Life Sciences Commons^™

Effectiveness Of Heat Detection Patches For Determining Cyclicity Status In Peripubertal Heifers, S. K. Johnson, J. R. Jaeger

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Response to most estrous synchronization programs is improved in cycling females, compared to pre-pubertal heifers or anestrus cows. Cycling status is often monitored for research purposes by measuring progesterone concentrations in serum. Producers may want to use information on cyclicity status when determining which estrous synchronization program to use or as a component of their heifer selection.

Heat detection patches are routinely used to aid or reduce time needed for heat detection. The most data on their use is for a 3 to 5-day period after estrous synchronization. Little information is available on retention of patches for longer time periods …

Using Estrus-Detection Patches To Vary Time Of Insemination Improves Pregnancy Rates Compared With One Single Timed Insemination, S. L. Hill, D. M. Grieger, K C. Olson, J. R. Jaeger, J. S. Stevenson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Timed artificial insemination (TAI) of beef cows at a predetermined time is a management tool that reduces labor costs associated with conventional heat detection before insemination. Multiple research trials have examined timing of the individual components of the developed protocols associated with TAI. The 7-day CO-Synch + progesterone insert (controlled internal drug release; CIDR) protocol has been shown to initiate ovulation effectively in cycling and noncycling suckled beef cows, often producing pregnancy rates greater than 50% in beef cows. In the current research, we examined using two targeted insemination intervals depending on the occurrence of estrus. We hypothesized that by …

Performance Of Beef Replacement Heifers Supplemented With Dried Distillers Grains Or A Mixture Of Soybean Meal And Ground Sorghum Grain, C. J. Mcmullen, J. R. Jaeger, K. R. Harmoney, J. W. Waggoner, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The feed, labor, and equipment costs of developing heifers in a confined feeding system are relatively high. High Plains beef producers can reduce input costs by developing heifers on dormant native range; however, heifers are typically unable to consume sufficient crude protein (CP) from the low-quality (<7% CP) forage base.

Insufficient dietary protein reduces forage digestion and performance potential of growing heifers. Supplementing protein when forage quality was poor has previously been reported to increase forage intake and forage digestibility, which resulted in acceptable levels of performance.

An efficient means of supplying supplemental protein to heifers consuming low-quality forage is through the use …

Effects Of Altering Supplementation Frequency During The Pre-Partum Period Of Beef Cows Grazing Dormant Native Range, C. J. Mcmullen, J. R. Jaeger, J. W. Waggoner, K. R. Harmoney, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Spring-calving beef cattle that are grazing low-quality (<7% crude protein) dormant forage typically are unable to meet their maintenance requirements for protein. Providing a protein supplement (>30% crude protein) is recommended to decrease losses of body weight and body condition. Nutrient supplementation when forage quality is poor or limited is one of the largest expenditures for forage-based beef cattle operations. The expansion of the ethanol industry has afforded many producers in corn and sorghum-producing regions an alternative to traditional oilseed-based protein supplements. The availability and nutrient profile of distiller’s grains with solubles (DDG) has made it popular as a supplement for cows that are grazing dormant low-quality forages.

Decreasing supplementation frequency reduces costs for labor and fuel. Previous …

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 …

Purpose, Acknowledgments, Contributors, K. R. Harmoney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Roundup is the major beef cattle education and outreach event sponsored by the Agricultural Research Center–Hays. The 2016 program is the 102nd staging of Roundup. The purpose is to communicate timely, applicable research information to producers and extension personnel.

The research program of the Agricultural Research Center–Hays is dedicated to serving the people of Kansas by developing new knowledge and technology to stabilize and sustain long-term production of food and fiber in a manner consistent with conservation of natural resources, protection of the environment, and assurance of food safety. Primary emphasis is on production efficiency through optimization of inputs in …

Director's Report Of Research In Kansas, 2015, J. E. Minton

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The 2015 Director’s Report of Research in Kansas includes a list of journal articles, station publications, and other published manuscripts from scientists in our departments, research stations, and associated programs.

Swine Day 2016 Full Report, R. D. Goodband, M. D. Tokach, S. S. Dritz, J. M. Derouchey, J. C. Woodworth

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

It is with great pleasure that we present the 2016 Swine Industry Day Report of Progress. This report contains updates and summaries of applied and basic research conducted at Kansas State University during the past year. We hope that the information will be of benefit as we attempt to meet the needs of the Kansas swine industry.

Assessing Training Methods To Educate Dairy Workers, L. Mendonca, B. E. Voelz, A. Scanavez

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Training employees is fundamental for dairy producers to achieve efficiency in order to increase profitability. Training videos offered online are becoming more common and recommended to train employees. The goals of this survey were to evaluate the comfort level of dairy employees in using computers and tablets, and preferred training delivery methods. A total of 71 employees from 6 dairies were interviewed. Interviews were conducted in the preferred language of the interviewee – English or Spanish. Of the respondents, 52 and 65.6% of employees consider computers and tablets easy to use, respectively. More than half of the employees reported that …

Evaluation Of Weather Information From On-Farm And Meteorological Stations To Assess Heat Stress In Dairy Cows In Southwest Kansas, A. Scanavez, L. Rocha, B. E. Voelz, L. Hulbert, L. Mendonca

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Heat stress represents a challenge for the dairy industry. In order for producers to implement appropriate management practices, it is crucial for researchers to assess the extent of heat stress to which cows are exposed during the summer. Temperaturehumidity index (THI) may be used to determine the severity of heat stress that cows are exposed to during the summer. The objective of this study was to evaluate climate conditions by calculating THI using information from: 1) an official meteorological station, 2) loggers at the pen-level, and 3) loggers at the cow-level from a commercial dairy located in southwest Kansas. Temperature-humidity …

Foreword, Dairy Research 2016, B. Bradford

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Kansas State University is pleased to present the 2016 Dairy Research Report of Progress.

Increasing Estrus Expression In Lactating Dairy Cows, J. A. Sauls, B. E. Voelz, J. Stevenson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This report summarizes the use of various hormones in an attempt to induce greater estrus expression of lactating dairy cows. Average detection of estrus (<50%) in most U.S. dairy herds has been identified as a problem limiting reproductive efficiency. Detection of estrus plays an important role in reproductive management in U.S. dairy herds despite the adoption of fixed-time artificial insemination programs. When estrus was detected by an activity monitoring system or a rump-mounted device, supplementing cows with progesterone before induction of luteolysis resulted in greater intensity of estrus when compared with controls. In addition, administering estradiol cypionate at 24 h after induced luteolysis resulted in greater frequency of estrus expression compared with cows treated with testosterone propionate or controls when assessed by an activity monitor. Activity monitoring systems achieved heat-detection rates of approximately 70% (80% with estradiol) and are likely cost effective for herds achieving less than that level of heat detection.

Additional Small Dose Of Prostaglandin F2Α At The Time Of Ai Fails To Improve Pregnancy Rates Of Lactating Dairy Cows, J. Stevenson, J. A. Sauls, L. Mendonca

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

In two experiments we tested the hypothesis that administering 10 mg of prostaglandin F_2α(PGF) to lactating dairy cows concurrent with timed artificial insemination would increase pregnancy outcome. In three herds with 2,135 inseminations, we failed to demonstrate a positive effect on pregnancy per AI. Although a trend was observed in experiment 1, with more cows in experiment 2, the PGF treatment failed to improve pregnancy outcomes.

Development Of A Berry Processing Score For Sorghum Silage, J. R. Johnson, J. P. Goeser, Michael Brouk

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study was done in an effort to develop a berry processing score (BPS) for sorghum silage, similar to the kernel processing score (KPS) currently used for corn silage. Sorghum silage samples were collected from 3 dairies in Kansas and processed in the Grain Science & Industry grain processing laboratory at Kansas State University using one of four different roll gap settings to give four differently processed samples: unprocessed, 1.5, 1.0, or 0.5 mm. After drying, samples were placed into a Ro-Tap particle separation machine for 10 minutes until the whole sample was separated. Whole samples, as well as separated …

Effects Of Dietary Zinc Source And Level On Mammary Epithelia And Dairy Food Chemistry, J. Shaffer, K. Pandalaneni, L. Mamedova, J. Defrain, J. Amamcharla, B. Bradford

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Twelve lactating Holstein cows (132 ± 21 days in milk) were enrolled in a Latin square experiment to explore the extent to which source and amount of supplemental dietary Zn can impact barrier function of mammary epithelial tissue. Cows received either 970 mg supplemental Zn/day as ZnSO₄(LS), 1,640 mg supplemental Zn/day as ZnSO₄(HS), or 1,680 mg supplemental Zn/day as a mixture of ZnSO₄and Zn methionine complex (HC). Treatments lasted for 17 days followed by 4 days of sample collection. Blood and milk were collected and analyzed for markers of blood-milk leak including plasma lactose …

Benchmarking Reproductive Efficiency And Transition Cow Health Of Kansas Dairy Herds, A. Scanavez, B. E. Voelz, L. Mendonca

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Comparing key performance indicators across dairy farms may provide insightful information to dairy producers. Differences in management philosophies, facilities, and locations of dairy farms may influence overall performance of dairy operations. An ongoing extension program aims to benchmark reproductive performance and transition cow health of dairy farms located in Kansas and adjacent states. In this report, we compiled data from 2013 to 2015 of herds enrolled in the program and divided the data in warm and cool seasons to evaluate the impact of heat stress on key performance indicators. Annual pregnancy risk and warm to cool ratio of pregnancy risk …

Effectiveness Of Two Ruminally Protected Methionine Sources For Lactating Dairy Cows, M. Ardalan, F. Vargas-Rodriguez, G. I. Zanton, M. Vázquez-Añón, E. Titgemeyer, B. Bradford

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Two sources of ruminally protected methionine were tested for their ability to provide available methionine to lactating dairy cattle. Based on milk protein yield and milk protein percent, NTP-1401 (an unreleased product from Novus International, Inc., St. Charles, MO) and Smartamine (Adisseo, αretta, GA) provided similar amounts of available methionine to the cows. These two products led to different methioninerelated compounds appearing in blood plasma, suggesting that they contained different methionine precursors.

Bioavailability Of Ruminally Or Abomasally Infused L-Carnitine In Holstein Heifers, K. Olagaray, C. Armendariz, A. Bellamine, S. Jacobs, E. Titgemeyer, B. Bradford

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study evaluated the relative bioavailability of carnitine delivered by different methods in dairy cattle. Four Holstein heifers were used in a split-plot design to compare ruminally or abomasally infused L-carnitine. The study included 2 main-plot periods, with infusion routes allocated in a crossover design. Within main-plot periods, each of 3 subplot periods consisted of 4-d infusions separated with 4-d rest periods. Subplot treatments were infusion of 1, 3, and 6 g L-carnitine daily. Doses were increased within a period to minimize carryover. Treatments were delivered in two 10-h infusions daily. Blood was collected before the start of infusions and …

Bioavailability Of Rumen-Protected Carnitine In Lactating Dairy Cows, K. Olagaray, J. Shaffer, C. Armendariz, A. Bellamine, S. Jacobs, E. Titgemeyer, B. Bradford

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

For this study, 56 lactating Holstein cows (143 ± 72 days in milk) were used in a randomized complete block design to evaluate 2 rumen-protected products compared to crystalline carnitine. Treatments were a) control, b) 3 grams/day crystalline L-carnitine (raw), c) 6 grams/day raw, d) 5 grams/day 40COAT (40% coating, 60% L-carnitine), e) 10 grams/day 40COAT, f) 7.5 grams/day 60COAT (60% coating, 40% L-carnitine), and g) 15 grams/day 60COAT. Treatments were top-dressed to diets twice daily. The 14-day experiment included a 6-day baseline-measurement period with the final 2 days used for data and sample collection and an 8-day treatment period …

Acknowledgments, Dairy Research 2016, B. Bradford

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Appreciation is expressed to the following organizations for their support of dairy teaching, research, and extension at Kansas State University during 2015-2016.

Dairy Research 2016, Full Report, B. Bradford

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Kansas State University is pleased to present the 2016 Dairy Research Report of Progress.

2015 Kansas Spring Annual Forage Variety Trial, J. D. Holman, A. Obour, T. Roberts, S. Maxwell, J. Kimzey

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A total of 3 spring annual forage varieties were tested for performance at the Southwest Research-Extension Center near Garden City, KS and the Western Kansas Agricul­ture Research Center near Hays, KS, in 2015. Spring crops evaluated included oat and triticale.

Fallow Replacement Crop (Cover Crops, Annual Forages, And Short-Season Grain Crops) Effects On Wheat And Grain Sorghum Yields, J. D. Holman, T. Roberts, S. Maxwell

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Producers are interested in growing cover crops and reducing fallow. Growing a crop during the fallow period would increase profitability if crop benefits exceeded expenses. Benefits of growing a cover crop were shown in high rainfall areas, but limited informa­tion is available on growing cover crops in place of fallow in the semiarid Great Plains. A study was done from 2007–2016 that evaluated cover crops, annual forages, and short season grain crops grown in place of fallow. In the first experiment (2007-2012) the rotation was no-till wheat-fallow, and in the second experiment (2012-2016) the rotation was no-till wheat-grain sorghum-fallow. This …

Integrated Grain And Forage Rotations, J. D. Holman, T. Roberts, S. Maxwell

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Producers are interested in growing forages in rotation with grain crops. Many produc­ers are interested in diversifying their operations to include livestock or grow feed for the livestock industry. By integrating forages into the cropping system, producers can take advantage of more markets and reduce market risk. Forages require less water to make a crop than grain crops, so the potential may exist to reduce fallow by including forages in the crop rotation. Reducing fallow through intensified grain/forage rotations may increase the profitability and sustainability compared to existing crop rotations.

This study was started in 2013, with crops grown in-phase …

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.

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.

Mobile Drip Irrigation Evaluation In Corn, I. Kisekka, T. Oker, G. Nguyen, J. Aguilar, D. Rogers

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Mobile Drip Irrigation (MDI) involves attaching driplines to center pivot drops. MDI has potential to eliminate water losses due to spray droplet evaporation, water evapo­ration from the canopy, and wind drift. MDI also may reduce soil water evaporation due to limited surface wetting. A study was conducted with the following objectives: 1) compare soil water evaporation under MDI and in-canopy spray nozzles; 2) evalu­ate soil water redistribution under MDI at 60 inch dripline lateral spacing; 3) compare corn grain yield, water productivity, and irrigation water use efficiency; and 4) compare end-of-season profile soil water under MDI and in-canopy spray at …

Large-Scale Dryland Cropping Systems, A. Schlegel, L. Haag, D. O'Brien

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study was conducted from 2008 to 2015 at the Kansas State University Southwest Research-Extension Center near Tribune, Kansas. The crop rotations evaluated were continuous grain sorghum (SS), wheat-fallow (WF), wheat-corn-fallow (WCF), wheat-sorghum-fallow (WSF), wheat-corn-sorghum-fallow (WCSF), and wheat-sorghum-corn-fallow (WSCF). All rotations were grown using no-till practices except for WF, which was grown using reduced-tillage. Precipitation capture efficiency was not greater with more intensive rotations. Wheat yields were not affected by length of rotation. Corn and grain sorghum yields were about 60% greater when following wheat than when following corn or grain sorghum. Grain sorghum yields were almost twice as great …