https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/3977 Sat, 11 Apr 2026 18:36:14 GMT 2026-04-11T18:36:14Z https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/50772 Yield and Fruit Quality of ‘Albion’ and ‘San Andreas’ Strawberry in Hydroponic Culture in Alabama, United States Over a Single Season Day-neutral strawberry cultivars Albion and San Andreas were cultivated hydroponically in a climate-con-trolled greenhouse (temperature and light regulated) to assess fruit quality and anthocyanin composition, which are important attributes for flavor and color (visual appeal), respectively. Fruits were collected from 6 Feb 2023, until 18 May 2023, at Auburn University, AL. Soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (Tacid), pH, total phenolics (TPC), and anthocyanins [total anthocyanins (TAC), cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), pelar-gonidin-3-glucoside (P3G), pelargonidin-3-rutinoside (P3R), pelargonidin-3-malonylglucoside (P3M)] were determined from the juice of thawed frozen fruits. Average fruit yield (Fyield; g·plant-1) was similar between cultivars. Both cultivars were similar for SSC, Tacid, TPC, TAC, and the major pigment (P3G) when averaged across days after transplanting (DAT). Pelargonidin-based pigments predominantly characterized the antho-cyanin profile. Minor pigments differed, with more C3G (mg 100 g/fresh weight) in ‘Albion’ than in ‘San Andreas’ (0.39 and 0.18, respectively), whilst ‘San Andreas’ had more P3R (mg 100 g/fresh weight) than ‘Albion’ (2.26 and 1.81, respectively). Plant age (DAT, non-replicated) influenced SSC, Tacid, and most of the anthocyanins. Fyield, Tacid, and SSC were higher in plants at 140 DAT (early spring), but lower in plants at 180 DAT (late spring), indicating a potential plant age effect on fruit productivity and quality. Correlation analysis indicated a robust positive correlation between TAC, C3G, pelargonidin anthocyanins (P3G, P3R, P3M), and Fyield, whereas Fyield was inversely correlated with Tacid and TPC. Our results indicate that strawberry fruit qual-ity is influenced by cultivar-specific pigment profiles, seasonal variations, and yield interactions, highlighting the need to balance productivity with market-preferred traits in hydroponic greenhouse systems https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/50772 https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/50771 Alabama Livestock Research Report 2025 Welcome The livestock industry remains a foundation of Alabama’s agricultural economy, supporting rural communities, creating jobs, and providing high-quality animal protein for a growing population. Cattle are produced in every county in the state and represent an industry valued at more than $2.5 billion annually. Alongside beef production, Alabama’s broader animal agriculture sector, including poultry, pork, dairy, goats, and hay production, plays a vital role in sustaining the state’s agricultural landscape. Recent assessments estimate that Alabama’s food, fiber, forestry, and green industries contribute $77.3 billion to the state’s economy and support more than 273,000 jobs, accounting for nearly 10% of Alabama’s workforce. As global demand for animal protein continues to increase, livestock producers face evolving challenges related to efficiency, sustainability, environmental stewardship, and animal health. Addressing these challenges requires innovative research, strong partnerships, and a commitment to translating science into practical solutions for producers. The Department of Animal Sciences at Auburn University remains dedicated to advancing this mission through collaborative research and extension programs that support the livestock industry across Alabama. The projects featured in this year’s report highlight the diversity and impact of our research programs. From studies evaluating nutritional strategies to investigations of grazing systems that incorporate warm-season forbs, our researchers are working to improve animal performance while enhancing the sustainability of pasture-based production systems. Other efforts focus on reproductive biology and developmental programming, exploring how maternal nutrition and reproductive technologies influence early embryonic development and long-term animal performance. In addition, extension-focused research included in this report examines how educational programs can better reach and serve Alabama’s livestock and equine communities. We are pleased to present the fourth edition of the Alabama Livestock Research Report, which showcases research conducted by faculty, staff, and students in the Auburn University Department of Animal Sciences and our affiliated research and extension centers. Within these pages, you will find examples of how science, innovation, and collaboration are helping address real-world challenges faced by livestock producers throughout the state. We are grateful to the many producers, industry partners, commodity groups, and funding agencies who make this work possible. Most importantly, we thank the faculty, staff, and students whose dedication and curiosity drive the research and outreach efforts highlighted in this report. Thank you for your continued support of Auburn University’s Department of Animal Sciences and our shared commitment to strengthening Alabama’s livestock industry. We invite you to engage with this work, ask questions, share ideas, and join us as we continue to serve Alabama’s livestock industry through research, education, and innovation. This is our work. Sincerely, Kim Mullenix, Ph.D. Professor and Head Department of Animal Sciences 210 Upchurch Hall, Auburn Univ, AL 36849 https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/50771 https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/50761 Data for: Cyanobacteria and aquatic ecosystem dynamics across 28,000 years of environmental changes in subtropical North America Ecological pressures on aquatic ecosystems have increased over recent centuries due to human activities and climate change. However, contextualizing ecosystem deterioration is often challenging due to limited knowledge of environmental changes over millennial timescales. Subtropical Carolina bays in North Carolina, USA, have remained unglaciated, preserving paleolimnological records that extend back to the last glacial period. Here, we analyzed a sediment core from the ecologically rich Lake Waccamaw spanning more than 28,000 years for aquatic proxies of nutrients, photosynthetic pigments, cyanotoxins, carbon isotopes, and terrestrial proxies of pollen and charcoal. The study explored paleolimnological changes in the aquatic environment connected to land changes and climate during the late Quaternary in the southeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain. Results reveal that while current levels of colonial cyanobacteria are high, past levels of cyanobacteria, other primary producers, and cyanotoxins were higher under natural climate variability. Abrupt ecosystem responses to increasing trophic conditions during Interstadial 3 (27.8-26.4 cal ka BP) and the early Holocene (11.4-7 cal ka BP) were marked by increases in primary producer abundance, deciduous vegetation expansion, and fire activity. Cyanobacteria remained dominant throughout the record, with colonial forms prevailing during the Holocene. Increases in pigment concentrations aligned with Quercus and were primarily driven by hydroclimatic variability and nutrient stoichiometry. Transitions between Pinus and Quercus pollen matched stadials and interstadials in the δ18Ο record from the North Greenland Ice Core Project (NGRIP). This study highlights the value of multi-proxy millennial-scale paleolimnological records for understanding aquatic ecosystem responses to climate conditions during the late Pleistocene. https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/50761 https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/50760 Wasted Efforts Impair Random Search Efficiency and Reduce Choosiness in Mate-Pairing Termites Random search theories predict that animals employ movement patterns that optimize encounter rates with target resources. However, animals are not always able to achieve the best search strategy. Energy depletion, for example, limits searchers’ movement activities, forcing them to adjust their behaviors before and after encounters. Here, we investigate the cost of mate search in a termite, Reticulitermes speratus, and reveal that the costs associated with mate finding reduce the selectivity of mating partners.After a dispersal flight, termites search for a mating partner with limited reserved energy. We found that their movement activity and diffusiveness progressively declined over extendedmate search.Our data-based simulations qualitatively confirmed that the reduced movement diffusiveness decreased the searching efficiency. Also, prolonged search periods reduced survival rate and the number of offspring. Thus,mate search has two different negative effects on termites. Finally, we found that termites with an extended mate search reduced the selectivity of mating partners, where males immediately paired with any encountering females. Thus, termites dramatically changed their mate search behavior depending on their internal states. Our finding highlights that accounting for the searchers’ internal states is essential to fill the gap between random search theories and empirical behavioral observations. https://aurora.auburn.edu/handle/11200/50760