Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Gis And Genetic Diversity- Case Studies In Stylosanthes, P G. Jones, M C. Sawkins, B L. Maass, P C. Kerridge

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

We present a new technique for mapping the potential occurrence of wild germplasm based in climate data and show its application to six important Stylosanthes species. The method can be used to develop hypotheses as to the distribution for purposes of collection and/or in situ conservation. It can also be used to investigate genetic diversity with a species. We present some first results based in isozyme data from S. guianensis.

Barriers/Drivers Of Diverse Perennial Systems: Policy Recommendations, M. L. Krome, A. S. Finan, J. Obudzinski, N. Serrano

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Despite growing documentation of perennial- and grass-based systems’ importance in addressing many ecological, infrastructural, farmer profitability, and climate concerns, these systems do not predominate on most United States farm and ranch lands. To better understand what impedes their wider adoption, we undertook four focus groups of diverse current and potential farmers using perennial systems. We were especially interested in how these farmers access, or don’t, insurance, credit, and federal programs, identifying patterns among farmers embracing more sustainable practices. Our virtual focus groups comprised 16 farmers in ten states, transecting climate zones and representing both rural and urban production systems and …

Potential For Forecasting Uk Summer Grass Growth From The North Atlantic Oscillation, P. S. Kettlewell, J. Easey, P. D. Hollins, T. Martyn, D. B. Stephenson

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a large-scale atmospheric circulation pattern which is well-known to influence the UK winter climate (Wilby et al., 1997). Recently, it has been shown that the winter NAO also affects summer rainfall in the UK (Kettlewell et al., 2003). Since water supply is an important limitation to summer grass growth in many parts of the UK, the winter NAO may influence summer growth. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that there is a relationship between the winter NAO and summer grass growth using data from reference plots at North …

The Effect Of Soil Type And Climate On Modelled Greenhouse Gas Emissions Derived From Pasture Based Milk Production Systems, Dan K. Lovett, L. Shalloo, P. Dillon, Frank O'Mara

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The ability of spring calving dairy farmers to exploit herbage production can be limited by soil type and climatic conditions. Previous work, using the Moorepark Dairy System Model (MDSM) (Shalloo et al., 2004) demonstrated differences in terms of biological and production efficiency for two contrasting sites. This study models whole farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Lovett et al., in press) from two dairy systems, the Moorepark Standard System (MSS, Co. Cork) and the Kilmaley Standard System (KSS,Co. Clare), classified as lower and high rainfall (1025 and 1614 mm yr) and free draining versus poor draining respectively.

Environmental Clustering Of New Zealand Dairy Herds, J. R. Bryant, N. López-Villalobos, J. E. Pryce, C. W. Holmes

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Previous studies have found that milk yield (a proxy for feeding level) and temperature-humidity index (THI) are important factors in explaining genotype x environment (G x E) interactions, indicating differences between the abilities of genotypes to forage or consume concentrates effectively or to cope with thermal stress (Ravagnolo and Misztal, 2000; Zwald et al., 2003). The objective of this study was to quantify and cluster (CL) herd environments within New Zealand (NZ) based on production levels, a summer heat load index (HLI) and geographical location.

Grazing Land Contributions To Carbon Sequestration, Ronald F. Follett, G. E. Schuman

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Key points

1. Grazing management can be used to increase soil organic carbon sequestration.

2. Grazing land soils contain large amounts of carbon with depth, and can store it for centuries.

3. Policies to encourage terrestrial carbon sequestration through conservation and good management of grazing lands are critical for many countries and the world.

Assessment Of Causality Between Climate Variables And Production For Whole Crop Maize Using Structural Equation Modeling, M. Kim, J. Y. Kim, M. H. Jo, H. Jo, K. Sung

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

This study aimed to assess the causality of different climate variables on the production of whole crop maize silage (Zea mays L.; WCM) in the central inland region of the Republic of Korea. Furthermore, the effect of these climate variables was also determined by looking at direct and indirect pathways during the stages before and after silking. The WCM metadata (n = 640) were collected from the Rural Development Administration’s reports of new variety adaptability from 1985‒2011 (27 years). The climate data was collected based on year and location from the Korean Meteorology Administration’s weather information system. Causality, in …

Gis-Based Forage Species Adaptation Mapping, David B. Hannaway, C. Daly, W. Gibson, G. Taylor, J. P. Bolte, I. Sriprisan, T. Griggs

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Selecting forage crops adapted to the climatic and edaphic conditions of specific locations is essential for economic sustainability and environmental protection. Yet, currently, proper selection is difficult due to the absence of advanced selection tools. Significant improvements are being made in the process through Geographic Information System (GIS)-based mapping. Climate and soil GIS layers are being matched with forage characteristics through rules describing species tolerances. Better matching will reduce economic risks and environmental hazards associated with sub-optimal crop selection and subsequent performance. Once developed, these forage crop selection strategies and tools can be adapted for use with other crops. A …

Modelling Grazing And Burning In Communal Rangelands To Help Understand Trade-Offs Between Production, Carbon, And Water, H. J. Hawkins, M. Moradzadeh, M. L. Vermeire, Farai Chikomba, L. Wu

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Rangelands cover more than 80% of South Africa’s land area, providing critical ecosystem services, livelihoods and cultural values related to livestock. Communally owned rangelands are often overgrazed and subject to runaway fires but lack of data limits our understanding of how these threats impact production. In this transdisciplinary project, we use models to test hypotheses and predict future scenarios as a planning tool for resource-poor communal farmers. We think that moderate grazing and fire regimes will increase overall production and carbon sequestration with uncertain trade-offs for water and nutrient cycling. To test this, we trained two process-based biogeochemical models (DAYCENT …

Modeling Forage Yield Losses For Crop Insurance In Eastern Canada, I. Duchesne‐Ortiz, Gilles Bélanger, L. Martel, Guy Allard

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Landscape-Scale Patterns Of Fire And Drought On The High Plains, Usa, Paulette L. Ford, Charles Jackson, Matthew Reeves, Benjamin Bird, David Turner

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

We examine 31 years (1982-2012) of temperature, precipitation and natural wildfire occurrence data for Federal and Tribal lands to determine landscape-scale patterns of drought and fire on the southern and central High Plains of the western United States. The High Plains states of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming have been in the midst of ongoing extreme drought, experiencing below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures for the past several years. Climate change is predicted to have multiple effects on fire regimes. Longer periods of drought conditions, coupled with hot, dry and windy weather, provide …

Integrated Farming Systems In The Frame Work Of Bio-Economic Modelling For Sustainable Development Of Small And Marginal Farmers Under Changing Climatic Scenario, U. K. Behera

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In order to meet the multiple objectives of poverty reduction, food security, competitiveness and sustainability several researchers have recommended to adopt integrated farming systems (IFS). IFS is an approach in which different landbased enterprises are integrated within the bio-physical and socio-economic situations taking farmers preference and goal in to consideration. This is a multi-disciplinary approach and very effective for solving the problems of small and marginal farmers (Gangwar, 1993). Under the gradual shrinking of land holding in India and other developing countries, it is necessary to go for IFS to make farming more profitable and sustainable. In agricultural research and …

Declining Water Resources And Environmental Degradation: A Case Of The Thulokhola Watershed In The Nuwakot District Of Nepal, Durga D. Poudel, Timothy W. Duex

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Climate change alters the hydrology of a watershed through changes on precipitation patterns, extreme rain events, increase on temperatures, degradation of forest and soil resources and drought conditions. Drought conditions create stress on agricultural crops, forests, drinking water supply for human and wildlife as well as water supply for industrial uses. Flooding destroys crops, infrastructures, private properties, and results in loss of life. Climate change impacts both the availability as well as the quality of water resources as extreme rain events tend to alter water infrastructures and pollute water sources.

In Nepal, climate change impacts include degradation of resource and …

Fibre Quality In Timothy, Festulolium And Tall Fescue Around First Cut, Magnus A. Halling

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Fibre quality and available energy expressed as iNDF (indigestible neutral detergent fibre) decrease with maturity stage in timothy (Nordheim-Viken and Volden 2009). It is widely accepted that fibre quality also decreases with plant age in other forage grasses. However, climate factors such as temperature and water availability can interact with maturity stage in determining iNDF (Nordheim-Viken and Volden 2009). In the Norfor system, iNDF is an important measure of available energy in forage evaluation for ruminants (Åkerlind et al. 2011). This study examined how fibre quality in different forage grasses was affected by maturity stage and climate.