Digital Commons Network^™

Quality Of Ammoniated Brachiaria Decumbens Hay, L. O. Fernandes, Ricardo A. Reis, L. R. A. Rodrigues

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The experiment was conducted at UNESP-Jaboticabal to evaluate the quality of Brachiaria decumbens hays harvested after seed ripening. The hays were submitted to the following treatments: control, anhydrous ammonia (3.0% NH₃ in the DM), and urea (5.0% in the DM). The chemical composition, digestibility and the performance of steers were evaluated using a complete randomized block design with three treatments and six replications. The ammoniation either with NH3 or urea increased (P< 0.05) the CP content, and the IVDMD. The NH₃ treatment reduced (P < 0.05) the contents of NDF and ADF, and the urea application reduced (P < 0.05) the contents of hemicellulose and lignin. The ammoniation did not affect (P > 0.05) the neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen, and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen values. Steers receiving Brachiaria hay plus soybean meal (1.08 kg DM.day), hay …

Ensiling Of Different Legumes Compared To Grass, S. Slottner, C. Rammer

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of this study was to examine the ensiling characteristics of four different forage legumes: galega (Galega orientalis), lucerne (Medicago sativa), white clover (Trifolium repens) and red clover (Trifolium pratense), and compare these with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), using different additives. The crops were mowed using a sickle bar mower and chopped using a precision chop harvester. The crops were ensiled either direct cut or wilted to 35-45% DM. Wilting took place on a barn drier. Forages were ensiled either untreated or with addition of formic acid, Promyr or …

Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Forage Crops And Silage Fermentation, Yimin Cai, Ryuichi Uegaki, Y. Fujita

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Six strains, Lactobacillus plantarum CM 1, Lactobacillus rhamnosus CM 2, Pediococcus acidilactici CM 4 Enterococcus faecalis CM 5, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides CM 7 and Weissella paramesenteroides CM 8 isolated from forage crops were used as additives at 1.0x10⁵ cfu g^-1 of fresh matter to Italian ryegrass and alfalfa, and their effect on silage fermentation was studied. The two silage’s treated with strains CM 1, CM 2 and CM 4 were well preserved; had significantly lower pH values, butyric acid and ammonia N concentrations; and had significantly higher lactic acid content than did the respective control, strains CM 5, CM …

Evaluation Of Forage Sorghum Silages With The Addition Of Sorghum Grain, M. De León, E. Ustarroz, M. A. Brunetti, C. Boetto, M. Bulaschevich

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of additional sorghum grain and stage of maturity of forage sorghum silage on the animal performance. Two feeding trials were conducted with forage sorghum silage made at different stage of plant maturity. In trial 1, early silage was made with the crop harvested in early bloom stage. Four diets based on different ratios of silage: sorghum grain were evaluated: 100% silage (ES); 80% silage: 20% dry grain (ES20D); 60% silage: 40% dry grain (ES40D) and 60% silage: 40% wet grain silage (ES40W). In trial 2, late silage was made with …

Influence Of Additive Aiv-2000 And Pre-Wilted Big Bale On Silage Quality, Animal Performance And Rumen Metabolism, Jonas Jatkauskas, V. Vrotniakienė

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Silage treatment with AIV-2000 or making of silage big bales resulted in a higher level of lactic acid and organic matter digestibilities and reduced concentrations of butyric acid and ammonia-N. Feeding AIV-2000 treated and big bale silages increased weight gains of young fattening bulls by, respectively, 5.44 and 6.77% in comparison with the ordinary made silage. AIV-2000 treated and big bale silages affected microflora activity in the rumen. Infusoria count was higher by 13.5 and 30.34% (P < 0.05), VFA concentration increased by 0.39 and 8.45%, the pH value decreased by 0.05 and 0.1 unit, the content of total nitrogen was by 14.67 and 18.73 mg/100 ml, protein nitrogen by 14.12 and 16.63 mg/100 ml and non-protein nitrogen by 0.53 and 1.39 mg/100 ml higher, respectively for AIV-2000 and big bale groups in comparison with the control group.

Quality And Nutritive Value Of Mott Dwarf Elephantgrass Silage With Biological Additives, T. Clavero

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of cellulase enzymes and lactic acid bacteria on the fermentation characteristics, chemical composition and nutritive value of Pennisetum purpureum cv Mott silage. Five kinds of preparation were tested: sugar molasses (control); sugar molasses and cellulase enzymes; cellulase enzymes; concentrate of lactic acid bacteria and sugar molasses and concentrate of lactic acid bacteria. Significant differences (P< 0.05) were found in fermentation quality and chemical composition of control silage as compared to the biological additives treated silage. Addition of cellulase enzymes and lactic acid bacteria resulted in decrease of pH value, cell wall content and increased lactic acid concentration. The biological additives increased silage intake and daily live weight by growing steers.

Effects Of Different Additives On Silage Quality Of Napiergrass, Y. K. Cheng, C. S. Chen, P. W. Peng

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Objectives of this experiment were to determine the effects of different additives on silage quality of napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum). The cultivar of TLG2 with high water soluble carbohydrates was used to making silages added with or without 5 and 10% corn meal or wheat bran, and then treated with or without enzyme. Crude protein, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, water soluble carbohydrates and volatile fatty acid contents of silage were determined to evaluate silage quality. From the results, it showed that var.TLG2 could be making good silages without any additives but the dry matter was low. Adding …

Cover Crops To Improve Soil Health In The North American Great Plains, Augustine K. Obour, Logan M. Simon, Jonathon D. Holman, Patrick M. Carr, Meagan Schipanski, Steven Fonte, Rajan Ghimire, Thandiwe Nleya, Humberto Blanco-Canqui

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Rotating cereal crops (e.g., wheat [Triticum aestivum L.] with a 10- to 21-mo summer fallow period [fallow]) is a common farming practice in dryland (rainfed) agricultural regions. Fallow is associated with several challenges including low precipitation storage efficiency, depletion of soil organic carbon (SOC), loss of soil fertility, little crop residue retention and soil erosion, and few control options for herbicide-resistant (HR) weeds. The inability to effectively control HR weeds poses a major challenge to maintaining soil and water conservation practices such as no-tillage, as some producers are considering tillage to control weeds. Cover crop (CC) integration into wheat-based …

Livestock Grazing Impacts On Crop And Soil Responses For Two Cropping Systems, Alyssa Kuhn

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Diversified crop, forage, and livestock systems are assumed to be more sustainable and economically competitive than traditional cropping systems. Objectives of this study were to determine effects of integrating grazing livestock into corn (Zea mays)-soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) (C-S) and corn-soybean-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (C-S-W) cropping systems on plant population, grain yield, soil nutrients and soil carbon dioxide (CO₂) flux following winter grazing corn residue (both systems) and an oat (Avena sativa) cover crop (C-S-W only) planted after wheat. For the 2019 and 2020 production seasons, neither corn nor soybean plant …

Sensitivity Of Soybean And Rice To Dicamba, Owen Wesley France

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although the integration of dicamba as a postemergence (POST) herbicide has proven useful in controlling many herbicide-resistant weeds, its damage to soybean at low rates, such as supplied by drift and volatility, has been well-documented. Injury to other crops, such as rice, from off-target movement of dicamba and other commonly used herbicides, such as glyphosate, may also occur. Practical options for mitigating injury and yield loss to soybean and other crops from dicamba off-target movement could prove beneficial if dicamba continues to be used during summer months. Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of multiple agricultural practices, including cultivar …

How Do Cover Crops Change Soil Health In A No-Till System?, Aysha Kirsten Tapp Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient levels and aggregation measurements are currently the most accurate means to measure soil health. It has been suggested that bacterial and fungal communities may prove to be a more accurate measure of soil health. In this study soil microbe communities and nutrient levels were compared in rye cover cropped soils to measure for differences between treatments. Effects between the microbial communities and environmental measurements were also measured within those treatments to test for correlations between soil health measures and microbial communities. The plots were put in a biennial corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max …

Intricacies In Agronomic Management: The Role Of Interdisciplinary Education, Adam M. Striegel

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

As a science, agronomy is built upon the connection of inter-disciplinary fields of study. Management (M) of various discipline considerations (and their subsequent interactions) can be influenced by and have significant effects on genetic by environment (GxE) expression. This has led to the promotion of GxExM systems. However, optimizing GxExM programs requires extensive, interdisciplinary knowledge. To evaluate interdisciplinary training provided in undergraduate education, 11 four-year universities were selected in the United States that offer baccalaureate degree majors in agronomy or crop science. Surveys of undergraduate programs of study were conducted, with all required coursework separated into general degree components (general …

Recapture And Reuse Of Nitrogen And Phosphorus From Rendered Animal Materials To Enhance Nutrient Use Efficiency And Produce Quality In Agricultural Crop, Bhupinder Jatana

All Dissertations

The current fertilizer regime heavily relies on inorganic fertilizers to meet the crop nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) demand. However, the United States has a limited N production capacity, with 50% N demand met through imports. On the other hand, the nonrenewable natural reserves of P are being depleted at an unprecedented rate and are expected to be exhausted with in next 100 years. Additionally, high solubility/liability of the field applied inorganic fertilizers often results in lower nutrient use efficiency (NUE;

The MBM led to rapid N mineralization, with 35% of the applied N mineralized within the first five days …

Distillers' Grains: Past, Present, And Future Economic Analyses, Daniel E. Gertner

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis is comprised of four chapters, each of which discusses or conducts economic research related to the distillers’ grains market. The first three chapters are meant to be standalone papers. Chapter four provides potential paths forward in distillers’ grains research based on the findings of the first three chapters and concludes the thesis.

The first chapter conducts a comprehensive literature review that categorizes and summarizes economic research on distillers’ grains products. This section shows how the physical market has moved beyond the current academic understanding of market products and structure. Existing research finds that traditional distillers’ grains products positively …

Effects Of Nitrogen Management And Cultivar On Strawberry Production Under Disease Pressure, Kamille A. Garcia-Brucher

Master's Theses

Effects of nitrogen management and cultivar on strawberry production under disease pressure

Kamille Garcia-Brucher

California strawberry growers face increasing regulatory pressures to manage nitrogen (N) applications in their production system. Standard practice in the California strawberry industry is to apply a synthetic pre-plant controlled release fertilizer (CRF) to ensure the crop has sufficient N during winter establishment. Some research from the UC Cooperative Extension suggests this practice is not efficient at delivering N to the crop since most of the N is released from CRF before strawberry crop N uptake is significant. Another concern for California strawberry growers is loss …

Nutrient Uptake And Management Strategies In Recirculating Hydroponic Systems, Lauren Leigh Houston

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient management in recirculating hydroponic systems requires the periodic replenishment of water and nutrients to the nutrient solution reservoir. Common nutrient management strategies, such as replenishing the reservoir with fresh solution and maintaining a constant solution electrical conductivity (EC), can lead to ion accumulation and nutrient imbalances since nutrients are taken up by roots and depleted from solution at different rates. To avoid nutritional disorders, commercial growers typically dump and replace the hydroponic solution periodically, which is wasteful and has an economic cost. A potential alternative is to specially formulate the nutrient replenishment solution to balance the supply of nutrients …

Crispr Gene Editing Drivers, Barriers And Prospects: A Comparative Study Among Plant Scientists Globally, Adriaan Johannes De Lange

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The introduction of CRISPR gene editing into food crops has potential to contribute to food security and sustainable food production globally. To date, most scientific studies have focused on consumer perception of CRISPR gene edited foods or the potential benefits and risks of the CRISPR technology and none have focused on the perceptions of plant scientists concerning CRISPR gene editing. This study aimed to explore the investments, functions, barriers, benefits for specific crops and beneficiaries of CRISPR gene editing according to plant scientists, by distributing an online survey in which 1,040 plant scientists active across six continents and in both …

Assessing Freezing Effect On Kiwifruit Cultivars And Mapping Suitable Areas For Growing The Crop In Eastern Texas, Lais De Oliveira Machado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Kiwifruit is a perennial vine originating from China where it has been grown for centuries. In the United States, green kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) is primarily produced commercially in California. They are fuzzy, green fleshed and well known in the marketplace. Kiwifruit plants require low to moderate soil pH, adequate winter chilling and adequate precipitation to guarantee plant development and good fructification. Actinidia chinesis or golden kiwifruit are smooth skinned, feature golden flesh and are a more recent introduction into the global market. Kiwifruit crops have attributes that favor production in east Texas, including low pest problems, current long …

Impact Of Planting Arrangement And Drill Row Spacing For Direct-Seeded, Delayed Flood Rice, Mary Jane Lytle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Direct-seeding is the most frequently utilized planting practice in Arkansas and Mid-South rice (Oryza sativa L.) production. Enhanced plant density and more rapid rice canopy formation may result from the implementation of innovative plant arrangements and spacings. Studies were initiated in 2019 and continued into 2020 to examine different cultural management practice experiments, including evaluating the impacts of planting arrangement, row spacing, and seeding rates on rice stand density, canopy coverage, grain yield, and milling yield. These small-plot trials were conducted at two locations, a silt loam site and a clay site, representative of soils produced to rice in eastern …

Small Grain Cereal Cover Crops For Late Fall Or Early Spring Grazing, Kallie J. Calus

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Beef cattle operations are confronted with early spring and late fall forage deficiencies. Producers in integrated crop and livestock systems can fill forage gaps using cover crops as a forage source in between cash crops.

A five-year study evaluating forage production, growing calf performance and economics of grazing an oats cover crop planted after corn silage (CS) and high moisture corn (HMC) corn harvests was conducted. The economic analysis accounted for costs of establishing and grazing the oats and the value of calf gain to determine fall grazing system profitability. Steers had greater average daily gain grazing oats after CS …

Economic Potash Fertilizer Rate Recommendations, Kimberly B. Oliver

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is comprised of two studies that estimate profit-maximizing potassium (K) fertilizer application rates for various crops across different time periods. Estimation of profit-maximizing fertilizer-K rate (K*) for both studies considered the initial soil test level of K (STK) and yield response information, as traditional recommendations do, and added crop price and the cost of fertilizer. Profit maximum occurs where the marginal revenue from additional yield is equal to the marginal cost of applying an additional unit of fertilizer-K. The first study calculated K* for corn (Zea mays) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and compared results to previous studies on …

Forage Production From Perennial Vs. Annual Crop R~ On In Sandy Soils In Egypt, Z. Abdelhalim, O. Niemeläinen, I. A. Hanna, A. M. Rammah

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage production was studied on newly reclaimed sandy soil in Egypt trom perennial lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) and two annual crop rotations. The cropping systems were: A) lucerne, B) berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) in the winter followed by pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum R. Br. Emend. Stantz.) in the summer and C) triticale (XX Triticosecale Wittm.) (forage cut + grain harvest) in the winter followed by maize (Zea mays L.) (grain + stover) in the summer. Mean annual dry matter yields (t ha^-1 ) were 20.65, 26.59 and 27.48 from A, B and C, respectively. However, …

Forage Quality Evaluation Of Chopped Elephantgrass Hay Through Intake And Digestibility Trial, E. M. De Aguiar, G. F. Da C. Lima, L. G. Da Paz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The research was carried out to evaluate forage quality of chopped elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) hay and to define a proper stage for cutting and haymaking of this grass. Chemical composition, voluntary intake, and apparent digestibility of the hays were studied at five different growth stages (30, 48, 63, 76, and 91 days). Twenty-five common wethers were utilized in a completely randomized experimental design. Dry matter (DM) voluntary intake was not different (P> 0.05) from 30 to 63 days of regrowth and from 63 to 91 days and comprised 3.9; 3.5; 3.2; 2.1; and 2.4% of animal liveweight, respectively …

Seeding Rate Effects On Forage Mass And Vegetation Dynamics Of Cool-Season Grass Sod Interseeded With Sorghum-Sudangrass, John A. Guretzky, D. D. Redfearn

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Interseeding annual warm-season grasses into perennial cool-season grasses has the potential to increase summer forage mass and nutritive value. Knowledge of how seeding rate affects annual warm-season grass establishment, forage mass, and vegetation dynamics remains limited. From 2016–2017, we conducted a field experiment evaluating the effects of seeding rates on sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor x S. bicolor var. sudanense) density and forage mass and on the frequency of occurrence of plant species in cool-season grass sod in Lincoln, NE. The experiment had a completely randomized design consisting of six replicates of four seeding rates [0, 14, 28, and 35 …

Berseem Clover In Binary Mixtures With Oats, Triticale Or Barley For Silage And Late Season Grazing, S. M. Ross, J. R. King

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An experiment was conducted at northerly latitudes with berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L) in binary mixtures with oats (Avena sativa L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack). The effects of cereal species, variety and density were assessed for a two cut harvest. Total dry matter yields were 11.7 to 14.5 t ha^-1, with 7.8 to 10.2 t ha^-1 as silage, and 2.0 to 6.0 t ha^-1 as berseem regrowth. Berseem regrowth added an average of 4.0 t ha^-1 in forage yield. Total yields did not differ with cereal …

Transgenic Maize Hybrid Crop Residues: Nutritive Value And Their Effects On Performance Of Grazing Beef Cows, S. K. Barnhart, J. R. Russell, M. J. Hersom, D. E. Farnham

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Several maize (Zea mays) hybrids, including three transgenic hybrids containing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) enzymes (Bt-maize hybrids), were planted in a field study. Mature, midgestation, beef cows (Bos tarus) strip-grazed post-harvest residues as paddocks over 126 days. Body condition-scores and weights were monitored. Forage yield, weathering losses and forage composition were monitored on grazed and ungrazed areas. Forage selection and intake were estimated. Grain yields, dropped grain, initial crop residue concentrations of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM) yields were similar among hybrids. Hybrids varied in infestation of maize borers, …

Supplementation Of Temperate Pastures, D. H. Rearte, G. A. Pieroni

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Generally in temperate regions, beef and milk were produced on extensive systems with forage from perennial pasture and natural grassland being the main component of animal diet. Supplementation on pasture was usually applied strategically to supply nutrients to grazing cattle only when forage availability was not enough to satisfy animal’s requirements. At present beef and dairy production systems have become more intensive and even when forage from pasture continue being the main component of the diet higher level of different type of supplement are fed to the animals. Intensive systems are characterized by a higher stocking rate capable of consuming …

Feeding Of Conserved Forage - Implications To Grassland Management And Production, C. W. Holmes, P. N. P. Matthews

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This review will focus on the use of conserved forages in pastoral dairy farm systems; especially on their conservation as an aid to good grazing management during periods of rapid pasture growth, and on their consumption as an aid to good feeding management and grazing management during periods of slow pasture growth. Conservation of pasture, in order to move it from one time to another later time, always involves “costs”, either financial expenditure or physical losses (of dry matter/quality) or both, which must be evaluated in the whole system.

Most of the data is drawn from New Zealand and Australia, …

High Moisture Sorghum Grain Silage: Effects Of Tannin Content And Urea Treatment On The Performance Of Dairy Cows, L. A. Romero, E. A. Comerón, O. A. Bruno, A. R. Castillo, M. C. Gaggiotti

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grain sorghum silage tannin content effect was evaluated on milk production and chemical composition of Argentinean Holstein bred cows, and it are described dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) in situ digestion parameters and effective degradability. The base diet was constituted by alfalfa pasture, maize silage, and a protein – mineral supplement, differing in three treatments based on high moisture grain silage characteristic: LTS= Low tannin grain sorghum, HTS= High tannin grain sorghum, and HTSu= High tannin sorghum plus the addition of urea. Grain sorghum silage tannin content affects milk production, without significant alteration of chemical composition. Beside the …

Comparative Growth Performance Of West African Dwarf Goat Supplemented With Calliandra Calothyrsus, Leucaena Leucocephala, Or Cotton Seed Cake In West Cameroon, E. Tedonkeng Pamo, G. D. Assontia, C. Njehoya

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A comparative growth performance study of African Dwarf Goats supplemented with Calliandra calothyrsus, Leucaena leucocephala or cotton seed cake was carried out on farm around Dschang and in the University Experimental Farm. Goats between 12 and 16 months of age were divided into 4 groups of 11 goats each with one group kept as a control. The supplemented animals received respectively 390 g of L. leucocephala, 380 g of C. calothyrsus (fresh matter) and 88.8 g of cotton seed cake each, corresponding to 6 g of nitrogen per animal per day. The animals were weighed every 21 days …