient levels, indicating reactive policy making and delayed nonpoint source pollution responses. Overall, I found that fostering adaptive capacity and management within delineated agro-social-eco regions will likely facilitate sustainable food systems in the US.
ContributorsRauh, Eleanor (Author) / Muenich, Rebecca (Thesis advisor) / Compton, Jana (Committee member) / Parker, Nathan (Committee member) / Hamilton, Kerry (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
The United States Department of Agriculture provides requirements for a farm operation to become certified organic, but how do these regulations influence nutrient
management on organic farms? There is insufficient evidence to show if the current
regulations on nutrient sourcing and application are feasible and effective. An online
survey was administered to owners and operators of organic farms. Survey respondents
were offered a free soil test as an incentive to participate and to compare their practices
and soil quality. Assessing the current nutrient management under organic regulations
provides information to help assess the sustainability of their nutrient management
practices. Early data suggest that organic farmers may most often be overapplying and
creating legacy sources with this key resource.
ContributorsBonham, Emma Eileen (Author) / Muenich, Rebecca (Thesis advisor) / Zanin, Alaina (Committee member) / Williams, Clinton (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
To successfully launch and maintain a long-term colony on Mars, Martian agricultural systems need to be capable of sustaining human life without requiring expensive deliveries from Earth. There is a need for more studies on this topic to make this a feasible mission. This thesis aims to study from a high level one such agricultural system, specifically examining the requirements and flow of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium required to sustain a given human colony size. We developed a Microsoft Excel based model that relates human nutritional needs to the amount available in food crops and in turn the amount of Martian soil required for agriculture. The model works by inputting the number of humans, and then utilizing the built-in calculations and datasets to determine how much of each nutrient is needed to meet all nutritional needs of the colony. Using that information, it calculates the amount of plants needed to supply the nutrition and then calculates the amount of nutrients that would be taken from the soil. It compares the Martian regolith to the nutrient uptake, accounting for inedible biomass from the plants and human waste that can be added to the regolith. Any deficiencies are used to determine if and how much fertilizer should be added to the system initially and over time. Using the total amount of plants and the number of harvests, the amount of Martian land required for sustaining the colony is computed. These results can be used as a building block to enable the successful design of an agricultural system on Mars.
ContributorsGarland, Michael (Co-author) / Zinke, Sarah (Co-author) / Muenich, Rebecca (Thesis director) / Perreault, Francois (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05