Agriculture Commons^™

The Quest To Identify A New Virus Disease Of Sunflower From Nebraska, Robert M. Harveson, Maher Al Rwahnih, California Department Of Food And Agriculture, Alex Karasev, Tom J. Gulya, Jeff Bradshaw

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Between 2010 and 2018, sunflower plants exhibiting virus-like symptoms, including stunting, mottling, and chlorotic ringspots on leaves, were observed from commercial fields and research plots from four sites within three distinct counties of western Nebraska (Box Butte, Kimball, and Scotts Bluff). Near identical symptoms from field samples were reproduced on seedlings mechanically in the greenhouse on multiple occasions, confirming the presence of a sap-transmissible virus from each site. Symptomatic greenhouse-inoculated plants from the 2010 and 2011 Box Butte samples tested negative for sunflower mosaic virus (SuMV), sunflower chlorotic mottle virus (SuCMoV), and all potyviruses in general by ELISA and RT-PCR. …

Soil Chemical Properties After 12 Years Of Tillage And Crop Rotation, Maysoon M. Mikha, Gary Hergert, Xin Qiao, Bijesh Maharjan

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Crop rotation in combinationwith tillage can improve productivity, enhance economical return, and reduce soil erosion. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of moldboard plow (MP), strip tillage (ST), no-tillage (NT), and crop rotations on: (1) crop yield; (2) soil chemical properties; and (3) particulate organic matter (POM). The study was initiated in 2007 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research and Extension Center near Scottsbluff, NE. Crops in rotation were corn (C; Zea mays L.) and dry bean (DB; Phaseolus vulgaris L.) organized in a 3-yr rotation (C–DB–C) and a 4-yr rotation with the addition of …

Growing Potato Profitably For Organic Dry Matter Production In Western Nebraska, Alexander Pavlista, Jessica J. Groskopf

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Growing potato conventionally for dehydration is not economically feasible. The key cost would be seed under organic farming. The objective is to identify seed-piece sizes and spacings producing a profitable return for potato dehydration in western Nebraska. Atlantic potatoes were grown under dryland conditions using organic practices. Rain was 205, 270, and 360 mm in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Seed-pieces were hand-cut into five weights from 42.5 to 85.0 g and planted in five spacings from 15.2 to 45.7 cm. Seeding rates were 1.02 to 6.1 Mg/ha. Yield was highest at the spacing of 15.2 cm (16.1 Mg/ha) and decreased …

Evaluation Of Rhizoctonia Zeae As A Potential Biological Control Option For Fungal Root Diseases Of Sugar Beet, K M. Webb, R. M. Harveson, M S. West

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Several common root diseases routinely damage sugar beet in Nebraska and other production areas of the Central High Plains, and it is becoming more common to find fields infested simultaneously with multiple pathogens. Owing to the shortage of available fungicides for economic management of soilborne diseases, alternative techniques such as biological control are increasingly being sought for disease management. Over the last several years, unidentified, sterile fungi have been isolated in conjunction with pathogens from infected sugar beet roots and seedlings. At least two promising isolates have been identified from in vitro assays that inhibit the radial growth of multiple …

Identification Of Sources Of Resistance To Damping-Off And Early Root/Hypocotyl Damage From Rhizoctonia Solani In Common Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.), P. A. Peña, James R, Steadman, Kent M. Eskridge, Carlos A. Urrea

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Rhizoctonia solani causes economically important root and hypocotyl diseases in common bean throughout the world. Root health is a vital factor in plant development and root diseases would negatively influence water and nutrient uptake as well as cause direct stand reduction and root rot damage to the crop. An efficient common bean screening method to evaluate damping-off and early root/ hypocotyl damage from R. solani was developed and used to identify dry bean lines with levels of resistance to this disease. Two sets of 163 and 111 lines previously evaluated for drought tolerance in Nebraska and Puerto Rico were evaluated …

Gibberellic Acid Sensitivity Among Common Bean Cultivars (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.), Alexander Pavlista, Dipak Santra, James Schild, Gary Hergert

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

To lower seed yield loss from directly harvested common bean or dry bean, height of the lower pod-bearing nodes needs to be raised. The objective of this greenhouse study was to stimulate lower stem elongation by gibberellic acid (GA₃) of dry bean cultivars. Seeds of cv. Matterhorn, erect indeterminate Type II, and cv. Poncho, prostate indeterminate Type III, were dipped in GA₃ at 62.5 to 16,000 ppmand planted. After 14 d, the height of the unifoliate and first trifoliate nodes showed maximum stimulation of stem elongation by 1000 ppm GA₃ for ‘Poncho’ and by 2000 ppm …

Government Insurance Program Design, Incentive Effects, And Technology Adoption: The Case Of Skip-Row Crop Insurance, Joshua D. Woodard, Alexander Pavlista, Gary D. Schnitkey, Paul Burgener, Kimberley A. Ward

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Can the availability of poorly-designed government insurance alter technology adoption decisions? A theoretical model of technology adoption and insurance incentive effects for a high- and low-risk technology is developed and explored empirically using a unique dataset of skip-row agronomic trial data. A multivariate nonparametric resampling technique is developed, which augments the trial data with a larger dataset of conventional yields to improve estimation efficiency. Skip-row adoption is found to increase mean yields and reduce risk in areas prone to drought. RMA insurance rules have incentive-distorting impacts which disincentivize skip-row adoption.

Comparative Growth Of Spring-Planted Canola, Brown Mustard And Camelina, A. D. Pavlista, D. D. Baltensperger, T. A. Isbell, G. W, Hergert

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

With increased emphasis for diesel substitution, production of brown mustard (Brassica juncea), canola (Brassica napus) and camelina (Camelina sativa) used as biodiesels may increase in the High Plains. Since these are new crops to this region, understanding their growth is critical for their acceptance. The objective was to elucidate the growth pattern of these crops when spring-planted in western Nebraska. Field trials were conducted in 2005, 2006 and 2007 with early May planting. Plots were seeded 2 cm deep at 200 plantsm−2. Four plants were destructively sampled at about 28, 40, 53, 61, and …

Research Achievements And Adoption Of No-Till, Dryland Cropping In The Semi-Arid U.S. Great Plains, Neil Hansen, Brett Allen, R. Louis Baumhardt, Drew J. Lyon

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

The Great Plains region of the United States is an area of widespread dryland crop production, with wheat being the dominant crop. Precipitation in the region ranges from 300 to 500 mm annually, with the majority of precipitation falling during hot summer months. The prevailing cropping system is a two-year rotation of wheat and summer fallow. The adoption of no-till practices has resulted in greater precipitation storage and use efficiency, which has led to greater cropping intensity, higher productivity, more diverse crop rotations, and improvements in soil properties. In Colorado, for example, a no-till rotation of winter wheat–maize–fallow increased total …

Research Achievements And Adoption Of No-Till, Dryland Cropping In The Semi-Arid U.S. Great Plains, Neil C. Hansen, Brett L. Allen, R. Louis Baumhardt, Drew J. Lyon

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

The Great Plains region of the United States is an area of widespread dryland crop production, with wheat being the dominant crop. Precipitation in the region ranges from 300 to 500 mm annually, with the majority of precipitation falling during hot summer months. The prevailing cropping system is a two-year rotation of wheat and summer fallow. The adoption of no-till practices has resulted in greater precipitation storage and use efficiency, which has led to greater cropping intensity, higher productivity, more diverse crop rotations, and improvements in soil properties. In Colorado, for example, a no-till rotation of winter wheat–maize–fallow increased total …

Seed Reduction In Prairie Cordgrass, Spartina Pectinata Link., By The Floret-Feeding Caterpillar Aethes Spartinana (Barnes And Mcdunnough), Jarrad R. Prasifka, D. K. Lee, Jeffrey Bradshaw, Allen S. Parrish, Michael E. Gray

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Insect damage to prairie cordgrass, Spartina pectinata Link., is conspicuously high in Illinois, where attempts to collect native seed show the majority of spikelets damaged with small holes. Dissection of spikes during summer reveals minute caterpillars boring though glumes and feeding on florets inside. In 2009–2010, panicles of prairie cordgrass from across its native range were used to estimate the percentage of insect-related damage and losses to seed production. Collections of caterpillars from panicles and stems were used to identify one floret-feeding species, estimate its distribution in the central USA, and assess its feeding patterns within spikes. Insect feeding damaged …

Stem-Boring Caterpillars Of Switchgrass In The Midwestern United States, Jarrad R. Prasifka, Jennifer E. Buhay, Thomas W. Sappington, Emily A. Heaton, Jeffrey Bradshaw, Michael E. Gray

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Lepidopteran stem borers were collected from switchgrass, Panicum virgatum L., tillers showing symptoms of infestation at seven locations in Illinois and Iowa, with additional observations made on larval and adult activity. Blastobasis repartella (Dietz) (Coleophoridae), whose only known host is switchgrass, was common in plots grown for >5 yr, whereas the polyphagous stalk borer, Papaipema nebris (Guenée) (Noctuidae), was abundant in newly established (i.e., first- and second year) switchgrass. Haimbachia albescens Capps (Crambidae) was collected from two locations in Illinois, making switchgrass the first known host for this species. Entry holes made by B. repartella and H. albescens were usually …

Adaptability Of Irrigated Spring Canola Oil Production To The Us High Plains, Alexander D. Pavlista, Dipak K. Santra, T. A. Isbell, D. D. Baltensperger, Gary W. Hergert, J. Krall, A. Mesbach, J. Johnson, M. O’Neil, R. Aiken, A. Berrada

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Canola oil is high in oleic acid which is commonly used for food and industrial purposes. To determine adaptability of spring canola (Brassica napus L.) to the High Plains for industrial oil production, 26 irrigated trials were conducted from 2005 to 2008. Trials were divided into five regions—1: 36–37◦N 108◦W; 2: 39–40◦N 101–103◦W; 3: 41–42◦N 102–103◦W; 4: 41–42◦N 104◦W; 5: 43–44◦N 106–108◦W. Cultural practices were based on site-specific protocols. Four cultivars, Hyola 401, Hyola 357 Magnum, SW Marksman, and SW Patriot, were planted in replicated plots in April or May under standard irrigation and harvested in July to October …

Planting Date And Development Of Spring-Seeded Irrigated Canola, Brown Mustard And Camelina, A. Pavlista, T. Isbell, D. D. Baltensperger, G. W, Hergert

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

With increased emphasis on bio-diesel fuels, the influence of spring planting on development of brown mustard (Brassica juncea cv. Arid), canola (B. napus cv. Hyola 401) and camelina (Camelina sativa cv. Boa) has become important. Field trials were conducted at Scottsbluff, NE, in 2005 and 2006 at planting dates of 24 February, 24 March, 7 April, 21 April and 5 May, and 3 March, 3 April, 10 April, 27 April, 11 May, and 2 Jun, respectively. Emergence time was shorter with later planting. Flowering date was later with later planting but occurred within a range of degree …

A Rare Epidemic Of Sugar Beet Seedling Rust In Nebraska, Robert M. Harveson

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Sugar beet seedling rust, caused by Puccinia subnitens, is a disease that has rarely been observed in sugar beet production. The pycnial and aecial stages occur on sugar beets, while the uredial and telial stages infect the primary host, inland saltgrass (Distichlis spicata). In mid-May 2009, lesions indicative of sugar beet seedling rust were found on young sugar beet plants in a field near Bayard, Nebraska. Because of the continued cool weather with above average precipitation throughout May, a survey of sugar beet production fields in western Nebraska was conducted between late-May and mid-June to further document …

Determining Optimal Fungicide Timing For Rhizoctonia Root Rot Of Sugar Beet In Nebraska Based On Soil Temperatures, Robert M. Harveson, Kathleen A. Nielsen, C. Clay Carlson

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Rhizoctonia root and crown rot, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is the most widespread, consistently found, and damaging sugar beet disease in Nebraska. It is capable of causing both a seedling disease and two different phases of root rot later in season. These two phases include a crown rot, and a tip rot of the tap root originating beneath the soil surface. Since there are several diverse forms (root rot phases) of the disease observed in Nebraska, it has been difficult to make fungicide recommendations based only on plant growth stage or chronological time of the season. In the attempt …

Web-Based Interventions For Weight Loss And Weight Maintenance Among Rural Midlife And Older Women: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Patricia A. Hageman, Carol H. Pullen, Melody Hertzog, Linda S. Boeckner, Susan Noble Walker

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Background: Weight loss is challenging and maintenance of weight loss is problematic among midlife and older rural women. Finding effective interventions using innovative delivery methods that can reach underserved and vulnerable populations of overweight and obese rural women is a public health challenge.

Methods/Design: This Women Weigh-In for Wellness (The WWW study) randomized-controlled trial is designed to compare the effectiveness of theory-based behavior-change interventions using (1) website only, (2) website with peer-led support, or (3) website with professional email-counseling to facilitate initial weight loss (baseline to 6 months), guided continuing weight loss and maintenance (7-18 months) and self-directed …

The Development Of An Efficient Multipurpose Bean Pod Mottle Virus Viral Vector Set For Foreign Gene Expression And Rna Silencing, Chunquan Zhang, Jeffrey Bradshaw, Steven A. Whitham, John H. Hill

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Plant viral vectors are valuable tools for heterologous gene expression, and because of virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), they also have important applications as reverse genetics tools for gene function studies. Viral vectors are especially useful for plants such as soybean (Glycine max) that are recalcitrant to transformation. Previously, two generations of bean pod mottle virus (BPMV; genus Comovirus) vectors have been developed for overexpressing and silencing genes in soybean. However, the design of the previous vectors imposes constraints that limit their utility. For example, VIGS target sequences must be expressed as fusion proteins in the same reading …

Symptoms, Distribution And Abundance Of The Stem-Boring Caterpillar, Blastobasis Repartella (Dietz), In Switchgrass, Jarrad R. Prasifka, Jeffrey Bradshaw, Arvid A. Boe, Dokyoung Lee, David Adamski, Michael E. Gray

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

A potential pest of switchgrass, Panicum virgatum L., was first detected in South Dakota in 2004, where death of partially emerged leaves was noted in a small proportion of tillers. Similar “dead heart” symptoms were observed in switchgrass in Illinois during 2008 and adults of a stem-boring caterpillar were collected and identified as Blastobasis repartella (Dietz). In 2009, a survey of the central United States was used to estimate the distribution and abundance of this insect. In eight northern states, B. repartella was consistently found in both cultivated plots and natural stands of switchgrass. In four southern states, B. repartella …

First Report Of Field Populations Of Two Potential Aphid Pests Of The Bioenergy Crop Miscanthus × Giganteus, Jeffrey Bradshaw, Jarrad R. Prasifka, Kevin L. Steffey, Michael E. Gray

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Sipha flava (Forbes) (yellow sugarcane aphid) and Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) (corn leaf aphid) (Hemiptera: Homoptera: Aphididae) are common aphids occurring throughout North America on many host plants, most of which are grasses (Blackman & Eastop 2006). Both aphids are pests of several important food crops, e.g., Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (sorghum), Saccharum officinarum L. (sugarcane), Triticum spp. (wheat), and Zea mays L. (corn) (Blackman & Eastop 2000). Additionally, both aphids are vectors of potyviruses and R. maidis is a vector of luteoviruses in these crops. Until now, to our knowledge, no natural infestations of these aphids have been reported on …

Descriptions Of Life-Stages Of Blastobasis Repartella (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Coleophoridae: Blastobasinae) And Observations On Its Biology In Switchgrass, D. Adamski, P. J. Johnson, A. A. Boe, Jeffrey Bradshaw, Alan Pultyniewicz

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Blastobasis repartella (Dietz) is a borer in the proaxis and basal nodes and internodes of above ground stems of Panicum virgatum L. (Poaceae). The adult and immature stages are described herein, including diagnoses of the adult and larva, as this insect may be easily confused with a closely related grass-feeding congener, Blastobasis graminea Adamski, which is also known to occur in the United States. The biology of B. repartella is described. Figures of the adult, illustrations of the male and female genitalia, wing venation, the chaetotaxy of the larva (supplemented with scanning electron micrographs), and pupa are provided. Bassus difficilis …

Regional Study Of No-Till Impacts On Near-Surface Aggregate Properties That Influence Soil Erodibility, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Maysoon M. Mikha, J. G. Benjamin, L. R. Stone, A. J. Schlegel, Drew J. Lyon, M. F. Vigil, P. W. Stahlman

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

The extent to which tillage systems modify the near-surface soil aggregate properties aff ecting soil’s susceptibility to erosion by water and wind is not well understood. We hypothesized that an increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) content with conservation tillage systems, particularly no-till (NT), may improve near-surface soil aggregate properties that infl uence soil erodibility. This regional study assessed changes in aggregate resistance to raindrops, dry aggregate wettability, and dry aggregate stability as well as their relationships with changes in SOC content. Four long-term (>19 yr) tillage systems including moldboard plow (MP), conventional till (CT), reduced till (RT), and …

Growing Rate Of Gain On Subsequent Feedlot Performance, Meat, And Carcass Quality Of Beef Steers, B. A. Loken, R. J. Maddock, M. M. Stamm, C. S. Schauer, Ivan G. Rush, S. Quinn, G. P. Lardy

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Eighty Angus and Angus × Simmental steer calves were used in a completely random design to determine the effect of rate of BW gain during the backgrounding period on subsequent feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), and sensory analysis. Animals were stratified by BW and allotted randomly to 1 of 10 pens (5 pens/treatment). Dietary treatments were formulated for an ADG of 0.91 kg/d [low BW gain (LG), 1.06 Mcal of NE_g/kg] diets and 1.25 kg/d [high BW gain (HG), 1.19 Mcal of NE_g/kg]. Steers were fed 70 d during the growing period. The …

Of Ants And Elephants: Measuring Student Appreciation For Insects And Charismatic Megafauna During An African Safari, Jeffrey Bradshaw, Marlin E. Rice

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

As part of an International Field Trip in Biology class through the Study Abroad Program at Iowa State University, we had as a goal to impress university students of various academic backgrounds with the insects of the Serengeti region in east Africa. The Matthiessen quote hints at our a priori expectation and main obstacle—wondrous distraction. The promoted goal of the field trip was to educate and expose students to the natural history of northern Tanzania, with a focus on the mammalian and avian fauna, the varied grassland-bushland-montane forest ecosystems, Rift Valley geology, and Maasai culture. The course, conducted during 2005, …

Development And Feeding Of Fall Armyworm On Miscanthus × Giganteus And Switchgrass, Jarrad R. Prasifka, Jeffrey Bradshaw, R. L. Meagher, R. N. Nagoshi, K. L. Steffey, M. E. Gray

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Observations of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), larvae infesting plots of Miscanthus × giganteus Greef and Deuter ex Hodkinson and Renvoize prompted laboratory-based tests of survival, development, and feeding preferences on leaf tissue from M. × giganteus and switchgrass, Panicum virgatum L. Survival from hatch to pupation was >70 and 50% for fall armyworms reared on switchgrass and M. × giganteus, respectively, although survival of the S. frugiperda rice strain was significantly greater than the corn strain on both crops. Developmental times from hatch to pupation or adult emergence showed effects of crop and S. frugiperda …

A Comparison Of Melengestrol Acetate Fed At Two Dose Levels To Feedlot Heifers, G. E. Sides, J. T. Vasconcelos, R. C. Borg, O. A. Turgeon, W. C. Koers, M. S. Davis, K. Vander Pol, D. J. Weigel, C. M. Tucker

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

A randomized complete block design was used to compare the effects of feeding melengestrol acetate (MGA) at 0.4 (0.4M) and 0.5 (0.5M) mg/d per head on feedlot performance, estrus activity, and carcass characteristics of commercial beef heifers (n = 1,418; 10 pens/ treatment). Within 48 h of arrival at the research site, heifers were assigned to treatment, processed according to feedlot protocol, and administered an abortifacient. After adaptation to a 95% concentrate diet, MGA was supplied at either 0.4 or 0.5 mg/head daily. Estrus activity was monitored twice daily and summarized as a count of heifers showing estrus within a …

Genetic And Molecular Characterization Of Vernalization Genes Vrn-A1, Vrn-B1, And Vrn-D1 In Spring Wheat Germplasm From The Pacific Northwest Region Of The U.S.A., Dipak K. Santra, M. Santra, R. E. Allen, K. G. Campbell, K. K. Kidwell

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

The objective of this study was to determine the Vrn-1 allelic composition of spring wheat germplasm from the Pacific Northwest region of the USA. Individual plants from 56 spring wheat lines were crossed to near-isogenic tester lines carrying the dominant allele Vrn- A1, Vrn-B1 or Vrn-D1. F2 progeny were evaluated for growth habit in the field and Vrn-1 allelic composition was determined through chisquare analysis. Lines also were analysed with DNA sequence-based Vrn-1 allele-specific markers. A majority of the germplasm carried the dominant allele Vrn-A1a alone or in combination with Vrn-B1, Vrn-D1 or Vrn-B3 alleles. Vrn-B1 and Vrn-D1 were …

Effect Of Feeding Melengestrol Acetate, Monensin, And Tylosin On Performance, Carcass Measurements, And Liver Abscesses Of Feedlot Heifers, G. E. Sides, R. S. S. Swingle, J. T. Vasconcelos, R. C. Borg, W. M. Moseley

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Approximately 4,000 yearling heifers (initial BW = 306 ± 1.9 kg) were randomly allotted into 4 treatment groups to determine the effect of melengestrol acetate (MGA) on feedlot performance and carcass parameters. Treatments included a diet containing monensin (Rumensin) and tylosin (Tylan; RT) fed during the entire feeding period; RT plus MGA (RTM) also fed during the entire feeding period; RT withdrawn 35 d preslaughter (RTwd); and RTM withdrawn 35 d preslaughter (RTMwd). All cattle were implanted at arrival with Revalor-IH and reimplanted with Revalor-200, and were fed a standard feedlot finishing diet (that met or exceeded 1996 NRC requirements) …

Jointed Goatgrass Management With Imazamox-Resistant Cultivars In A Winter Wheat–Fallow Rotation, Andrew R. Kniss, Drew J. Lyon, Stephen D. Miller

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica Host) is an economically important weed in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–fallow production regions of the United States. Few options exist for management of jointed goatgrass in winter wheat due to the close genetic relationship between the two species. This research evaluated use of imazamox herbicide (2-[(RS)-4-isopropyl-4- methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl]-5-methoxymethylnicotinic acid) in an imazamox-resistant (IR) winter wheat–fallow rotation over 6 yr when grown continuously or in rotation with a conventional winter wheat cultivar. The objectives of this study were to compare use patterns of IR technology in winter wheat with respect to jointed goatgrass density and …

Evaluation Of Dry Distillers Grains Plus Solubles Inclusion On Performance And Economics Of Finishing Beef Steers, C. D. Buckner, T. L. Mader, G. E. Erickson, S. L. Colgan, D. R. Mark, V. R. Bremer, K. K. Karges, M. L. Gibson

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

A 167-d feedlot study was conducted to evaluate feeding increasing levels of dry distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) to finishing cattle and the impact on performance and profitability. Crossbred steer calves (n = 240, BW = 306 ± 24.5 kg) were used in 30 pens with dietary treatments of 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40% DDGS dietary inclusion (DM basis). Quadratic relationships (P < 0.05) were observed for final BW and ADG as dietary DDGS increased, with the greatest ADG observed at 20% inclusion. The DMI was not affected (P > 0.15) by DDGS level, but G:F tended to be quadratic (P = 0.10) as 20% DM inclusion had the greatest value, although steers fed all levels of DDGS had numerically greater G:F compared with steers fed no …