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Drought Profile: Haryana State In North India, K. Kailasa Nathan

Drought Network News (1994–2001)

Haryana state is considered the breadbasket of India, along with the Punjab state. The effects of drought (and mitigation of those effects) are, therefore, of considerable importance for the state. This article considers the state’s drought profile through a study of six drought years in Haryana.

The Effects Of A Wetland On Ground-Water Quality In An Agriculturally Impacted Aquifer, Marilyn Ann Betts

Masters Theses

Nitrate concentrations in excess of U.S. EPA standards have been documented for farm wells in an area where hog production and row crops are the predominant forms of agribusiness. The aquifer serving this area is in glacial deposits of interbedded sand, clay, gravel and till. The upper, unconfined, sand and gravel unit of the aquifer is connected to a flow-through wetland. Five well nests, with wells at various depths, were installed in and around the wetland. Samples were taken from the wells in both winter and summer to establish temporal and spatial changes in ground-water quality parameters.

Concentrations of nitrate, …

Geologic Framework Of The Niobrara River Drainage Basin And Adjacent Areas In South Dakota Generally East Of The 100th Meridian West Longitude And West Of The Missouri River, Robert F. Diffendal Jr., Michael R. Voorhies

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

General geology and stratigraphy of the Niobrara River drainage basin in Nebraska and adjacent parts of South Dakota generally west of the Missouri River is reviewed. Of particular importance are the correlation of the Long Pine Formation of Pliocene age in Nebraska with the Herrick Gravels in South Dakota, the recognition of the members of the Ogallala Group named by Skinnner, Skinner and Gooris (1968) and by Skinner and Johnson (1984) in the basin, the acceptance of the relationships of the Miocene and older Tertiary units in the basin to those in the part of the study area in South …

Discussion And Measurement Of Soil Erosion In Iceland, Kimberly Jane Richardson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Soil erosion has occurred since the beginning of time. It is a natural process, but one that has been increasing at an alarming rate. Once soil is eroded--whether it is blown out to sea or washed down a river to sedimentize a lake--it is lost. It is almost impossible to reestablish similar soil components and characteristics in a given system. Since soil and vegetation reestablishment is expensive, the prevention of soil erosion by controlling its causes has become the most cost-effective reclamation effort.

After spending six months in Iceland, I wrote this paper on the unique erosion problems facing that …

Clean Lakes Assistance Program For Lake Nacimiento, Thomas J. Rice, David H. Chipping, Norman L. Eatough, Royden Nakamura, Daniel Bigley

Earth and Soil Sciences

No abstract provided.

Bulletin 4283 - Nitrogen Fertilisers For Cereal Production, M. G. Mason

Bulletins 4000 -

Because fertiliser prices are high, it is important to understand what affects the response to fertilisers by crops.

Among the many factors influencing crop response to nitrogen applications, the most important are the season, soil type, paddock history, time of application and source of nitrogen. Before deciding whether to use nitrogen on a cereal crop, which source to use and at what rate, you need some understanding of how these factors work.

Greatest responses to nitrogen fertilisers can be expected in areas with a relatively long growing season. In such areas light soils with a low nitrogen status give the …

Marketing Quality Alfalfa Hay, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa hay is a potentially marketable-profitable product if--if quality is satisfactory to meet buyer's needs, if it is packaged such that it meets buyer's feeding program and can be transported efficiently, if in sufficient quantity, if storage site is accessible by truck or trailer, and if it is competitively priced. Meeting these minimum criteria only means the hay is potentially marketable; only after it has been sold does it become potentially profitable.

Producing Quality Alfalfa Hay, Jimmy C. Henning, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Hay is one of the most versatile of stored forages in that (1) it can be kept for long periods of time with little loss of nutrients if protected from weather; (2) a large number of crops can be successfully used for hay production; (3) it can be produced and fed in small or large amounts; (4) it can be harvested, stored and fed by hand or the production and feeding can be completely mechanized; and (5) hay can supply most nutrients needed by many classes of livestock. Hay is, therefore, the most commonly used stored feed on most farms. …

Role In Alfalfa In Livestock Feeding Programs In Kentucky, Donna M. Amaral-Phillips

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa, the "Queen of the Forage Crops", is a highly versatile forage crop which can be grazed directly by livestock or harvested as hay or silage. With the development of new alfalfa varieties, increased pest and weed control, and increased demand from livestock owners, the amount of alfalfa fed to livestock will increase. As with any forage crop, proper harvest and feeding management is necessary to reap the benefits.

Fencing For Optimum Grazing, Larry W. Turner

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Controlled or rotational grazing can result in better utilization of forage resources. By better forage management through controlled grazing, producers may increase profitability of cattle/forage systems. To effectively develop a controlled grazing system, however, fencing must be used to subdivide the pasture into sub-fields or paddocks. The animals may then be rotated among the paddocks to optimize forage and beef or dairy production from the system. Alfalfa grazing can play an important part in such a system.

Planning the "best", or optimum, fencing strategy should be done with the overall goal in mind of improving profitability. Key factors that describe …

Grazing Alfalfa — Momentum Continues, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

In my presentation at our XIII Kentucky Alfalfa Conference held here last year, I stated. that interest in grazing alfalfa was at an all time high. Five other speakers followed me on the program with presentations about alfalfa grazing. Steve Osborne discussed alfalfa grazing trials in Monroe County. Ken Johnson talked about the Do's and Dont's in Alfalfa Grazing. Dr. Roy Burris talked about alfalfa grazing from a state perspective and Mr. Warren Thompson discussed the topic from a national perspective. Professor Joe Bums concluded the grazing portion of the program with grazing alfalfa experiences in Tennessee.

Despite a rather …

Bulletin 4278 - How To Use Wide Furrow Sowing For Improved Crop Production On Water Repellent Sand, Paul Blackwell, Grant Morrow, Tony Webster

Bulletins 4000 -

Wide furrow sowing is a method for successfully establishing crops of lupins or cereals on non-wetting sands, and improving crop establishment on non-repellent sands. The same principles can be used to assist establishment of fodder shrubs and long-term pasture (e.g. tagasaste and Rhodes grass).

Geomorphic And Structural Features Of The Alliance 1º × 2º Quadrangle, Western Nebraska, Discernible From Synthetic-Aperture Radar Imagery And Digital Shaded-Relief Maps, Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

Robert F. Diffendal, Jr., Publications

The digital shaded-relief map of the United States and the synthetic-aperture radar map of the Alliance Nebraska 1º x 2º area prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the former case and for the USGS in the latter show oriented landforms and lineaments in northwest Nebraska. Parallel and subparallel hills and valleys developed on different geologic materials ranging from shales through sandstones to loess and eolian sand appear to be wind erosional features subsequently modified by running water. The long axes of these hills and valleys generally trend between N40"W and N50"W. Similar features also occur across major areas …

Project Spotlight: Morro Bay Watershed 319 National Monitoring Program Project. National Water Quality Evaluation Project Notes., Karen Worcester, Thomas J. Rice, Jo Beth Mullens

Earth and Soil Sciences

No abstract provided.

Snake: The Plain And Its People, E. B. Bentley, Bill Bonnichsen, John C. Freemuth, Bill Hackett, Glenn Oakley, F. Ross Peterson, Mark G. Plew, Todd Shallat, Steve Stuebner

Faculty & Staff Authored Books

Idaho's longest river curves west through desert landscapes, cutting deep through ancient formations, flowing through space and time. How have humans dealt with the desert? How have we been shaped by the land? SNAKE: The Plain and Its People explores the physical and ecological roots of Idaho civilization through science, social science, photography and art.

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Murchison River Catchment, Western Australia, Peter James Curry, A L. Payne, K A. Leighton, P Hennig, D A. Blood

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the Murchison River catchment and surrounds, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture between 1985 and 1988, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed by field work during 1985-88 …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of Rangelands In The North-Eastern Goldfields, Western Australia, H J. Pringle, S A. Gilligan, A M E Van Vreeswyk

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the north-eastern Goldfields, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 1988 and 1990, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed covers about 100 …

How Sustainable Is Grazing Sheep On Annual Pastures In The Woolbelt?, Don Mcfarlane, Richard George

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Low wool prices have reduced the profitability of producing wool from clover-based annual pastures in the south-western woo/belt. The heavy reliance on one commodity is economically unsustainable for many farmers. But we should also consider how ecologically sustainable the practice is.

Shallow-rooted annual pastures contribute to widespread salinity in the area, annual legumes are acidifying the soils and making them water repellent, and bare, detached soils from heavy grazing cause sheet and rill erosion during autumn storms. In addition, stock are degrading remnant vegetation and destroying the soil's structure.

To counteract this degradation, the woo/belt needs more perennial pastures and …

Red Mud : Cutting Pollution And Boosting Yields, Rob Summers

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A by-product from the refining of bauxite ore in the South-West is proving a bonus for agriculture.

When spread over the land, not only is it improving soil quality, but it is helping to prevent leaching of phosphorus and the consequent massive algal blooms in the waterways.

Bauxite residue is also showing considerable promise in human and animal effluent disposal systems, composting urban refuse, sewage treatments and as a road base.

Western Australia is now in the forefront of this research which is attracting world-wide interest.

Lupin Stubbles : Getting The Best With Weaner Sheep, Keith Croker, Colin Mcdonald, Jeremy Allen

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Sweet lupins are now grown on about a million hectares in Western Australia each year. If half of the State's seven million weaners were grazed as recommended on half of the lupin stubbles, it could generate about $15 million from reduced supplementary feeding, greater wool production and other advantages. But correct management is important, particularly knowing when to take weaners out. Research by the Department over the last five years is now indicating how this should be done.

The Fecal Coliform/Fecal Streptococci Ratio (Fc/Fs) And Water Quality In The Bluegrass Region Of Kentucky, Mark S. Coyne, J. M. Howell

Soil Science News and Views

In the mid 70' s, someone noticed that the ratio of two indicator bacteria in fecal wastes - fecal coliforms (FC) and fecal streptococci (FS) - was characteristic of particular animal wastes. In human wastes, the fecal coliform/fecal streptococci ratio (FC/FS ratio) was greater than 4. In domesticated animals, like cattle, the ratio was between 0.1 and 4.0. In wild animals, the ratio was less than 0.1. Since that time, many attempts have been made to use the ratio to determine the source of fecal bacteria in contaminated ground water.

Agricultural Impacts On Fecal Contamination Of Shallow Groundwaters In The Bluegrass Region Of Kentucky, Mark S. Coyne, J. M. Howell

Soil Science News and Views

Any farming practices that degrade water quality contribute to agricultural nonpoint source pollution. This is a problem in Kentucky's Bluegrass region where shallow soils and karst geology permit surface contaminants to reach groundwater quickly. Real and perceived threats to public health may make groundwater protection plans a reality if evidence for non-point source pollution in agricultural areas continues to grow.

Limestone And Lime For So2 And Pollutant Control In The Ohio Valley, James C. Cobb, Garland R. Dever Jr.

Information Circular--KGS

The purpose of this conference is to emphasize the importance of limestone resources for controlling SO₂ emissions from coal-fired power plants. We have brought together experts from utilities to describe important factors in limestone performance in scrubbers and from the stone industry to describe important factors in limestone and lime production. Conference speakers include also representatives from research institutes, equipment manufacturers, government agencies, and geological surveys.

An Outcome-Based Curriculum Design For Seventh Grade Earth Science, Jeffrey Scott Fields

All Graduate Projects

This project presents a curriculum design to be used for the seventh grade Earth Science course taught at Centerville School. The curriculum was created by modifying the district's student learning objectives into outcome-based objectives, lessons and units. This project was designed with the intent of enhancing the teaching of earth science and aiding other teachers in the district by giving them a possible model for their own curricula comparison and adoptions. The curriculum design was successful in meeting these intentions.

Towards Regressive Evolution: The Periodic Colour Change Behaviour Of A Troglophilic Fish Nemacheilus Evezardi (Day), Rohit K. Pradhan, Jayant Biswas

International Journal of Speleology

Present study is an attempt to know the existence of colour change physiology of the cave fish Nemacheilus evezardi (Day) along a circadian time scale. Though, due to subterranean mode of life, practically this function has no survival value. The study has been conducted simultaneously in two different photoperiodic conditions (LD 00: 24 and LD 12:12 hr). The variation in different states of chromatophore has been computed with respect to different time points of the day. Results suggest that the phenomenon is lying completely disturbed in its in situ conditions. Interestingly, circadian rhythm in all the types of chromatophores were …

La Cueva Del Tesoro - Rincón De La Victoria (Málaga, España), Antonio Guzmán, Fernando Mendoza, José Luís Gutiérrez

International Journal of Speleology

«La Cueva del Tesoro» (The Treasure Cave) is located on the East, 10 kilometres from the city of Málaga, in a coastal promontory called «El Cantal» (a small steep), which is situated in the municipality of Rincón de la Victoria. The composition of land in this zone «El Cantal» is made up of limestone and there are many caves which are located within a radius of 2 kilometres, although some of them have already disappeared: la Cueva del Tesoro, la cueva del Hoyo de la Mina, Cuevas de Navarro, Cuevas de la Cantera, Cueva de los Molinos, Cueva de la …

No-Tillage Sowing Decreases Water Erosion On Loamy Soils And Increases Earthworm Activity, Kevin Bligh

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

No-tillage sowing places seed and fertiliser in the soil without loosening all of the topsoil. Soil is cultivated only in the sown rows, leaving the inter-row areas largely undisturbed.

No-tillage sowing reduces both wind and water erosion. Soil structure is generally improved, and pasture regeneration is increased because seed is not buried too deeply for re-establishment.

Two long-term trials were establis_hed on loamy soils to determine effects of tillage and cropping on runoff and soil loss.

Further Evidence Of Lead Contamination Of Omaha Skeletons, A. Mohamad Ghazi, Karl J. Reinhard, Mary Anne Holmes, Eric M. Durrance

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

A previous analysis of Omaha skeletons dating between A.D. 1780 and 1820 revealed the presence of lead in all skeletons with high concentrations in children and adult males (Reinhard and Ghazi [1992] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 89: 183-195). Two likely explanations for the high lead levels were presented: 1) metabolic absorption of lead and 2) diagenetic uptake of lead by the bones from postmortem application of pigments to the corpse. Two types of lead were available to the Omaha tribe: 1) Mississippi Valley type, and 2) non-Mississippi Valley type. It has been suggested that red-lead pigment mixed with mercury sulfide …

Using Saltland In Pakistan : An Australian Connection, Ed Barrett-Lennard, Riaz Qureshi

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Pakistan and Australia have a common enemy in salt. In each country millions of hectares of previously productive land have been affected by salt (or have the potential to become saline) because of inappropriate agricultural development. Since 1989 the Western Australian Department of Agriculture has participated in a research project in Pakistan which involves revegetation of salt land using Australian shrubs. Early results are very promising.

Some Remarks On The Genus Microcharon Karaman In Greece, And Description Of M. Agripensis N. Sp. (Crustacea, Isopoda, Microparasellidae), Diana M. P. Galassi, Paola De Laurentiis, Giuseppe L. Pesce

International Journal of Speleology

Several samples of microparasellid isopods of the genus Microcharon Karaman were obtained in groundwater habitats of Greece. Four species are identified, and taxonomical and zoogeographical remarks on some rare or poorly known taxa are made. One species, herein described as Microcharon agripensis n. sp., is new to Science. M. latus prespensis Karaman, 1954, on account of the different morphology of the first and second male pleopods, and its partially overlapping distribution, in respect to M. latus Karaman, 1934, is definitively raised at specific rank. Supplementary descriptions and illustrations are reported for incompletely described species such as M. latus, M. …