Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Poultry Litter Application On Agricultural Production: A Meta-Analysis Of Crop Yield, Nutrient Uptake And Soil Fertility, Yaru Lin, Edzard Van Santen, Dexter Watts

Conference on Applied Statistics in Agriculture

Meta-analysis is a statistical technique used to analyze large datasets containing results from numerous individual studies. It appears to be a promising approach in agricultural sciences. This study aimed to conduct a meta-analytic assessment to elucidate the influence of poultry litter (PL) application on crop yield, plant nutrient uptake, and soil fertility as compared to inorganic fertilizer (IF). A meta-analysis based on 116 studies (111 refereed articles and five unpublished data sets) with 2293 observations compared agronomic responses to PL and IF application. The natural log of the response ratio was used as effect size (ES) to express differences in …

The Community Garden: Addressing Food Security & Much More!, Linda I. Teener

Center for Engagement and Community Development

The Manhattan Community Garden, sponsored by the UFM Community Learning Center, has been a centerpiece of the city for over 42 years, making it the oldest community garden in Kansas. In 2015, the 283 plots of land were gardened by 183 families. Despite its contribution to self-sustaining community food security, the Manhattan garden provide space for mentorship, social interaction among community members, and education for children on nutrition and biology.

Building Resiliency Through Local Food System Development, Marlin A. Bates

Center for Engagement and Community Development

Parts of Northeast Kansas enjoy relatively mature local food systems. Most of our local food producers rely on direct-to-consumer markets for their products, and some concerns are beginning to emerge over saturation of some of these markets. Local food systems have been lauded nationwide as an economic development tool for communities large and small. Increasing the abundance of food grown locally also has implications on regional food security. Investment in programs that enhance local food systems is justifiable due to the economic, social, and environmental benefits that these systems strengthen. Whether local food systems are mature or in their infancy, …

Principles Of Biology, Robert Bear, David Rintoul, Bruce Snyder, Martha Smith-Caldas, Christopher Herren, Eva Horne

Open Access Textbooks

This textbook is designed specifically for Kansas State's Biology 198 Class. The course is taught using the studio approach and based on active learning. The studio manual contains all of the learning objectives for each class period and is the record of all student activities. Hence, this textbook is more of a reference tool while the studio manual is the learning tool.

The textbook was originally published and is also available to download at http://cnx.org/contents/db89c8f8-a27c-4685-ad2a-19d11a2a7e2e@24.1.It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 license.

Soil Microbial Activity With Depth In Claypan Soils Of Southeast Kansas, C. J. Hsiao, Gretchen Sassenrath, Charles Rice, L. Zeglin, G. Hettiarachchi

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Enzyme activities in soil indicate the relative activities of microbes, which include bacteria, fungi, algae, and other organisms. Changes in soil management alter the composition and activity of soil microbes. Plants rely on soil microbes to break down soil nutrients, and make those nutrients available for plant growth. Symbiotic relationships between soil microbes and plants enhance plant growth and productivity. Alternatively, antagonistic relationships between the soil microbial community and plants limit plant production. Soil dwellers such as nematodes or disease-causing fungi such asMacrophomina phaseolina(the fungus responsible for charcoal rot) can be particularly deleterious to crop growth and yield. …

Kansas River Valley Experiment Field, Eric Adee

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The Kansas River Valley Experiment Field was established to study management and effective use of irrigation resources for crop production in the Kansas River Valley (KRV). The Paramore Unit consists of 80 acres located 3.5 miles east of Silver Lake on U.S. Highway 24, then 1 mile south of Kiro, and 1.5 miles east on 17th street. The Rossville Unit consists of 80 acres located 1 mile east of Rossville or 4 miles west of Silver Lake on U.S. Highway 24.

Tillage Study For Corn And Soybeans: Comparing Vertical, Deep, And No-Till, Eric Adee

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The need for tillage in corn and soybean production in the Kansas River Valley continues to be debated. The soils of the Kansas River Valley are highly variable, with much of the soil sandy to silty loam in texture. These soils tend to be relatively low in organic matter (<2%) and susceptible to wind erosion. Although typically well drained, these soils can develop compaction layers under certain conditions. A tillage study was initiated in the fall of 2011 at the Kansas River Valley Experiment Field near Topeka to compare deep vs. shallow vs. no-till vs. deep tillage in alternate years. Corn and soybean crops will be rotated annually. This is intended to be a long-term study to determine if soil characteristics and yields change in response to a history of each tillage system.

2015 Kansas Winter Annual Forage Variety Trial, J. D. Holman, T. Roberts, S. Maxwell

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 16 winter annual forage varieties were tested for performance near Garden City, KS, at the Southwest Research-Extension Center in 2014-2015. Winter crops evaluated included wheat, triticale, and cereal rye.

Wheat Stubble Height On Subsequent Corn And Grain Sorghum Crops, A. Schlegel

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A field study initiated in 2006 was designed to evaluate the effects of three wheat stubble heights on subsequent grain yields of corn and grain sorghum. Corn and sorghum yields in 2015 were greater than the long-term average. When averaged from 2007 through 2015, corn grain yields were 10 bu/a greater when planted into either high or strip-cut stubble than into low-cut stubble. Average grain sorghum yields were 6 bu/a greater in high-cut stubble than low-cut stubble. Similarly, water use efficiency was greater for high or strip-cut stubble for corn and high-cut stubble for grain sorghum. Harvesting wheat shorter than …

Fallow Weed Control With Preemergence Applications Of Balance Pro, Corvus, Banvel, Atrazine, And Authority Mtz, R. Currie, P. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Atrazine alone applied in the fall was less effective for kochia and Russian thistle control than other fall- or spring-applied herbicides in early summer. In mid season, control of kochia and Russian thistle was 85% or less with all fall-applied herbicides. Banvel (dicamba) increased kochia control when added to Balance Pro (isoxaflutole), plus Autumn Super (iodosulfuron + thiencarbazone), plus atrazine applied in the spring at mid season. All other spring herbicides were similar for kochia control. Russian thistle control was similar among all spring-applied herbicides except atrazine plus Banvel.

Effects Of Intensive Late-Season Sheep Grazing Following Early-Season Steer Grazing On Population Dynamics Of Sericea Lespedeza In The Kansas Flint Hills, J. Lemmon, W. H. Fick, J. A. Alexander, G. W. Preedy, C. A. Gurule, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata; SL) is a high-tannin, invasive forb in the Tallgrass Prairie ecosystem. In Kansas, sericea lespedeza infests 980 square miles of pasture, primarily in the Flint Hills region. Sericea lespedeza infestations reduce native grass production by up to 92% through a combination of aggressive growth, prolific reproduction, canopy dominance, and chemical inhibition (allelopathy). Herbicides retard the spread of sericea lespedeza, but application is laborious and expensive; moreover, herbicides are lethal to ecologically-important, non-target plant species.

Increased grazing pressure on sericea lespedeza by domestic herbivores may slow its spread and facilitate some measure of biological control. …

Effects Of Various Grazing Systems On Grazing And Subsequent Finishing Performance, L. W. Lomas, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 240 mixed black yearling steers were used to compare grazing and subsequent finishing performance from pastures with ‘MaxQ’ tall fescue, a wheat-bermudagrass double-crop system, or a wheat-crabgrass double-crop system in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Daily gains of steers that grazed MaxQ fescue, wheatbermudagrass, or wheat-crabgrass were similar (P>0.05) in 2010. The daily gains of steers that grazed wheat-bermudagrass or wheat-crabgrass were greater (P>0.05) than those that grazed MaxQ fescue in 2011 and 2012. The daily gains of steers that grazed wheat-crabgrass were greater (P>0.05) than those that grazed wheat-bermudagrass and similar …

Improving Corn Production In Southeast Kansas, Gretchen Sassenrath, D. E. Shoup, X. Lin, J. Coltrain, J. Geren, D. Helwig

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Corn performance and yield varies as a function of the growing environment and soil properties. Components contributing to yield in corn were examined through on-farm measurements of soil properties in southeast Kansas. Environmental variability between the 2013, 2014, and 2015 growing seasons contributed to changes in yield. Management can also impact the amount of harvested yield.

Development Of Cold Hardy, Large Patch Resistant Zoysiagrass Cultivars For The Transition Zone, Mingying Xiang, J. Fry, M. Kennelly

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

TAES 5645, aZ. japonicagenotype that exhibited resistance to large patch in preliminary studies, was used as a breeding parent and crossed with 22 cold hardy zoysiagrasses, resulting in 985 progeny. These progeny were evaluated for cold hardiness and agronomic traits (establishment rate, overall quality, spring greenup, leaf texture, and genetic color) in Manhattan, KS; West Lafayette, IN; and Dallas, TX; from 2012 to 2014. From this work, 60 progeny were identified for further evaluation in larger plots. During the 2015-2016 establishment year, experimental line 6102-47 showed good vigor and spring green up rate, which is comparable to ‘Meyer,’ …

Tillage And Nitrogen Placement Effects On Yields In A Short-Season Corn/Wheat/Double-Crop Soybean Rotation, D. W. Sweeney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

(Abstract only. Link to: http://newprairiepress.org/kaesrr/vol1/iss4/2/) Article is nearly identical toTillage and Nitrogen Placement Effects on Yields in a Short-Season Corn/Wheat/Double-Crop Soybean Rotationpreviously published in Southeast Agricultural Research Center 2015.

Overall in 2014, adding nitrogen (N) improved average wheat yields, but different N placement methods resulted in similar yields. Double-crop soybean yields were unaffected by tillage or the residual from N treatments that were applied to the previous wheat crop.

Fallow Weed Control With Postemergence Applications Of Agh15004, Ag14039, Roundup Powermax, And Atrazine, R. Currie, P. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

All treatments except AGH15004 at 1.5 pt/a plus Roundup PowerMax (glyphosate) and nonionic surfactant provided more than 95% kochia control at 14 days after treatment (DAT). By 28 DAT, only those treatments containing atrazine provided greater than 95% kochia control. However, kochia control at 42 DAT was greater than 90% with all treatments except Roundup PowerMax plus nonionic surfactant.

Sorghum Yield Response To Water Supply And Irrigation Management, I. Kisekka, F. Lamm, A. Schlegel

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Grain sorghum yield, under full and limited irrigation, was evaluated at three locations in western Kansas (Colby, Tribune, and Garden City). The top-end yield under full ir­rigation was 190 bu/a. However, there were no significant differences among irrigation treatments at all the three locations due to the above normal rainfall received during the 2015 growing season. These preliminary results indicate that there is potential to improve grain sorghum yields under limited irrigation. Additionally, best management practices to maximize kernels per head could have the greatest effect on grain yields.

Including Legumes In Bermudagrass Pastures, J. L. Moyer, L. W. Lomas

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Use of legumes in bermudagrass pastures has often increased summer cow gains. Forage production was greater where ladino clover was used in the Legume system than where Nitrogen (N) alone was used in the first sampling, but the reverse was true in midsummer. Estimated forage crude protein during 2015 was greater for the Legume than the Nitrogen system in the first and last samplings, but similar in mid-summer pasture. Cow performance over the season was increased 68% where legumes were used.

N, P, And K Fertilization For Newly Established Tall Fescue, D. W. Sweeney, J. L. Moyer, J. K. Farney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Second-year production of tall fescue was affected by nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization rates at Site 1 in 2014 and only by N fertilization rates at Site 2 in 2015, with little effect from potassium (K) fertilization at either site.

2013 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program Bermudagrass Test: 2015 Data, L. Parsons, J. Griffin, J. Hoyle

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Kansas represents the northernmost region in the central United States where bermudagrass can be successfully grown as a perennial turfgrass. Historically, few cultivars that have both acceptable quality and adequate cold-tolerance have been available to local growers. Because new introductions are continually being selected for improved hardiness and quality, both seeded and vegetative types need regular evaluation to determine their long-range suitability for use in Kansas.

Seeding Date Effects On Camelina Seed Yield And Quality Traits, E. Obeng, A. Obour, N. O. Nelson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

An alternative crop with potential for dryland crop production in the Great Plains is camelina (Camelina sativaL.Crantz). Time of planting is an important management consideration that can affect camelina production. A study was carried out in the spring of 2013, 2014, and 2015 to evaluate seeding date effects on spring camelina varieties grown under dryland conditions in western Kansas. Three spring varieties (Blaine Creek, Pronghorn, and Shoshone) were planted at three seeding dates: early (April 3, 2013; March 17, 2014; and March 18, 2015); mid (April 16, 2013; April 1, 2014; and April 1, 2015); …

Effects Of Growing-Season Prescribed Burning On Vigor Of The Noxious Weed Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza Cuneata) In The Kansas Flint Hills, J. A. Alexander, W. H. Fick, J. Lemmon, C. A. Gurule, G. W. Preedy, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Sericea lespedeza (SL) was introduced into the United States from Asia in the late 19th century. Early land managers recognized that SL was adaptable; tolerant of shallow, acidic or low-fertility soils; and resistant to insects and disease. This combination of traits made SL a widely-used plant for reseeding strip-mined lands, highway right-ofways, dams, and waterways in the US for nearly a century.

Regrettably, SL is highly fecund. Individual plants are capable of producing up to 850 lb of seed per acre annually. Vigorous seed production allows SL to rapidly infiltrate native grasslands that are adjacent to reseeding projects; seed can …

Old World Bluestem Seedling Emergence And Vegetative Cover Following Glyphosate Treatment, K. R. Harmoney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Old world bluestems (OWB) are perennial warm-season grasses introduced into the U.S. from parts of Asia, eastern Europe, Africa, and Australia. The two most common old world bluestem species found in Kansas are yellow bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum), otherwise known as King Ranch bluestem, and Caucasian bluestem (Bothriochloa bladhii). These grasses were introduced for soil conservation and forage production in arid regions of the southern Great Plains; however, in Kansas and elsewhere, they have escaped areas where planted and have been invading native rangelands and pastures that were old crop fields seeded back to native grasses. Efforts …

Ropewick Application To Control Old World Bluestems, K. R. Harmoney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Old world bluestems (OWB) were introduced into the United States in the early 1900s for conservation and forage purposes. The two main OWB species found throughout the southern Great Plains are Caucasian bluestem (Bothriochloa bladhii) and yellow or King Ranch bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum). These introduced OWB grasses are warm-season grasses with excellent persistence and production characteristics for regions with low rainfall. These grasses also produce abundant seed and establish more easily under arid conditions compared to some of our most common native warm-season grasses of the Great Plains. The characteristics that enable OWB to be well …

Control Of Individual Honey Locust Trees In Grazed Pasture, K. R. Harmoney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is a deciduous tree that produces large brown seed pods and thorny appendages, and is present throughout most of the US. The pods are highly nutritious for livestock and wildlife, and are easily spread by animals in dung pats. Honey locust is typically found in greatest concentrations in the central U.S. in the same general range as historical tallgrass prairie. Fire suppression and introduction of honey locust into shelter belts has allowed honey locust to increase into more arid regions associated with mixed grass prairie. When cut, honey locust is capable of producing abundant …

Evaluation Of Tall Fescue Cultivars, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Spring 2015 yield was higher for ‘Ky 31 EF’ than for nine of the 19 other entries. Summer production of ‘PBU-B7’ was greater than for five lower-yielding entries. Total 2015 production was greater for ‘PBU-B1’ and Ky 31 EF than for seven other cultivars.

Forage Production Of Hay-Type Sorghum Cultivars, J. L. Moyer, J. D. Holman

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Forage production was measured from three cuttings of 14 hay-type sorghum-sudan entries. Total annual yield was greater from ‘AS5201’, ‘Sweet Sioux WMR’, and ‘AS9302’ than from five lower-yielding cultivars.

Adaptability Of Miscanthus Cultivars For Biomass Production, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

In 2015, miscanthus dry matter (DM) did not differ between cultivars, averaging 10,250 lb DM/a. Total three-year production for the cultivars was also similar, averaging 26,170 lb/a.

Nitrogen Management For Teff Hay Production, D. H. Min, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Fertilization of teff with the ESN source of nitrogen (N) at the higher rates, 100 and 125 lb N/a resulted in increased seasonal forage production. The primary increase occurred in the second of three cuttings.

Tillage And Nitrogen Placement Effects On Yields In A Short-Season Corn/Wheat/Double-Crop Soybean Rotation, D. W. Sweeney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Conventional tillage resulted in greater corn yield in 2015 than with reduced tillage or no-till. A tillage × N fertilizer treatment interaction showed that N placement did not affect corn yield in conventional or reduced tillage systems, but subsurface knife N placement in no-till resulted in greater yield than when N was surface-applied.