Abstract: Hydrogels are blended with water to produce a hydrogel solution. Viscosity of the hydrogel solution is controlled by adjusting the ratio of hydrogel to water and/or by adjusting the blending conditions. The hydrogel solutions may be used to modify the rheology of agricultural compositions. The hydrogel may include lactose, which may be provided by a milk permeate waste stream from the dairy or food processing industry.

Abstract: A method to reduce bag rupture in a spray dispensed from a nozzle involves detecting one or more bags rupturing from an initial spray pattern of the spray dispensed from the nozzle, the one or more bags comprising a thin membraned semi-spherical protrusion extending from the spray, where the initial spray pattern is a region of the spray initially exiting the nozzle that forms a continuous sheet-like portion. The spray includes an agricultural spray including water, at least one polymer, and at least one perforation-aid type adjuvant. The agricultural spray exhibits fewer fine droplets exhibiting a diameter less than about 150 ?m formed via the bag rupture approach to droplet formation.

Abstract: Methods of extracting ribonucleic acid from plant tissue involve treating multiple groups of plant seeds with different plant growth regulators. Each group of plant seeds can be treated with a different plant growth regulator. Methods further involve germinating the plant seeds to form seedlings, harvesting tissue samples from subgroups within each group of plant seeds and seedlings at different timepoints, and extracting total RNA from each harvested tissue sample. Methods can also involve sequencing the extracted RNA, determining an expression level of a plurality of genes relative to a negative control, and identifying a subset of differentially expressed genes at each distinct timepoint.

Abstract: Drift reduction adjuvant composition and agricultural sprays containing such agricultural compositions contain water, a rheology modifier (e.g., guar gum or polyacrylamide), an emulsifier such as a polyoxyethylene sorbitan emulsifier, and an oil. When the agricultural spray containing the drift reduction adjuvant composition and a pesticide is delivered from an agricultural nozzle, it produces fewer droplets less than 150 ?m in diameter and either reduces, maintains or increases (e.g., by up to 30 percentage points) the number of ultra-coarse droplets above 622 ?m in diameter compared to an agricultural spray of the pesticide without the drift reduction adjuvant composition sprayed under the same conditions.

Abstract: Drift reduction adjuvant composition and agricultural sprays containing such agricultural compositions contain water, a Newtonian responding polymer such as guar gum, an emulsifier such as a polyoxyethylene sorbitan emulsifier, and an oil. When the agricultural spray containing the drift reduction adjuvant composition and a pesticide is delivered from an agricultural nozzle, it produces fewer droplets less than 150 ?m in diameter and either reduces, maintains or increases (e.g., by up to 30 percentage points) the number of ultra-coarse droplets above 622 ?m in diameter compared to an agricultural spray of the pesticide without the drift reduction adjuvant composition sprayed under the same conditions.

Abstract: Reducing fines from an agricultural spray dispensed from a nozzle is provided in the disclosed methods. The agricultural spray comprises water, an agricultural composition such as a pesticide, at least one oil emulsion drift reduction adjuvant, and at least one spontaneous emulsion drift reduction adjuvant. The agricultural spray exhibits fewer fine droplets having a diameter less than about 105 ?m, about 150 ?m, and/or about 210 ?m compared to an agricultural spray neither or only one of the oil emulsion drift reduction adjuvant and the spontaneous emulsion drift reduction adjuvant.

Abstract: Agricultural treatments and methods configured to be applied in a field by spraying that is pulsed, including a crop treatment having at least one active ingredient and a sufficient quantity of an adjuvant including an oil phase to provide a more consistent droplet size during pulsed spray application of the agricultural treatment. The treatment may also include a sufficient quantity of surfactant to provide the more consistent droplet size during pulsed spray application of the agricultural treatment. The quantity of oil phase may be sufficient to provide smaller shifts in volumetric median diameter and droplet size distribution when applied by spraying that is pulsed compared to a steady state spray.

Abstract: A chelated zinc adjuvant composition includes water, an effective amount of a micronutrient consisting of zinc chelated with an organic acid and an organic amine, a mono-, di- or polysaccharide and an alkyl polysaccharide. The adjuvant has a pH of up to 6.5. When admixed with a pesticide capable of precipitating with the zinc, due to the zinc being chelated, the zinc is prevented from precipitating with the pesticide and is available for uptake. When the adjuvant composition is applied in seed, soil, foliage or fruit applications, zinc uptake is improved.

Abstract: Active ingredient-carrying hydrogels include at least a hydrogel and an active ingredient. The active ingredient is released from the hydrogel onto an agricultural substrate or at an agricultural site in a controlled manner. The hydrogel may include lactose, which may be provided by a milk permeate waste stream from the dairy or food processing industry.

Abstract: Multifunctional agricultural adjuvant compositions (“MAACs”) include at least one liquid component and one or more solid agricultural particles dispersed in the liquid component. The liquid component may include at least one methylated seed oil. Examples of the solid agricultural particles include ammonium sulfate, other water conditioners, amino acids, or polymers. The MAAC exhibits one or more desired functions depending on the quantity and composition of the liquid component, the quantity and composition of the solid agricultural particles, and, optionally, adding one or more surfactants and/or one or more additional components (e.g., rheology modifiers) to the MAAC. The desired functions of the MAAC may include at least one of a water conditioner, a surfactant, a high surfactant oil concentrate, a crop oil concentrate, or a drift reduction and a deposition adjuvant.

Abstract: Hydrogels are blended with water to produce a hydrogel solution. Viscosity of the hydrogel solution is controlled by adjusting the ratio of hydrogel to water and/or by adjusting the blending conditions. The hydrogel solutions may be used to modify the rheology of agricultural compositions. The hydrogel may include lactose, which may be provided by a milk permeate waste stream from the dairy or food processing industry.

Abstract: Plant growth compositions include a solvent composition and an active component composition. The solvent composition includes 1-methoxy-2-propanol, glyceryl triacetate, methyl isobutyl ketone, 2-bytoxy ethanol, ethyl acetate, butyl lactate, lactic acid and/or n-butyl pyrrolidone. The active component combination is formulated to increase the growth of a plant, and includes an auxin, a gibberellin, a cytokinin, or a combination thereof. The solvent composition excludes butanol and/or citric acid. The boiling point of the solvent composition is at least about 100° C. and less than about 180° C. The solvent composition is compatible with Rhizobia. A method of improving plant growth involves applying the plant growth composition to plant seeds, which may include soybean seeds, corn seeds, wheat seeds, barley seeds, alfalfa seeds, or combinations thereof, and growing the nascent plants to maturity.

Abstract: A wind tunnel device may include a waste disposal unit configured to collect fluid from a droplet extractor positioned in a wind tunnel. The waste disposal unit may include a drain line and a liquid trap integrated in the drain line. The liquid trap may be adjustable during operation of the wind tunnel to accommodate different tunnel operating conditions (e.g., wind speeds) such that liquid waste does not backflow into the wind tunnel.

Abstract: A wind tunnel device is provided herein that enables the wind tunnel to transform between two modes of operation and/or to refresh/recondition air within the tunnel. The wind tunnel device may provide selective diversion of airflow within the wind tunnel. The diversion of airflow may enable the wind tunnel device to include a multi-configurable wind tunnel that can be operated as either an open-return wind tunnel or a closed-return wind tunnel. Additionally, or alternatively, the diversion of airflow may enable the wind tunnel device to recondition air within a closed-return wind tunnel.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a test section comprises at least one surface defining an at least partially enclosed space. The at least partially enclosed space defines an airflow path for air to flow. The test section also comprises a nozzle disposed in the at least partially enclosed space. The nozzle is configured to spray an agricultural spray and is positioned to emit the agricultural spray such that at least a section of the agricultural spray exhibits a non-parallel angle relative to the airflow path defined by the at least partially enclosed space. The test section further comprises at least one stimulus source positioned to illuminate at least a portion of the agricultural spray adjacent to the nozzle. Additionally, the test section comprises at least one detector positioned to image at least the portion of the agricultural spray adjacent to the nozzle.

Abstract: Plant growth compositions include a solvent composition and an active component composition. The solvent composition includes 1-methoxy-2-propanol, glyceryl triacetate, methyl isobutyl ketone, 2-bytoxy ethanol, ethyl acetate, butyl lactate, lactic acid and/or n-butyl pyrrolidone. The active component combination is formulated to increase the growth of a plant, and includes an auxin, a gibberellin, a cytokinin, or a combination thereof. The solvent composition excludes butanol and/or citric acid. The boiling point of the solvent composition is at least about 100° C. and less than about 180° C. The solvent composition is compatible with Rhizobia. A method of improving plant growth involves applying the plant growth composition to plant seeds, which may include soybean seeds, corn seeds, wheat seeds, barley seeds, alfalfa seeds, or combinations thereof, and growing the nascent plants to maturity.

Abstract: Reducing fines from an agricultural spray dispensed from a nozzle is provided in the disclosed methods. The agricultural spray comprises water, an agricultural composition such as a pesticide, at least one oil emulsion drift reduction adjuvant, and at least one spontaneous emulsion drift reduction adjuvant. The agricultural spray exhibits fewer fine droplets having a diameter less than about 105 ?m, about 150 ?m, and/or about 210 ?m compared to an agricultural spray neither or only one of the oil emulsion drift reduction adjuvant and the spontaneous emulsion drift reduction adjuvant.

Abstract: Methods of extracting DNA from soil involve lysing microbial cells contained within the soil by mixing it with an extraction buffer containing cetrimonium bromide (cTAB). The cTAB helps reduce or eliminate high levels of humic acid often present within the soil, which interferes with processes including PCR. Methods further involve binding DNA lysed from the microbial cells and then bound to a silica substrate, washing non-DNA debris from the silica substrate, eluting the DNA from the substrate, and eluting the isolated DNA in an elution buffer. Example methods may involve extracting microbial DNA from a plurality of soil samples. Such methods involve adding soil samples into separate wells within a multi-well plate, lysing microbial cells within the samples using an extraction buffer, binding the microbial DNA released from the cells to silica particles, washing non-DNA debris from the silica particles, and separating the DNA from the silica particles.

Abstract: Methods of improving plant growth involve applying a first growth composition to a plant or part thereof during a first growth stage. The first growth composition includes a first active component combination comprised of auxin, gibberellin and cytokinin. The amount of cytokinin is less than the amount of auxin and gibberellin. The method also involves adjusting the amount of auxin, the amount of gibberellin, and/or the amount of cytokinin after the first growth stage, and applying a second growth composition to the plant or part thereof during a second growth stage. The second growth composition can include a second active component combination, different than the first, that includes a second amount of auxin, a second amount of gibberellin, and a second amount of cytokinin. In some examples, the method can also involve growing the plant to maturity, thereby improving growth of the plant.

Abstract: A method to reduce bag rupture in a spray dispensed from a nozzle involves detecting one or more bags rupturing from an initial spray pattern of the spray dispensed from the nozzle, the one or more bags comprising a thin membraned semi-spherical protrusion extending from the spray, where the initial spray pattern is a region of the spray initially exiting the nozzle that forms a continuous sheet-like portion. The spray includes an agricultural spray including water, at least one polymer, and at least one perforation-aid type adjuvant. The agricultural spray exhibits fewer fine droplets exhibiting a diameter less than about 150 ?m formed via the bag rupture approach to droplet formation.