Scholarworks

ScholarWorks is an open access repository for the capture of the intellectual work of Montana State University (MSU) in support of its teaching, research and service missions. MSU ScholarWorks is a central point of discovery for accessing, collecting, sharing, preserving, and distributing knowledge to the Montana State University community and the world.

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A Teosinte Branched‐B1 null mutation increases durum wheat tillering, increasing grain yield in certain environments
(Wiley, 2025-07) Hale, Caleb; Volkman, McKenna M.; Martin, John M.; Hogg, Andrew C.; Giroux, Michael J.
Wheat (Triticum spp.) is a hardy, drought-tolerant crop well suited to harsh environments like the Northern Great Plains. In regions with higher rainfall or irrigation, a densely planted, high-biomass crop ideotype may be preferable. However, in moisture-stressed climates with variable weather, crops are planted at a lower density, and lines with increased tillering potential can improve yields. Drought-tolerant genotypes with higher tillering potential can provide a harvestable crop in poor years while maximizing yields in favorable conditions. Greater tillering potential allows plants to capitalize on timely rainfall. Teosinte Branched-1 (TB1) is a transcription factor that regulates axillary meristem outgrowth in wheat. This study examines its effects on tillering, mature inflorescence morphology, and their impact on grain yield in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum). Reducing TB1 function through nonsense mutations in one homeolog can enhance tillering potential, boosting yield under favorable conditions. TB1 variants were analyzed in near-isogenic line populations across 3 years and five Montana environments. Lines with mutations in both TB1 homeologs had 20% more productive tillers but reduced grain yields in some environments due to reduced spike size. Genotypes containing only the tb-B1-W341* nonsense mutation allele had a grain yield increase of up to 20% in environments with optimal mid-season rainfall and did not yield significantly lower than the wildtype genotypes in any other environment. Integrating a TB-B1 nonsense allele into durum wheat breeding programs could be useful to increase productive tillers and yield potential.
Nutritional Dynamics of Plant Growth Forms in a Forest-Grassland Mosaic
(Elsevier BV, 2025-06) Davis, Noah G.; Wyffels, Samuel A.; Damiran, Daalkhaijav; Darambazar, Enkhjargal; Vávra, Martin; Riggs, Robert A.; DelCurto, Timothy
The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of plant community type, forest stand age, and season on the forage quality of plant growth forms in a forest-grassland mosaic. We determined the forage quality of plant growth forms (graminoids, forbs, and shrubs) at 64 sites in the Blue Mountains of Oregon, over four dates between May and September over two years. Samples were analyzed for crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Sites were classified according to climax vegetation and grouped as either forested (ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa; Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii; grand fir, Abies grandis) or non-forested (meadow or grassland). Forested sites were also categorized as “young” or “old” based on mean diameter at breast height of less than or greater than 37.5 cm, respectively. Graminoid and forb CP in early May were 3.5 and 2.5 points greater in the grand fir community type than the other forested types (P ≤ 0.01) and were 2.7 and 4.9 points greater in the meadow type than the grassland type (P ≤ 0.04). In mid-September, graminoid CP was similar between all community types (P ≥ 0.78). In early May, forb ADF and NDF were similar between all community types (P ≥ 0.18). In mid-September, forb ADF was 10.7 points lower in the ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir types than in all other community types (P ≤ 0.02). Forb ADF and NDF were greater in young stands than in old stands (P < 0.01). Furthermore, forb ADF was 11.4 points greater in the young grand fir community type than all other forested types (P < 0.01). Our study characterizes forage quality across the growing season in diverse vegetation types and, in turn, can be applied to wildlife and livestock management to predict and manage animal landscape distribution.
Influence of Temperature and Precipitation on the Forage Quality of Bluebunch Wheatgrass and Idaho Fescue During the Dormant Season
(MDPI AG, 2025-02) Davis, Noah G.; Wyffels, Sam A.; DelCurto, Timothy
Dormant forage is generally understood to be low-quality, but how and why it changes over the dormant season have not been well studied. Therefore, this study evaluated the changes in the forage quality of bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) and Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis) over the course of the dormant season and in response to concurrent environmental conditions. We collected forage samples every 14 days for two consecutive winters in southwestern Montana, USA. Samples were analyzed for crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). A suite of environmental metrics was derived from PRISM weather data. Data were analyzed with a linear mixed model and the STATICO ordination method. Crude protein and ADF varied throughout the winter across both years, with CP ranging from 1.9–4.0% and ADF from 37–42%. The differences between species were more pronounced and more consistent in CP. The differences between years were more pronounced in ADF and NDF. Relative temperature explained the most variation in forage quality. Crude protein is positively correlated with short-term warmer temperatures, whereas NDF is positively correlated with longer-term warmer temperatures. This demonstrates that forage quality can change over the dormant season and is influenced by winter weather events.
A global synthesis of naturalised and invasive plants in aquatic habitats
(Pensoft Publishers, 2025-10) Kortz, Alessandra; Hejda, Martin; Čuda, Jan; Pattison, Zarah; Bruna, J.; Novoa, Ana; Pergl, Jan; Pipek, Jan; Štajerová, Kateřina; Anastasiu, Paulina et al.; Borokini, Israel
Global databases have contributed to our understanding of alien, naturalised and invasive plant species distributions. Still, the role of species invasions in habitats, specifically in aquatic habitats, remains underexplored at the global scale. Accordingly, a comprehensive global synthesis of the status of plant invasions in aquatic habitats has been missing. Here, we focus on macroecological patterns of naturalised non-invasive and invasive plants in aquatic habitats using the recently built SynHab database. Amongst all the plant records compiled in SynHab, 592 are assigned to aquatic habitats, of which 183 are unique plant taxa (further termed ‘species’) belonging to 49 families. Of the total number of records, 462 refer to taxa with naturalised non-invasive occurrences and 130 to invasive occurrences. The species pool analysed here refers to 78 regions distributed across all botanical continents as defined by the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions. The number of naturalised non-invasive aquatic species is similar across different continents and biomes, but Tropical Asia had more and the Mediterranean zonobiome had fewer invasive species than expected. Tropical Asia, Temperate Asia and Africa have the highest proportions of naturalised species that have become invasive, while across continents, invasive proportions were highest for tropical and subtropical zonobiomes. New Zealand, Italy and California contained disproportionately more naturalised species than expected, given the area covered by aquatic habitat in those regions, whereas South Sudan, Papua New Guinea and Kyrgyzstan had disproportionately fewer species. In pairwise dissimilarity comparisons, all continents had distinct species compositions (from 0.73 to 0.92 of the Jaccard dissimilarity index) and so did zonobiomes (0.69 to 1.00). The high proportion of invasive species in Tropical Asia in comparison with terrestrial invasions in this region, indicates a greater susceptibility of warmer regions to aquatic plant invasions. This may be exacerbated by further naturalisations in the future, as data from temperate regions suggest a larger pool of available species.
Hygrothermal Aging and Thermomechanical Characterization of As-Manufactured Tidal Turbine Blade Composites
(MDPI AG, 2025-09) Murdy, Paul; Murray, Robynne E.; Barnes, David; Lusty, Ariel; Rognerud, Erik G.; Creveling, Peter; Samborsky, Daniel
This study investigates the hygrothermal aging behavior and thermomechanical properties of as-manufactured glass fiber-reinforced epoxy and thermoplastic composite tidal turbine blades. The blades were previously deployed in a marine environment and subsequently analyzed through a comprehensive suite of material characterization techniques, including hygrothermal aging, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), tensile testing and X-ray computed tomography (XCT). Hygrothermal aging experiments revealed that while thermoplastic composites exhibited lower overall water absorption (0.78% vs. 0.47%), they had significantly higher diffusion coefficients than epoxy (2.1 vs. 12.1 × 10−13 m2s−1), suggesting faster saturation in operational environments. DMA results demonstrated that water ingress caused plasticization in epoxy matrices, reducing the glass transition temperature and increasing damping (112 °C to 104 °C), while thermoplastic composites showed more stable thermal behavior (87 °C glass transition temperature). Tensile testing revealed substantial reductions in ultimate strength (>40%) for both materials after prolonged water exposure, with minimal change in elastic modulus, highlighting the role of matrix degradation over fiber reinforcement. XCT image analysis showed that both composites were manufactured with high quality: no large voids or cracks were present, and the degree of misalignment was low. These findings inform future marine renewable energy composite designs by emphasizing the critical influence of moisture on long-term structural integrity and the need for optimized material systems in harsh marine environments. This work provides a rare real-world comparison of epoxy and recyclable thermoplastic tidal turbine blades, showing how laboratory aging tests and advanced imaging reveal the influence of material and manufacturing choices on long-term marine durability.