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Is There A Need For Tailored Graduate Programs For International Students?, K. T. Oduor, Lynn E. Sollenberger, J. Dubeux, L. M. D. Queiroz Feb 2024

Is There A Need For Tailored Graduate Programs For International Students?, K. T. Oduor, Lynn E. Sollenberger, J. Dubeux, L. M. D. Queiroz

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

International studies often present opportunities for capacity development and mentorship for students to equip them with the knowledge and skills to address the challenges in their home countries. Typically, international graduate students are drawn from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds different from those in their host countries. Adjusting to these changes might be challenging and time-consuming, thus influencing their academic journey. Understanding these challenges might provide international students the opportunity to address them in time and, where possible, seek help. In this paper, we discuss some graduate program-related challenges international students face and provide potential recommendations that might result in …


Sunn Hemp As An Alternative Forage In The Texas High Plains Region, S. A. O’Shaughnessy, H. M. Mosqueda, D. K. Brauer Feb 2024

Sunn Hemp As An Alternative Forage In The Texas High Plains Region, S. A. O’Shaughnessy, H. M. Mosqueda, D. K. Brauer

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Forage production in the Texas High Plains, a semi-arid region, is critical to sustain the local cattle industry. However, the main source of water for irrigation is the highly depleted Ogallala Aquifer, making forage crop water productivity (CWP) of high importance. In this one-year study, three types of forages were cultivated under deficit irrigation treatments of 80% and 50% of full crop water use. The forages were: a non-brown midrib forage sorghum; a legume, sunn hemp; and a sorghum/sunn hemp mix. The experiment was conducted in Bushland, Texas in 2019. Treatment plots were arranged in a split plot design with …


Differences In Carbon Sequestration And Water Use Between A Semi-Arid Native Grassland And Encroaching Vachellia Karroo Woodland, C. Weideman, A. R. Palmer, G. Carolyn, Kathleen Smart Feb 2024

Differences In Carbon Sequestration And Water Use Between A Semi-Arid Native Grassland And Encroaching Vachellia Karroo Woodland, C. Weideman, A. R. Palmer, G. Carolyn, Kathleen Smart

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Tree and shrub encroachment and proliferation in global grasslands and savannas is widely considered to imply a trade-off between ecosystem C and H2O regulating functions, based on the premise that increased C sequestration associated with higher woody biomass ostensibly drive declines in water production through concomitant increases in evapotranspiration (ET), but evidence for this across climatic and environmental gradients is equivocal. To evaluate these claims, we ran a paired eddy covariance experiment in a native semi-arid C4 grassland and adjacent encroaching Vachellia karroo woodland on the eastern seaboard of South Africa and compared ecosystem C and H2O budgets over nearly …


Contribute To A Definition Of Extensive Grazing (Mediterranean), J. Potes, J. P. F. Almeida, C. Matos, A. Teixeira Feb 2024

Contribute To A Definition Of Extensive Grazing (Mediterranean), J. Potes, J. P. F. Almeida, C. Matos, A. Teixeira

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The subject of this paper is a definition of Extensive Grazing from Extensive Systems of Animal Production in Mediterranean environments. The edaphoclimatic characterization is essential to understand the low level of primary productivity as a consequence of irregular precipitation over the year and its absence during the long, dry and hot summer. The powerless of soils justify the limited contribution of plants and make clear the necessary recovery of the soil and storage of water naturally (soil) or artificially (irrigation). Considering the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) definition of extensive grazing it has been used the …


Soil Carbon Monitoring Program For Ranches In Dryland Ecosystems, David E. Prado-Tarango, S. Ates, J. Talbot Feb 2024

Soil Carbon Monitoring Program For Ranches In Dryland Ecosystems, David E. Prado-Tarango, S. Ates, J. Talbot

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Implementation of ranching practices that lead to greater soil carbon sequestration has become increasingly important due to rising atmospheric CO2 levels. Sustainable ranching practices are suggested to improve soil health and sequester more carbon in the soil. However, there is a paucity of measured data from replicated on-farm studies to support this premise. Thus, we developed a soil carbon monitoring program for a ranch located in the state of Oregon. Our monitoring program is focused on measuring the net carbon budget and the soil carbon sequestration totals. To achieve this goal, we combined field-sampling data with the COMET-Farm model. A …


Answering Complex Questions As We Make Headway On Annual Grasses And Fire, T. Prather, L. Jones, E. Strand, G. Harrison, K. Johnston Feb 2024

Answering Complex Questions As We Make Headway On Annual Grasses And Fire, T. Prather, L. Jones, E. Strand, G. Harrison, K. Johnston

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Annual grasses challenge our ability to meet forage production and plant community conservation objectives. Direct competition, potential mutualism, and shortened fire return interval interplay resulting in complexity of how to meet challenges we face. Bromus tectorum presents challenges to sagebrush dominated plant communities with shortened fire return intervals and the advancing invasion of Ventenata dubia poses threats to forage production through competitive interactions that may involve mutualism to enhance V. dubia’s invasion of annual and perennial grass dominated plant communities. Use of fuel breaks can reduce the extent of fires and their proper function hinges on their reduced plant biomass …


Rangeland Devastated By Invasive Annual Grass, H. E. Quicke Feb 2024

Rangeland Devastated By Invasive Annual Grass, H. E. Quicke

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

This paper serves as an introduction to the thematic session on protection and restoration of western US rangelands. Exotic annual grass species have steadily invaded western US rangeland for decades. More recently, the problem of invasive annual grasses received national attention with multiple stakeholders working together under the auspices of Western Governors’ Association to develop a common strategy to fight back.


Preventing Conversion To A Highly Degraded Invasive Dominated System, C. V. Ransom Feb 2024

Preventing Conversion To A Highly Degraded Invasive Dominated System, C. V. Ransom

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Invasive annual grasses (IAG) negatively impact rangeland across the Western US. Within the Intermountain Region, downy brome, Japanese brome, medusahead, and ventenata are among the most prevalent invasive annual grass species. Research conducted at Utah State University has addressed numerous approaches to IAG management as well investigating restoration strategies of highly degraded sites. Under harsh climates common to the Western US, restoration has been extremely challenging, causing focus to shift towards prioritizing the protection of existing desirable plant communities. In either restoration or plant community protection approaches, annual rainfall is the largest driver of success. Changes or shifts in plant …


Red Deer Browsing Decelerates Shrub Regrowth Despite Increasing Wolf Presence, F. Riesch, C. Raab, Bettina Tonn, N. Gerber, M. Zetsche, J. Signer, Marcus Meißner, Sven Herzog, Niko Balkenhol, Johannes Isselstein Feb 2024

Red Deer Browsing Decelerates Shrub Regrowth Despite Increasing Wolf Presence, F. Riesch, C. Raab, Bettina Tonn, N. Gerber, M. Zetsche, J. Signer, Marcus Meißner, Sven Herzog, Niko Balkenhol, Johannes Isselstein

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Semi-natural open habitats in Europe have been shaped by traditional land use practices, such as extensive mowing or livestock grazing. However, socio-economic transformations have led to the abandonment of many grassland and heathland areas and conservation management is now required to maintain these biodiverse habitats. Grazing by wild red deer (Cervus elaphus) can be a convenient alternative to laborious mechanical management or livestock grazing. Yet it remains unclear if free-ranging ungulates can counteract shrub growth sufficiently to maintain open habitats—especially with natural predators, i.e. wolves (Canis lupus), recolonizing Europe. To assess red deer effects on shrub …


Using Recurrent Phenotypical Selection To Improve Drought Tolerance Of Red Clover, M. Sahin, S. Reid, E. Sahin, S. Ates, S. Elias, David B. Hannaway Feb 2024

Using Recurrent Phenotypical Selection To Improve Drought Tolerance Of Red Clover, M. Sahin, S. Reid, E. Sahin, S. Ates, S. Elias, David B. Hannaway

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Red clover is one of the most important forage legumes in the world. It is utilized extensively in European and North American farming systems. Approximately, 4 million hectares of red clover are grown globally each year for forage production, soil improvement, and as a pollen and nectar source for pollinators (Riday, 2010). In North America, red clover is widely used in temperate regions for pasture, hay, and silage in combination with grasses for soil improvement and as a pollen and nectar source for bumblebees (Bombus). In the northwest, it is also grown for seed production (Anderson et al., 2016) with …


Legumes As A Biological Tool To Address The Sustainability Of Ruminant Production Systems, H. Sheridan, M. B. Lynch Feb 2024

Legumes As A Biological Tool To Address The Sustainability Of Ruminant Production Systems, H. Sheridan, M. B. Lynch

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Growing public concern regarding accelerated rates of climate change, the depletion and degradation of natural resources such as biodiversity water and soils, coupled with policy commitments to address these challenges, are placing increasing pressures to enhance sustainability metrics associated with agriculture in general, and ruminant production systems in particular. At EU and indeed global scale, there has probably never before been so many potentially conflicting challenges for agriculture. On one hand, agricultural systems need to produce more, to feed the increasing global human population, while at the same time being much less reliant on economically and environmentally costly chemical inputs …


How Do Artemisia Capillaris Population Respond To Grazing Management And Rain Reduction?, Li-Yuan Shi, Fu-Jiang Hou, Zhen Wang Feb 2024

How Do Artemisia Capillaris Population Respond To Grazing Management And Rain Reduction?, Li-Yuan Shi, Fu-Jiang Hou, Zhen Wang

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Climate and human activities, such as drought event and livestock grazing, generally coupled to influence the structure and function of grassland ecosystems. However, most of previous studies focused on the isolated effects of grazing or drought on grassland ecosystems, with little attention paid to the combined effects of them. Further, we know little about how plants respond to grazing and drought at the population level. We conducted a grazing regime (enclosure, stop grazing, and heavy grazing) and drought manipulation experiment in a typical steppe to explore how grassland plants response to ongoing drought and grazing regimes at the population level. …


Development Of Forage Curriculum For Extension Educators In The Southeast Usa, L. S. Silva, L. Dillard, K. Mullenix, M. Wallau, J. J. Tucker, C. Vasco Feb 2024

Development Of Forage Curriculum For Extension Educators In The Southeast Usa, L. S. Silva, L. Dillard, K. Mullenix, M. Wallau, J. J. Tucker, C. Vasco

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In the Southeast USA, livestock production is one of the largest agricultural activities, and forages are the primary feed source. Most livestock systems are highly dependent on off-farm inputs to support forage production and animal performance, which elevates production costs and the activity's carbon footprint. There is a strong need to develop forage educational resources to enhance productivity, environmental sustainability, resilience, and profitability of agricultural systems in the region. This multi-disciplinary initiative was a collaboration among several land-grant Universities across the region. The objective was to develop decision tools and provide in-classroom training associated with hands-on demonstrations to Extension agents …


Isolation And Culture Of Epichloё Sp. For Re-Infection Of Endophyte-Free Southeastern Wildrye (Elymus Glabriflorus), B. J. Haile, J. I. Morrison Feb 2024

Isolation And Culture Of Epichloё Sp. For Re-Infection Of Endophyte-Free Southeastern Wildrye (Elymus Glabriflorus), B. J. Haile, J. I. Morrison

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Mutualistic relationships between endophytic fungi and grasses have shown to improve the hardiness of the host. This relationship is common in grasses, including native cool-season grasses that are important in both forage and grassland ecosystems. Elymus genus members, such as Canada wildrye (CAWR), commonly host the endophytic fungi, Epichloё, while southeastern wildrye (SEWR) may not. In this study, seed of ten Elymus accessions and seed and leaves from local SEWR were assessed for endophyte infection. Infection status was confirmed via seed squash and leaf peel techniques and assessed using microscopy. Seed of one SEWR and nine CAWR accessions were assessed …


Virtual Fencing Predictable For Cattle? A Simple Method To Test Whether And How Fast Cattle Can Learn The Association Between Acoustic Signal And Electric Pulse, D. Hamidi, M. Komainda, N. Grinnell, L. Wilms, F. Reisch, J. Horn, M. Hamidi, J. Isselstein Feb 2024

Virtual Fencing Predictable For Cattle? A Simple Method To Test Whether And How Fast Cattle Can Learn The Association Between Acoustic Signal And Electric Pulse, D. Hamidi, M. Komainda, N. Grinnell, L. Wilms, F. Reisch, J. Horn, M. Hamidi, J. Isselstein

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Virtual fencing (VF) offers promising future prospects for improved grazing management as it has the potential to simplify fencing. VF lines are easily drawn and shifted via GPS coordinates. A VF collar emits an acoustic signal when the animal approaches the VF line. The signal stops immediately when the animal turns around. If the animal continues to move towards the VF line, a short electric pulse is emitted. A teaching and an operating mode are provided by the VF collars. The animals automatically change mode when they respond correctly to 20 consecutive acoustic signals without receiving an electric pulse. A …


More Than A Fencing System? Testing The Validity Of Virtual Fencing Collars For Animal Monitoring On Pasture, D. Hamidi, M. Komainda, N. Grinnell, F. Reisch, J. Horn, M. Hamidi, I. Traulsen, J. Isselstein Feb 2024

More Than A Fencing System? Testing The Validity Of Virtual Fencing Collars For Animal Monitoring On Pasture, D. Hamidi, M. Komainda, N. Grinnell, F. Reisch, J. Horn, M. Hamidi, I. Traulsen, J. Isselstein

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

High labour requirements for fencing and animal monitoring appear to be general obstacles for the wider use of pastureland for grazing livestock. Virtual fencing (VF) enables a less laborious pasture management. Fence lines can be easily drawn and moved using GPS data. The advantages of VF for reducing the labour inherent to controlled grazing management are obvious. Potential additional animal monitoring opportunities arising from such a VF system that uses real-time GPS data have not yet been studied. Lying is seen as an indicator for assessing comfort or restlessness of cattle. Therefore, we focus on lying behavior in this evaluation. …


Forage And Grazinglands Extension: Training The Next Generation Of Specialists, D. W. Hancock Feb 2024

Forage And Grazinglands Extension: Training The Next Generation Of Specialists, D. W. Hancock

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

This invited talk provides a perspective on what is required to excel in the role as an Extension Specialist. In the USA, most such Extension Specialists are tenure-track faculty, and have state-wide or even multi-state responsibilities. Advice is given on how to balance the high expectations of such a faculty appointment while providing appropriate recommendations to farmers/ranchers and service providers in the forage and grazinglands industry. This talk will offer one former Extension Specialist’s perspective on the skills, experience, and persona required to begin a successful career as a Forage and Grazinglands Extension Specialist. Additional exposition will be given on …


An Assessment Of Young Cattle Behaviour And Welfare In A Virtual Fencing System, C. Holohan, A. Gordon, R. Palme, S. Buijs, F. Lively Feb 2024

An Assessment Of Young Cattle Behaviour And Welfare In A Virtual Fencing System, C. Holohan, A. Gordon, R. Palme, S. Buijs, F. Lively

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Virtual fencing is a novel technology which uses a combination of audio and electrical stimuli to contain grazing livestock within a GPS boundary. There are however some concerns around the use of such a technology and its potential effects on the behaviour and welfare of animals. To investigate this, 64 dairy-origin calves were assigned to one of two treatments in a randomised complete block design, with 4 groups of 8 calves per treatment. The two treatments were virtual fencing (VF) and electric fencing (EF). The experimental period lasted 31 days in total, consisting of a 10 day training period and …


Herding Livestock – The Phoenix Rises From The Ashes? Digital Herding As A Future Tool For Grazing Livestock, J. Horn, R. Reisch, M. Komainda, P. Riedel, J. Isselstein Feb 2024

Herding Livestock – The Phoenix Rises From The Ashes? Digital Herding As A Future Tool For Grazing Livestock, J. Horn, R. Reisch, M. Komainda, P. Riedel, J. Isselstein

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Today, sustainable management of grazing livestock requires high efforts in management and fencing. Nowadays, several developments in digital technologies for herding grazing animals are arising. We conducted a systematic review on current developments in digital technologies for managing grazing animals within the landscape. We mainly focused on cattle (Bos taurus) and sheep (Ovis aries). We highlight the most promising developments of virtual fencing used in recent research to evaluate effectiveness, animal behaviour and welfare. Moreover, we highlight current research in digital herding by drones and robots. We discuss the potential and current limitations of digital tools …


Development Of Megathyrsus Maximus Genotypes For Intensification Of Cattle Rearing In Brazil, Liana Jank, M. F. Santos, Sanzio Carvalho Barrios, Cacilda Borges Do Valle, Rosangela Maria Simeão Feb 2024

Development Of Megathyrsus Maximus Genotypes For Intensification Of Cattle Rearing In Brazil, Liana Jank, M. F. Santos, Sanzio Carvalho Barrios, Cacilda Borges Do Valle, Rosangela Maria Simeão

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Megathyrsus maximus is a forage species used over 30 million hectares in Brazil and in the surrounding countries for intensification of the cattle production systems. Due to the large area and distinct biomes in which it is used, there is a need to continuously develop more productive and adapted cultivars to each biome and use. Three apomictic accessions were crossed with five sexual plants at Embrapa Beef Cattle in Campo Grande, MS, Brazil in 2014. More than 1100 hybrids were planted in a spaced-plant field and evaluated visually for regrowth after cuts and for disease and pest damage. In 2016, …


Scaled Datasets Through Leveraging Technology Better Represent Plant Communities Classified Within National Land Cover Database (Nlcd), D. M. Johnston, D. B. Murray, Y. Y. Tsang Feb 2024

Scaled Datasets Through Leveraging Technology Better Represent Plant Communities Classified Within National Land Cover Database (Nlcd), D. M. Johnston, D. B. Murray, Y. Y. Tsang

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Technological advances in remote sensing have allowed for access to and application of large- scale datasets of plant communities using cover classification and chlorophyll content measurement with the use of multispectral sensors and vegetation indices. The United States’ primary remote sensing platform Landsat Thematic Mapper is a series of satellites providing 30-meter resolution imagery of the Earth’s surface. Efforts have been made to best utilize Landsat derivative National Land Cover Database (NLCD) datasets and provide spatial resolution commensurate with the needs of plant ecologists and range managers. However, usage of 30-meter spatial resolution imagery and indices does not allow detection …


Heavy Grazing Significantly Reduced The Temporal Stability Of Aboveground Biomass, X. Ju, T. T. Shen, Q. Wu, G. D. Han Feb 2024

Heavy Grazing Significantly Reduced The Temporal Stability Of Aboveground Biomass, X. Ju, T. T. Shen, Q. Wu, G. D. Han

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The stability of a plant community is the embodiment of the dynamic balance achieved by the interaction between populations in the form of competition or mutual benefit. Temporal stability refers to the ratio of the average value to the variance of the biomass of the population or community. For grassland ecosystems, the stability of the grassland plant community is the basis for its survival and functional performance, and is the key factor affecting its structure and function. In order to study the impact of grazing on the temporal stability of aboveground biomass of desert steppe, this study used a completely …


Migration And Colonization Characteristics Of Endophytic Tracer Rhizobia To The Reproductive Organs Of Alfalfa, W. J. Kang, S. L. Shi, Y. T. Zhang, L. Y. Chen Feb 2024

Migration And Colonization Characteristics Of Endophytic Tracer Rhizobia To The Reproductive Organs Of Alfalfa, W. J. Kang, S. L. Shi, Y. T. Zhang, L. Y. Chen

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Legume seeds are the product of long-term natural selection and the co-evolution of rhizobia and seeds. They are more competitive than the native rhizobia in constructing symbiotic nitrogen-fixing systems with host plants. However, the paths and impact factors of rhizobia invasion and migration in plants, as well as colonization in seeds, are unclear. Here, alfalfa cultivars WL343HQ and Gannong 5, and three cyan fluorescent protein-tagged rhizobia (FTR), 3436f, 12531f and gn5f were used as materials. The effects of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4) and fulvic acid (FA) on the migration and colonization of FTR in the reproductive organs of field plants …


Spring Grass Availability And Silage Supplementation Impact On Dry Matter Intake And Enteric Methane Emissions In Grazing Dairy Cattle, M. Kennedy, S. Walsh, T. M. Boland, M. Egan Feb 2024

Spring Grass Availability And Silage Supplementation Impact On Dry Matter Intake And Enteric Methane Emissions In Grazing Dairy Cattle, M. Kennedy, S. Walsh, T. M. Boland, M. Egan

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Enteric methane (CH4) emissions were measured in forty spring calving cows offered one of two (n=20) contrasting diets (High Grass; HG, Low Grass; LG) over 10 weeks in early lactation (8th February – 18th April 2021). All cows were blocked for breed and parity and balanced on milk production, economic breeding index (EBI), bodyweight and body condition score and randomly allocated to treatments. The HG grazing treatment cows were offered their full daily nutrient requirement from grazed grass and concentrate with no silage supplementation. The LG grazing treatment cows were offered a restricted (~60%) amount of their daily nutrient requirement …


Role Of Social Media And Digital Resources In Extension, L. L. Baxter Feb 2024

Role Of Social Media And Digital Resources In Extension, L. L. Baxter

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Social media and digital resources can be powerful tools for Extension personnel as they can enable forage-livestock researchers and Extension specialists to connect with a wide audience of producers, Extension personnel, colleagues, and industry partners. Online platforms that provide a space for Extension personnel to deliver timely information and digital resources have been critical for continuing producer education in today’s environment. This presentation in the thematic session on “Understanding the role of social media and digital resources in forage education and promotion” will focus on the role social media and digital resources play in Extension. There are a host of …


Creating An Educational Experience That Fosters Diversity And Inclusion, M. M. Kohmann Feb 2024

Creating An Educational Experience That Fosters Diversity And Inclusion, M. M. Kohmann

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Demographic, intellectual, and individual diversity have been linked to increase in innovation, problem-solving, critical thinking, and economic gains. However, there are multiple challenges associated with recruiting, retaining, and advancing underrepresented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Studies have indicated negative implicit bias against women and minorities in terms of their perceived competence, worthiness to be hired, and payment irrespective to their qualification. Additionally, lack of mentoring and access to personal capital often hinder students’ academic advancement in STEM. However, there have been multiple intentional, recent efforts to increase and foster diversity in sciences. Some of the most effective …


Modeling The Biomass Production Of Grasslands Of Wallonia According To Their Functional Type, U. Kokah Essomandan, D. Knoden, B. Dumont, J. Bindelle Feb 2024

Modeling The Biomass Production Of Grasslands Of Wallonia According To Their Functional Type, U. Kokah Essomandan, D. Knoden, B. Dumont, J. Bindelle

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Permanent grasslands are complex ecosystems which respond with a great variability - in terms of specific richness - to soil type and management strategies. Modelling is a valuable tool to explore these relationships. Our work consisted in adapting the Moorepark St Gilles grass growth model (MoSt GG) designed to model Lolium perenne plant functional type (PFT) pastures (PFT A) to a different PFT (Dactylis glomerata, PFT B) through literature-based parametrization. The model was evaluated under Walloon (Belgium) conditions using growth trials from 2014 to 2018 in two sites with contrasting pedo-climatic conditions. Three to five cuts were performed …


Assessment Of Soil Structure And Root Patterns By Means Of Micro-X-Ray Computed Tomography In Temperate Grassland Sites, K. Kuka, M. Joschko Feb 2024

Assessment Of Soil Structure And Root Patterns By Means Of Micro-X-Ray Computed Tomography In Temperate Grassland Sites, K. Kuka, M. Joschko

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Grassland sites are important ecosystems delivering essential ecosystem services such as carbon storage and filtering of water. Adequate management necessitates a better understanding of soil ecological processes in grassland ecosystems. Of special interest is the relationship between soil structure and root development. In a project within the Biodiversity Exploratory Initiative (http://www.biodiversity-exploratories.de), undisturbed soil cores from 31 grassland plots from Swabian Alb Biodiversity exploratory in Germany were investigated by means of X-ray micro computed tomography. This allows the simultaneous determination of soil physical and root parameters in one sample. VG StudioMax® version 2.1 was used to apply a combination of histogram …


Spatio-Temporal Dynamics Of The Dual-Purpose Cattle Value Chain In The Colombian Amazonas, A. Leinert, S. Burkart Feb 2024

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics Of The Dual-Purpose Cattle Value Chain In The Colombian Amazonas, A. Leinert, S. Burkart

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The cattle sector plays an important role in the economy of the Caquetá department, located in the Colombian Amazon. However, the predominantly extensive production system is associated with low productivity and negative environmental impacts, such as land degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, and deforestation. Efforts to introduce improved practices (e.g., improved forages or silvopastoral systems) have been made over the last decades, but adoption rates remain low. Though several studies have analyzed the cattle value chain (VC) to enhance the understanding of adoption barriers, the heterogeneity of farmers has been considered only marginally when trying to explain their adoption behavior. To …


Predicting Forage Provision Of Grasslands Across Climate Zones By Hyperspectral Measurements, F. A. Männer, J. Muro, J. Ferner, S. Schmidtlein, A. Linstädter Feb 2024

Predicting Forage Provision Of Grasslands Across Climate Zones By Hyperspectral Measurements, F. A. Männer, J. Muro, J. Ferner, S. Schmidtlein, A. Linstädter

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The potential of grasslands’ fodder production is a crucial management measure, while its quantification is still laborious and costly. Remote sensing technologies, such as hyperspectral field measurements, enable fast and non-destructive estimation. However, such methods are still limited in transferability to other locations or climatic conditions. With this study, we aim to predict forage nutritive value, quantity, and energy yield from hyperspectral canopy reflections of grasslands across three climate zones. We took hyperspectral measurements with a field spectrometer from grassland canopies in temperate, tropical and semi-arid grasslands, and analyzed corresponding biomass samples for their quantity (BM), metabolizable energy content (ME) …