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Growth Of Grasses And Legumes: Impact On Grazing, S. Ray Smith

Kentucky Grazing Conference

The primary, cool season, perennial pasture grasses used in Kentucky are orchardgrass, bluegrass, and tall fescue. When not grazed or harvested, each of these passes through successive stages of growth in the spring: 1) leafy vegetative; 2) boot with seed heads enclosed in leaf sheath; 3) heading when the seed heads begin to show and, 4) bloom when pollination has occurred ( Figure 2). Since fiber and lignin contents increase steadily beyond the vegetative stage, while percent protein and digestibility decrease, a major goal in grazing management is to maintain these grasses in the leafy, vegetative stage at all times. …

A Spatial Analysis Of Anthropogenically Derived And Naturally Occurring Environmental Controls On Corn-Based Ethanol Production In Nebraska, Nathan Charles Healey

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Transportation fuels are an integral part of political, economic, social, and environmental arenas. Traditionally, fossil fuels have been utilized most heavily due to their abundance and economic value. Currently, social and political concerns about harmful emissions (greenhouse gases) from fossil fuel combustion have enhanced interest in alternative fuels that do not have the same environmental consequence. Numerous alternative fuels are produced globally including methanol, biodiesel, hydrogen cells, and ethanol (ethyl alcohol). In America, ethanol is produced from com due to the existence of the "Com Belt" and abundant corn production. Understanding the capacity for America to sustain expansion of alternative …

Mechanical Properties Of Plant Underground Storage Organs And Implications For Dietary Models Of Early Hominins, Nathaniel J. Dominy, Erin R. Vogel, Justin D. Yeakel, Paul J. Constantino, Peter W. Lucas

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

The diet of early human ancestors has received renewed theoretical interest since the discovery of elevated d13C values in the enamel of Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus. As a result, the hominin diet is hypothesized to have included C4 grass or the tissues of animals which themselves consumed C4 grass. On mechanical grounds, such a diet is incompatible with the dental morphology and dental microwear of early hominins. Most inferences, particularly for Paranthropus, favor a diet of hard or mechanically resistant foods. This discrepancy has invigorated the longstanding hypothesis that hominins consumed plant underground storage organs (USOs). Plant USOs are …

Compost Production And Use In Horticulture, Bob Paulin, Peter O'Malley

Bulletins 4000 -

Maintaining and improving soil organic carbon levels is becoming an increasingly important aspect of modern farming. Compost provides potentially one of the most effective ways of applying organic matter to soils and improving organic carbon levels.

Improving soil organic carbon is directly related to soil quality and performance. Increased quality reflects improved biological function (soil health), fertility and physical attributes that include better drainage, reduced compaction and erosion, and improved moisture-holding capability, at least for lighter soils.

Compost is not the only option available. Others include the use of cover or break crops, reducing the use of cultivations, selecting safe …

Is There A Benefit To Alfalfa Balage?, Gary Bates

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Making hay in the mid-South has always been a difficult process. High humidity and rainfall often make drying a long, tedious, if not impossible proposition. Over the last few years there has been an increased interest in making round bale silage, or balage, from forage crops. Fermenting alfalfa for storage has several advantages and disadvantages over regular haymaking systems.

Alfalfa: Forage Crop Of The Future, Neal P. Martin, David Mertens, Ronald Hatfield, Hans Jung

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

In 2007, U.S. farmers harvested 23.6 million acres of alfalfa. Alfalfa harvested as hay and haylage produced 82.8 million tons valued at approximately $9.4 billion, ranking behind only corn and soybeans. Alfalfa hay supports dairy, beef, sheep, and horse production in the U.S. as well as a growing export market.

Lead Concentration Of Soils In Sorby Hills Area Of Proposed M2 Irrigation Area, East Kimberley, Edward (Ted) Arnold Griffin, Noel R. Schoknecht, Ross Brennan, Jane Speijers, Dave Allen, Mike Freeman

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

The Balancing Act, David Weaver

Conference papers and presentations

Nutrient management is as much a global issue as a local one with a balance required between economics and environment, inherent biological limitations and expectations of nutrient use efficiency, and traditional fertiliser practices and actual enterprise nutrient requirements. The concept of nutrient balance depends on context and scale. Nutrient balance can be considered at a global scale, where issues of nutrient stocks, cycles, depletion and transfer of a particular element are important. For a single farm enterprise, nutrient balance might be considered in terms of phosphorus (P) inputs into and outputs from the enterprise. This is commonly known as a …

Reclamation Of Saline Soils Through Revegetation In Australia: Plants, Processes And People, Edward G. Barrett-Lennard

Conference papers and presentations

Secondary salinity (salinity induced by human activity) is a major world problem. Hydrological imbalances in landscapes cause watertables to rise, drawing salt from deeper in the soil profile to the soil surface, where the combined stresses of salinity and waterlogging threaten the growth of crops and pastures. The reversal of salinity by the broad‐scale reintroduction of perennial plants back into landscapes may not be economically feasible, but watertables may be at least partly directly drawn‐down by the grow th of salt tolerant plants (halophytes) on saltland . This review summarises data from Australia in which the water use by perennial …

Availability And Toxicity Of Nickel To Lotic Periphyton And Macroinvertebrates, Stephanie Marie Bessom

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

There is a lack of information regarding the bioaccumulation and toxicity of nickel (Ni) to lotic ecosystems. The objective of this study was to investigate the source, uptake, and toxicity of Ni by periphyton and macroinvertebrates (Hyalella azteca and Daphnia magna) in simulated stream ecosystems that included sediment and water. Periphyton were exposed to two types of sediment, a low-organic sandy mixture and a high organic silt, treated with varying levels of Ni. After 96 h, Ni levels in overlying water and periphyton were related to those in sediments, although differences existed between sediment types. Tests with 64Ni added to …

Influence Of Plankton Mercury Dynamics And Trophic Pathways On Mercury Concentrations Of Top Predator Fish Of A Mining-Impacted Reservoir, A. Robin Stewart, Michael K. Saiki, James S. Kuwabara, Charles N. Alpers, Mark Marvin-Dipasquale, David P. Krabbenhoft

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Physical and biogeochemical characteristics of the aquatic environment that affect growth dynamics of phytoplankton and the zooplankton communities that depend on them may also affect uptake of methylmercury (MeHg) into the pelagic food web of oligotrophic reservoirs. We evaluated changes in the quality and quantity of suspended particulate material, zooplankton taxonomy, and MeHg concentrations coincident with seasonal changes in water storage of a mining-impacted reservoir in northern California, USA. MeHg concentrations in bulk zooplankton increased from 4 ng·g^–1 at low water to 77 ± 6.1 ng·g^–1 at high water and were positively correlated with cladoceran biomass (r = …

Management And Conservation Note: Conserving Waste Rice For Wintering Waterfowl In The Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Jennifer P. Kross, Richard M. Kaminski, Aaron T. Pearse

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV), USA, is an internationally important migration and wintering region for North American waterfowl (Reinecke et al. 1989). The Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture (LMVJV) assumes food availability is the primary factor influencing carrying capacity of wintering waterfowl in this region (Reinecke and Loesch 1996). Because much of the MAV was converted from a seasonally flooded bottomland-hardwood ecosystem to a landscape dominated by agriculture, the LMVJV has incorporated estimates of the abundance of agricultural seeds such as rice into habitat conservation plans (Reinecke et al. 1988, Fredrickson et al. 2005). Biologists designed these plans to provide …

Adsorption Of Lead On Single And Mixed Solid Systems, Soumya Das

Dissertations

Metal oxy-hydroxides and phyllosilicate minerals play a significant role in the fate and transport of heavy metals in the environment (Bertsch and Seaman, 1999). Chemical speciation of metals affects their bioavailability and chemical reactivity (Stumm and Morgan, 1996). Surface complexation models (SCMs) based on equilibrium thermodynamic principles have been successfully used to quantify adsorption of heavy metals on pure solid minerals, including phyllosilicates and oxy-hydroxides. For natural sediments with mixed mineralogy, Davis et al. (1998) suggested two different SCM approaches, namely, the component additivity and generalized composite models. In this study, adsorption of lead on pure HFO, silica and kaolinite …

Does Grazing Method Matter?, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Interest in and opportunities for grazing continues to increase not only in Kentucky, but throughout the U.S. In Wisconsin, 12% or approximately 5000 dairymen are now using grazing. In Michigan, over 40% of the dairymen are using grazing for a significant part of their feed requirements. Over 15% of these dairymen are using intensive grazing. Similar numbers exist for Pennsylvania.

Surviving The 2007 Drought, Roy Burris

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Kentucky beef producers could feel the effects of the ’07 drought for a long time. Decisions made now will impact the ’08 and ’09 calf crops. The current hay/feed shortage has stimulated a lot of “panic buying”. Feedstuffs with very low nutritive values are being purchased at an alarming rate. These “feeds” are being purchased at much higher costs than we normally pay for good quality hay. If properly supplemented, they can be used successfully. However, their use to replace the normal hay supply could have disastrous results.

Unlv Magazine, Cate Weeks, Erin O'Donnell, Shane Bevell, Barbara Cloud, Joy Drohan, Adam Baer, Holly Ivy De Vore, Gian Galassi, Eric Leake

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Elevated Atmospheric Co2 On Root Dynamics, Biomass And Architecture In A Scrub-Oak Ecosystem At Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Daniel Benjamin Stover

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

A major gap in whole-plant ecology lies with our understanding of root system growth, function and distribution. Large belowground structures, in addition to fine roots, are of particular interest because of their role in carbon sequestration. Non-destructive methods, including ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and minirhizotron observation tubes, were used to investigate effects of elevated CO₂ on root biomass, dynamics (productivity, mortality, and turnover), root persistence and architecture in a fire dominated scrub-oak ecosystem. Open-top chambers have been exposed to elevated atmospheric CO₂ for the past eleven years at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. No significant sustained CO₂ treatment effects …

Unlv Magazine, Grace Russell, Gian Galassi, Shane Bevell, Karyn S. Hollingsworth, Jennifer Lawson, Lori Bachand, Cate Weeks, Erin O'Donnell, Peter Starkweather

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Alfalfa Hay For Horses, Robert Coleman

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Horses are designed to eat forage and quality forage is the basis for the feeding programs of all classes of horse. However, when one considers hay as that basic forage, what criteria are used to describe quality horse hay? In general terms, quality horse hay should supply needed nutrients, be palatable and should be free of anything harmful to the horse.

How The Alfalfa Plant Grows: Impact On Management, S. Ray Smith

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is the premier forage crop with high yield, high forage quality, season long productivity, drought tolerance, and extended stand life. Alfalfa requires intensive management to insure that yield, quality, and stand life are maximized. It should be planted on deep, well drained soils and maintained with optimal fertilizer inputs. It also requires adequate rest periods between cutting for hay or grazing. Alfalfa can be prone to significant insect damage and stands may require insecticide treatments. There are many details to successfully managing an alfalfa stand, but if you understand how the plant grows then you will better understand the …

Crop Updates 2007 - Farming Systems, David Jeffries, A. Loi, B. J. Nutt, Clinton K. Revell Dr, Yvette Oliver, Michael Robertson, Bill Bowden, Kit Leake, Ashley Bonser, Ian Maling, Bindi Isbister, Garren Knell, Alison Slade, David Stephens, Michael Meuleners, David Beard, Nicolyn Short, Rob Grima, Ingrid Richardson, Ruhi Ferdowsian, Geoff Bee, David Evans, Bob Gilkes, Senthold Asseng, Jim Dixon, Felicity Byrne, Mike Ewing, Dennis Van Gool, Louise Barton, Ralf Kiese, David Gatter, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Renee Buck, Christoph Hinz, Daniel Murphy, Cameron Weeks, Meredith Fairbanks, John Peirce, Brad Rayner, Sandy White, Paul Damon, Qifa Ma, Zed Rengel, Ed Barrett-Lennard, Meir Altman, Tracey M. Gianatti, Lindsay Bell, Ben Webb, Caroline Peek, Paul Sanford, Paul Blackwell, Glen Riethmuller, Darshan Sharma, Mike Collins, Frank D'Emden, David Hall, G. P. Manango, D. L. Steverson, Vanessa Stewart, Julie Roche, Peter Rutherford, Imma Farre, Ian Foster, Stephen Charles, Frances Hoyle, N. Milton, M. Osman, L. K. Abbott, W. R. Cookson, S. Darmawanto, Rob Sands, David Mccarthy, Paul Carmody, J. Russell, J. Eyres, G. Fosbery, A. Roe, Phil Nichols, Andrew Bathgate, Anne Wilkins

Crop Updates

This session covers forty papers from different authors:

1. Quality Assurance and industry stewardship, David Jeffries, Better Farm IQ Manager, Cooperative Bulk Handling

2. Sothis: Trifolium dasyurum (Eastern Star clover), A. Loi, B.J. Nutt and C.K. Revell, Department of Agriculture and Food

3. Poor performing patches of the paddock – to ameliorate or live with low yield? Yvette Oliver¹, Michael Robertson¹, Bill Bowden², Kit Leake³and Ashley Bonser³, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems¹, Department of Food and Agriculture², Kellerberrin Farmer³

4. What evidence is there that …

Soils: A Contemporary Perspective, Cheryl Palm, Pedro Sanchez, Sonya Ahamed, Alex Awiti

East Africa Institute

Soils are viewed in the context of ecosystem services, soil processes and properties, and key attributes and constraints. The framework used is based on the premise that the natural capital of soils that underlies ecosystem services is primarily determined by three core soil properties: texture, mineralogy, and soil organic matter. Up-to-date descriptions and geographical distribution of soil orders as well as soil attributes and constraints are given, along with the relationships between soil orders, properties, and biomes. We then relate ecosystem services to specific soil processes, soil properties, and soil constraints and attributes. Soil degradation at present is not adequately …

Applications Of Trace-Element And Stable-Isotope Geochemistry To Wildlife Issues, Yellowstone National Park And Vicinity, Maurice A. Chaffee, Wayne C. Shanks Iii, Robert O. Rye, Charles C. Shwartz, Monique G. Adams, Robert R. Carlson, James G. Crock, Pamela A. Gemery-Hill, Kerry A. Gunther, Cynthia L. Kester, Harley D. King, Shannon R. Podruzny

United States Geological Survey: Publications

Reconnaissance investigations have been conducted to identify how geochemical techniques can be applied to biological studies to assist wildlife management in and near Yellowstone National Park (the Park). Many elements (for example, As, B, Be, Ce, Cl, Cs, F, Hg, K, Li, Mo, Rb, S, Sb, Si, and W) are commonly enriched in (1) thermal waters in the Yellowstone area, (2) rocks altered by these waters, (3) sinter and travertine deposits, and (4) soils and stream sediments derived from these rocks. Some of these elements, such as As, F, Hg, and Mo, may be toxic to wildlife and could be …

Bomb-Spike Dating Of A Mummified Baboon In Ludwig Cave, Namibia, Greg Hodgins, George A. Brook, Eugene Marais

International Journal of Speleology

In 1982 a mummified adult female baboon was discovered on a ledge in Ludwig Cave in Namibia. A toe bone was removed for dating in July 1995. AMS radiocarbon dating of bone collagen, tendon, and skin indicates a post-modern age. Application of the atomic bomb-spike calibration curve suggests death in late 1977 and an age at death of around 19 years. Baboons roost in the cave and the mummified female, along with a mummified juvenile male discovered in 2002 and three rotting corpses discovered in 1995, were probably chased by other baboons or by leopards down a ca. 6 m …

The Impact Of Host Rock Geochemistry On Bacterial Community Structure In Oligotrophic Cave Environments, Hazel A. Barton, Nicholas M. Taylor, Michael P. Kreate, Austin C. Springer, Stuart A. Oehrle, Janet L. Bertog

International Journal of Speleology

Despite extremely starved conditions, caves contain surprisingly diverse microbial communities. Our research is geared toward understanding what ecosystems drivers are responsible for this high diversity. To asses the effect of rock fabric and mineralogy, we carried out a comparative geomicrobiology study within Carlsbad Cavern, New Mexico, USA. Samples were collected from two different geologic locations within the cave: WF1 in the Massive Member of the Capitan Formation and sF88 in the calcareous siltstones of the Yates Formation. We examined the organic content at each location using liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy and analyzed microbial community structure using molecular phylogenetic analyses. In …

Plant Assemblage Structure On Barrier Island ‘Pimple’ Dunes At The Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research Site, Brett A. Mcmillan

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The habitats at the VCR LTER that were the focus of the current study are the Hog Island and Parramore Island 'pimples', small, rounded dunes forming along main dune ridges of the barrier islands. There are distinct plant assemblage zones found on pimples, although most of these dunes are 10–20 m in diameter. Hypotheses of the study were that fresh water availability was a main determinant of differences between assemblages and that pimple size and location would influence diversity and assemblage structure. Research goals were (1) to describe the plant assemblages on pimples, (2) to relate edaphic and geomorphological factors …

The Fate Of Nitrogren Fixed By Diazotrophs In The Ocean, Margaret R. Mulholland

OES Faculty Publications

While we now know that N₂ fixation is a significant source of new nitrogen (N) in the marine environment, little is known about the fate of this N (and associated C), despite the importance of diazotrophs to global carbon and nutrient cycles. Specifically, does N fixed during N₂ fixation fuel autotrophic or heterotrophic growth and thus facilitate carbon (C) export from the euphotic zone, or does it contribute primarily to bacterial productivity and respiration in the euphotic zone? For Trichodesmium, the diazotroph we know the most about, the transfer of recently fixed N₂ (and C) appears …

Assessment Of The Status Of Lates Stappersii (Centropomidae) Stock In Lift-Net Fishery In Lake Tanganyika, Kigoma, Tanzania, I. A. Kimirei, Y. D. Mgaya

Tanzania Journal of Science

An assessment of the status of Lates stappersii (Boulenger, 1914) stock in the lift-net fishery in Lake Tanganyika, Kigoma area, was carried out from January to December 2003. Results indicated that breeding is seasonal with peaks in February, July-August and December, and so was catch composition, with peaks in March, May and July–August that followed the abundance of its prey, Stolothrissa tanganicae. Catch per unit effort was similar between wet and dry seasons and peaked synchronously at all study sites probably as an indication of its abundance during those months; but also it could mean that the fishes were caught …

Varietal Role In The Management Of The Larger Grain Borer, Prostephanus Truncatus (Horn) In Stored Maize, C. P. Rugumamu

Tanzania Journal of Science

The study determined the amount of haemolymph vitellogenin (Vg) of the Larger Grain Borer (LGB), Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) vitellogenic females reared on different maize varieties. The varieties were ZM 521, ZM 421, ECAVL1-DLN, WEEVIL A, LOCAL 1 and LOCAL 2. Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS - PAGE) was conducted on the insect haemolymph. F1 LGB adults from each variety were used to determine Indices of Susceptibility (IS) of the varieties to the insect pest attack. Percentages of Vg from female insects and IS were in the order ZM 521>ZM 421> ECAVL1-DLN>WEEVIL A >LOCAL 1>LOCAL 2. Weight …

New Options For Extending Grazing, Edward N. Ballard

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Feed costs represent the major cost in most livestock production systems. A recently completed analysis of 225 Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA) Beef Cow Records on herds in Illinois and Iowa showed that feed cost was the overriding factor determining profitability, explaining over 57 percent of the herd-to-herd variation.