Life Sciences Commons^™

B854: Cost Of Producing Milk In Maine: Results From The 2013 Cost-Of-Production Survey, Xuan Chen,, Gary Anderson, Dylan Bouchard, Julia Mcguire, George K. Criner, David Marcinkowski

Bulletins

The state of Maine has a unique tier-pricing program for dairy farms, established in 2004, which has been funded by milk-handling fees paid by processors. Given the nature of volatile production costs in dairy farming, it is important to update the baseline cost estimates for each tier every three years. This study aims to provide a precise baseline estimate of cost of production for each tier so that state legisla­tors can better manage the tier-pricing program. The authors provide a historic overview of past Maine dairy cost-of-production studies. They analyze the trend of the cost of producing milk in Maine …

B853: Cost Of Producing Milk In Maine: Results From The 2010 Dairy Cost Of Production Survey, Richard Kersbergen, Gary Anderson, George Criner, Anthony Davis

Bulletins

The present study reports on a survey conducted for the Maine Milk Commission to determine the cost of milk production for 2010. This assessment was undertaken sooner than the normal three-year update because of the difficult economic climate for dairy farms in Maine.

B852: Organic Wild Blueberry Production, Frank Drummond, John Smagula, Seanna Annis, David Yarborough

Bulletins

Recent research carried out under the auspices of a USDA organic transition grant resulted in a better understanding of the interaction of wild blueberry production tactics such as pruning method, soil pH reduction by sulfur (S) application, and organic fertilizer rates on wild blueberry growth, development, and yield. This bulletin is the product of what we have learned over the past four years of this research project.

B851: A Comparative Analysis Of Organic Dairy Farms In Maine And Vermont: Farm Financial Information From 2004 To 2006, Timothy J. Dalton, Robert Parsons, Richard Kersbergen, Glenn Rogers

Bulletins

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide an insight into the relative financial performance of organic dairy farming through the examination of three years of detailed farm financial records. Farm financial records were collected in person by trained enumerators from organic dairy operations in Maine and Vermont for the 2004–2006 production years. These farm records are complemented by surveys on farm and farmer characteristics along with farmers’ motivational interests for organic dairy production and performance satisfaction. This report, therefore, provides a rich financial perspective on the evolution of organic dairy farming performance unlike single-season surveys.

B850: Representative Farm Budgets And Performance Indicators For Integrated Farming Practices In Maine, Aaron K. Hoshide, Timothy J. Dalton, Stewart N. Smith

Bulletins

This report compares the relative profitability and sustainability of Maine farms integrating crops and livestock with comparable non-integrated or conventional farms. Potato and dairy systems coupled for only two years had greater profitability compared to conventional systems. Profitability increased in the short term in two ways. First, potato farms grew more of their primary cash crop. Second, dairy farms expanded cow numbers, increasing profitability assuming increasing returns to scale. Coupled systems integrated for more than ten years (long term) had more favorable profitability and sustainability measures than short-term couplers since greater manure-nutrient credits were taken for potatoes and silage corn. …

B849: Drought-Tolerant Small Trees For Maine Landscapes, Reeser C. Manley

Bulletins

This publication describes five species that have proven to be reliably cold hardy in Orono (USDA Zone 5a) and that meet many, if not all, of the criteria for exceptional landscape trees. In addition, these five species are currently uncommon in Maine landscapes and thus represent potentially new products and new opportunities for the Maine landscape and nursery industries: Acer miyabei, Miyabe Maple; Acer triflorum, Three-flower Maple; Cercis canadensis, Eastern Redbud; Maackia amurensis, Amur Maackia; Prunus sargentii, Sargent Cherry.

B847: Review Of Potential Pasteurization Methods For Apple Cider, Mark P. Garland, Darrell W. Donahue

Bulletins

The main focus of this paper is to review the pasteurization methods that can be applied to the needs of the apple industry and to recommend further research. In addition to the review of methods, we conducted a sensory evaluation of cider to evaluate the acceptability of various pasteurized samples. This review of potential methods for product treatment will serve as an informative study with recommendations for future processing. Although not an exhaustive survey, conventional methods and the most promising new techniques are discussed.

B846: Growing Season Parameter Reconstructions For New England Using Killing Frost Records, 1697-1947, William R. Baron, David C. Smith

Bulletins

In New England, killing frosts in the late spring and early fall mark the limits of the region's growing seasons. Over the years, farmers have tried to anticipate when to plant and when to harvest to safely prevent their crops from experiencing the harmful effects of freezing. As a hedge against failing memory, some farmers kept notes on when killing frosts occurred so that they could more readily calculate in the years to come when to sow and when to reap. Some of these notes have survived and are now preserved in archives and libraries across the region, or remain …

B843: The Ecology, Economics, And Management Of Potato Cropping Systems: A Report Of The First Four Years Of The Maine Potato Ecosystem Project, A. Randall Alford, Francis A. Drummond, Eric R. Gallandt, Eleanor Groden, David A. Lambert, Matt Liebman, Michele C. Marra, Jeffrey C. Mcburnie, Gregory A. Porter, Bacilio Salas

Bulletins

The bulletin reports on the first four years of the Maine Potato Ecosystem Project, a long-term, multidisciplinary study of alternative crop management strategies. The study site is a 15-acre tract on the northern boundary of the University of Maine's Aroostook Farm in Presque Isle, Maine, divided into 96 main plots that are grouped into four blocks. Each block is an area where soil survey data show similar soil characteristics. Thus, given the same production inputs, the crop output is expected to be the same on each plot within a block. Within each block there are 24 plots to which the …

B844: Checklist Of The Vascular Plants Of Maine Third Revision, Christopher S. Campbell, Heman P. Adams, Patricia Adams, Alison C. Dibble, Leslie M. Eastman, Susan C. Gawler, Linda L. Gregory, Barbara A. Grunden, Arthur D. Haines, Ken Jonson, Sally C. Rooney, Thomas F. Vining, Jill E. Weber, Wesley A. Wright

Bulletins

This is the third revision of the Checklist of Vascular Plants of Maine. Like its predecessors, it lists all ferns and related plants, conifers, and flowering plants native and naturalized in Maine and records their county-level distribution in the state. The first Check- list (Ogden et al. 1948) was based on specimens in herbaria at the University of Maine (hereafter referred to as MAINE), Portland Society of Natural History, New England Botanical Club, Gray Herbarium of Harvard University, and the private collection of Glen D. Chamberlain of Presque Isle, Maine (now part of MAINE). Bean et al. (1966) revised …

B837: New Approaches To Chemical Control Of White Pine Weevil Damage, John B. Dimond, Richard L. Bradbury

Bulletins

There has been little recent research on control of damage by the white pine weevil, and available insecticides have been few and have become obsolete. Tests in Canada suggested that the insect growth-regulating chemical diflubenzeron was effective, and we have successfully repeated those tests in Maine using several formulations of Dimilin and several ground application systems. Aerial trials have not succeeded; the probable reasons for their failure are discussed. We present a general description of the weevil and its damage, approaches to control of damage, and specific recommendations for use of ground applications of Dimilin, which has recently become registered …

B832: The Profitability Of Supplemental Irrigation For Maine Potatoes, Michele C. Marra, Timothy A. Woods

Bulletins

The question has arisen among Maine potato growers and other industry personnel whether irrigation technologies can be transferred successfully into humid growing areas such as in Maine and whether they can benefit the Maine potato industry. This report presents the findings of a stud y that attempts to answer the question of whether adoption of two of these newer technologies might be profitable for an individual grower in Maine.

B830: An Atlas Of The Native Woody Plants Of Maine: A Revision Of The Hyland Maps, Janet S. Mcmahon, George L. Jacobson Jr., Fay Hyland

Bulletins

In 1944 Fay Hyland and Ferdinand Steinmetz published The Woody Plants of Maine: Their Occurrence and Distribution. This small bulletin catalogs the state's native and exotic trees, shrubs, and woody vines. In-state distributions are given for 513 taxa, including 366 species, Ill varieties and named forms, and 36 hybrids. Hyland collected information for this comprehensive work from three sources: a systematic field survey of the state which he personally conducted between 1933 and 1939; a review of botanical publications on Maine flora; and herbarium records from the New England Botanical Club, Gray Herbarium, Arnold Arboretum, the Boston Society of …

B823: Transporting Fresh Blueberries From Maine To The Boston Market: A Look At The Economic Alternatives, Antonia L. Hoelper, Michele C. Marra

Bulletins

A study was initiated at the University of Maine to investigate various transportation alternatives available to marketers of fresh blueberries and similar fresh-market enterprises to determine economies of size in shipping. Several methods of economic analysis, including partial budgeting and break-even analysis, were used to assess the feasibility of several transportation alternatives. The alternatives analyzed were (1) contract shipping services, while using various percentages of truck capacity, (2) purchase of a truck and large trailer (20,000 Ibs capacity), and (3) purchase of a truck and smaller trailer (10,000 Ibs capacity).

B819: The Spruce Budworm Outbreak In Maine In The 1970'S–Assessment And Directions For The Future, Lloyd C. Irland, John B. Dimond, Judy L. Stone, Jonathan Falk, Ellen Baum

Bulletins

This report was initiated by the Maine Forest Service (MFS) in response to concerns that a serious effort was needed to capture the experiences and lessons learned during the 1970-85 spruce budworm outbreak in Maine. The report synthesizes the observations and experiences of land managers, as well as the principal results of recent scientific research on spruce budworm in Maine. This report briefly reviews budworm population dynamics and interactions with the forest, then describes the budworm's impacts in detail. It then reviews the three principal responses: survey and detection; spraying; and silviculture and salvage. It then offers an overview of …

B818: Preliminary Protocols For Sampling And Analysis Of Ash And Sludge Amended Forest Soils, Ivan J. Fernandez

Bulletins

Over the past decade there has emerged a clear recognition that the escalating production of waste materials by society poses a serious problem, and that significant amounts of many waste materials must be recycled or disposed of by more ecologically integrated means. In Maine, we are fortunate to enjoy the benefits of a rural state rich in natural resources. It is these resources that provide the basis for many of our industries, well demonstrated by our forest resources so vital to the forest products industry and to Maine's economy.

In recent years forests have also been looked to as a …

B815: A Comparison Of Small Single- And Double-Drum Cable Systems For Prebunching Partial Cuts, Frederick M. Hathaway, Benjamin F. Hoffman

Bulletins

This study evaluated two single-drum and two double-drum winching systems for prebunching small-diameter, tree-length stems from partial cuts. Three farm tractors with Farmi winches and one sled-mounted winch were used. One single-drum system was run by professional woods workers and the others were operated by forestry students. Three different types of chokers were used and a skid cone was used with two systems.

The professional crew used a self-release block at the back of the trailside pile to avoid piling delays while the other systems used a spar tree. All systems were evaluated by time studies. The professional crew was …

B814: Performance Evaluations Of Potato Clones And Varieties In The Northeastern States - 1985, G. A. Porter, J. B. Sieczka, R. H. Cole, L. S. Morrow, D. Moyer, W. M. Sullivan, H. J. Murphy, R. Jensen, E. Kee, R. Tarn, O. S. Wells, R. J. Young, M. R. Henninger, S. Sterrett, D. A. Young, D. Halseth, R. Precheur

Bulletins

New potato clones and varieties must be tested against commercially accepted cultivars to determine If they possess advantages over existing varieties. Possible Improvements over the existing varieties could Include greater disease resistance or tolerance, higher yield, more uniform tuber size distribution, Improved storagability, good processing characteristics, etc. Often new cultivars are sought to fill local special-purpose needs. The cooperative potato variety trials reported In this bulletin were conducted to provide Information on the performance, adaptation, and performance stability of new potato clones under a wide range of geographic, climatic, soil, and cultural conditions. These tests are contributions to Regional Project …

B813: Harvesting Small Trees For Biomass, Benjamin F. Hoffman Jr.

Bulletins

This study evaluated precommercial, full-tree thinning of saplings and small poletimber (1-8 inches dbh) using chainsaws and modified farm tractors for skidders. To facilitate cutting large numbers of small trees (1-5 inches), the chainsaw was fitted with a felling frame. The cutter felled and manually bunched up to 145 trees/ 2.7 tons per productive man- hour. Average production, assuming 73% efficiency, was 90 trees/1.8 tons per scheduled hour at a cost of $6.22/ton. Skidding was done by a two-wheel drive grapple skidder and a four-wheel drive farm tractor with double-drum winch. The grapple skidder produced 3.8 tons per scheduled hour …

B811: Field Appraisal Of Resource Management Systems Farms Crop Yield And Quality Relationships With Soil Erosion - 1982, Paul R. Hepler, Lauren H. Long, Kenneth J. Laflamme, John H. Wenderoth

Bulletins

This document presents the objectives and third-year results of the Field Appraisal of Resource Management Systems (FARMS) study. The principal objectives of FARMS were to study the relationship of crop yields to predicted soil erosion and to simulate the economics of this relationship. Crop management, soils, conservation practices and management, crop yields, soil chemistry, and sociological data were collected. The data analyzed in preparing this report are from the 800 plots sampled in 1982. This report presents statistics for rill and sheet soil erosion, which is estimated by the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and assumed to represent a long …

B812: Dairy Farmer Indebtedness In Maine, Wayne L. Thurston, George K. Criner, Ralph A. Reeb

Bulletins

The dairy industry in Maine is an important contributor to the agricultural sector and general economy. In 1982 there were 750 employees processing dairy products in Maine drawing a 12 million dollar payroll (Maine Bureau of Labor). The 1983 farm-gate value of milk produced in Maine totaled 108 million dollars, higher than any other single commodity's farm-gate value (Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources). For the past several years the farm level price of milk has remained fairly steady while production costs inflated. This "price-cost" squeeze worsened in 1983 with a 50 cent per hundredweight decrease in the …

B810: Ectomycorrhizae Of Maine 3. A Listing Of Hygrophorus With Associated Hosts, Richard L. Homola, Miroslaw M. Czapowskyj, Barton M. Blum

Bulletins

Hygrophori have been collected and identified with their possible ectomycorrhizal associates in Maine. Most of the ectomycorrhizal relationships reported from Maine were confirmed by the work of others. The information on edibility is from authors' popular mushroom guides. Colored photos of forty-four Hygrophori are included here.

B808: An Annotated Bibliography Of The Maine Agricultural Experiment Station, David C. Smith

Bulletins

The Maine Agricultural Experiment Station is a venerable organization soon to celebrate its centennial year. As a research organization--its staff was early on called the Faculty of Investigation--members of the station staff have always presented the results of their efforts in a variety of publications both in-house and otherwise.

Professor Smith has provided an annotated list of all station publications as well as some special papers of interest. Through the index to this bulletin, any interested person can readily locate material of particular interest and can easily determine whether or not it is worthwhile to go to the original publications …

B806: Performance Evaluations Of Potato Clones And Varieties In The Northeastern States 1984, H. J. Murphy, R. Jenson, D. E. Halseth, L. S. Morrow, M. R. Henninger, F. L. Haynes, D. A. Young, Janet Fallon, R. H. Cole, Richard Tarn, J. B. Sieczka, W. M. Sullivan, E. Kee, R. Loria, Susan Sterrett, O. S. Wells, R. J. Young

Bulletins

Cooperative potato clone and variety trials were conducted at 32 locations to determine field performance of selected clones and varieties grown under soil, climatic, and cultural management common to the potato growing areas of 12 cooperating states and the Province of New Brunswick, Canada. A few locations also evaluated storage and processing behavior of selected clones and varieties. These tests are contributions to Regional Project NE107 entitled, "Breeding and Evaluation of New Potato Clones for the Northeast." The primary objective of this project is to determine clone performance and stability over a wide range of soil, climate, and cultural conditions.

B803: The Effects Of Juice Extraction Methods On The Quality Of Low-Calorie Blueberry Jellies, Tom C.S. Yang

Bulletins

Juice extracted from lowbush blueberries was used to prepare a low-calorie jelly. Extraction methods included cold-extraction, hot-extraction, and enzyme-extraction. Enzyme-extraction produced the highest yield and least viscous juice with lighter and redder color than other extraction methods whereas hot-extracted juice had an intermediate yield, greatest viscosity and darkest color. Cold-extracted juice made the hardest jelly. Jellies prepared from cold-extracted and enzyme-extracted juices were darker and had a more intense purple color than the corresponding juices, whereas jelly prepared from hot-extracted juice was lighter and redder in color than its corresponding juice.

B802: Base-Age Invariant Polymorphic Site Index Curves For Even-Aged Spruce-Fir Stands In Maine, Bret P. Vicary, Thomas B. Brann, Raph H. Griffin

Bulletins

The spruce-fir forest cover type, occupying nearly 8 million acres in Maine, accounts for approximately 50 percent of the growing stock volume in the State. A similar portion of Maine's commercial forest land is owned and managed by forest industry, with spruce and fir being the mainstay of the industry.

Analyses in recent years of Maine's timber supply have shown softwood removals to exceed growth. The dramatic effects of the spruce budworm (Choristoneura.fumiferana (Clemens)) on the spruce-fir forest of Maine has heightened concern over the timber supply. A greater emphasis on management is necessary if timber growth is to keep …

B792: The Development Of The Ability To Select For Increased Milk Production: The Jersey Dairy Cow In Maine, 1900-1984, John R. Paton, Barbara A. Barton

Bulletins

Histories of dairying and dairy farming usually pass over one very important topic, the point of origin herself: the dairy cow. In the past 150 years, the period associated with the rise of commercial dairying in the U.S., she has not been a static creature. The story of her development is an important and exciting part of the history of dairying, but this development cannot be explained by such phrases as "feeding and management improved" or "breeding improved " . Since the dairy cow of the 1980s is not the same dairy cow of the 1830s, we should understand how …

B801: Performance Evaluations Of Potato Clones And Varieties In The Northeastern States 1983, H. J. Murphy, R. J. Precheur, Chang-Chi Chu, L. S. Morrow, O. S. Wells, F. L. Haynes, R. H. Storch, R. Jensen, G. Dyer, D. A. Young, M. R. Henninger, E. C. Wittmeyer, Richard Tarn, J. B. Sieczka, R. H. Cole, R. A. Ashley, R. Loria, W. M. Sullivan, E. Kee, D. E. Halseth, R. J. Young

Bulletins

Cooperative potato clone and variety trials were conducted at 23 locations to determine field, storage, and processing behavior of selected clones and varieties grown under soil, climatic, and cultural management common to the potato growing areas of 13 cooperating states and the Province of New Brunswick, Canada. These tests are all contributions to Regional Project NE107 entitled, "Breeding and Evaluation of New Potato Clones for the Northeast." The primary objective of this project is to determine clone stability over a wide range of soil, climate, and cultural conditions.

B800: Manual Thinning Of Northeastern Species Using Conventional Cutting Methods, Benjamin F. Hoffman Jr.

Bulletins

Harvesting small trees- 4-8 inches in diameter at breast height -has not been common in North America, but as average tree size declines, loggers must cut smaller stems. Many softwood stands in the Northeast contain 2000-4000 stems per acre with mean stand diameters of six inches or less (see Fig. 1). If diameter averages ten inches, there may be 6-7 trees per cord, but if it declines to six inches, loggers may handle four times as many trees for the same volume. Handling this increased number of pieces per unit requires changes in operating techniques.

Manual felling and limbing may …

B799: Field Appraisal Of Resource Management Systems "Farms" Crop Yield And Quality Relationships With Soil Erosion, Paul R. Hepler, Lauren H. Long, John A. Ferwerda

Bulletins

This document presents objectives and preliminary results of the Field Appraisal of Resource Management Systems (FARMS) study. This study assumes that estimates of soil erosion using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) represent long-term rather than short- term effects. The FARMS study randomly sampled 2400 plots over a three year period, 1980-82, for: crop management, soils, conservation practices and management, crop yields, soil chemistry, and sociological data.

This report presents analyses from the 800 plots sampled in 1980. Statistics of rill and sheet soil erosion, as estimated by the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), are presented. Data are presented for …