Digital Commons Network^™

Win-Win For Dairy Farms: Heifers Raised On Pasture Reduce Cost And Produce More Milk At First Lactation, Ken F. Kalscheur, C. H. P. Camisa Nova, D. M. Jaramillo, G. E. Brink

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Pastures under good management promote environmental, economic, and animal welfare advantages. However, comparisons of animal performance for pasture-raised dairy heifers versus confinement-raised dairy heifers are scarce. A study was conducted to evaluate the performance of dairy heifers raised on pasture or in confinement. Heifers raised on pasture had similar body weight and age at calving and greater dry matter intake in the end of 2^nd grazing season. Cost of heifers raised on pasture was 26.7% less in the first grazing season and 58.4% less in the second grazing season compared to heifers raised in confinement. Heifers raised on pasture …

Effects Of Fall Dormancy, Cutting Frequency, And K Application Rate On Dry Matter Yield And Nutritive Value Of Alfalfa, Ji Yung Kim, J. S. Choi, M. H. Jo, K. I. Sung

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

[Introduction] This study was conducted to determine the effect of the cutting frequency and K application rate on the dry matter yield (DMY) and nutritive value of new alfalfa varieties in Korea.

[Material and Methods] The sowing date and rate were September 21, 2019, and 20 kg/ha, respectively. The treatment was by the split-split plot design, and the main plot was the Fall dormancy (FD) of 3 (Rugged Rancher), 4 (SW4113), and 9 (SW9720), the sub-plot was excess 40 day (LCF), from 31 to 40 days (MCF), and under 30 day (HCF) times of cutting frequency …

Conservation Reserve Program Hay Quality From Producer Submissions To A Commercial Laboratory In Central Nebraska, R. J. Kern-Lunbery

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sets aside hectares to be permanent grassland and keeps those acres out of rotation for agricultural use. In drought conditions, these acres open to emergency haying and grazing. CRP hay is harvested at the end of the primary nesting season, mid to late summer, therefore this is a very mature product for stored forage. Many beef cow producers in the Midwest feed CRP hay in the last third of gestation until cattle can be turned out for spring grazing. Data was obtained from CRP hay samples to evaluate forage nutritive value and supplementation needs relative …

Efficiency, Yield, And Nutritive Value Of Perennial Warm-Season Grass Under Liquid Fertilizer Applications, Rocky Lemus, J. A. White

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The efficacy of liquid fertilizer formulation in forage production is unclear. This preliminary study compared the impact of liquid fertilizers sources compared to traditional granular fertilizers in forage bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) production. The experimental design was a randomized complete block replicated three times. Ten N fertilizer treatments were applied to forage systems: a well-established ‘Tifton 9’ bahiagrass. The N fertilizer treatments included a control (C, no nitrogen), two granular fertilizers [urea (U, 46-0-0) and urea ammonium sulfate (UAS, 33-0-0)], and four liquid N fertilizers [ urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN, 32%), Royal Grow (RG, 30-0-0), Pasture Booster Prime (PBP, 30-0-0), …

Effects Of Lactic Acid Bacteria Inoculants And Stage-Increased Storage Temperature On Silage Fermentation Of Oat On The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, Lin Li, Shiqie Bai, Ping Li

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ensiling is a simple and effective method of alleviating a shortage of forage for ruminants. This study aimed to investigate the effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants and stage-increased temperature on the fermentation characteristics and chemical composition of oat silage on the Qinghai– Tibet Plateau. The silage was treated with local laboratory inoculant (I) and commercial inoculant (S) and stored at ambient temperature (<10 >°C) or stage-increased (5, 10 and 15 days) temperatures of 10 °C and 15 °C for 60 days. The results showed that stage-increased storage temperature can improve silage fermentation. Compared with 10 °C, a stage-increased …

Germplasm Evaluation Of An Eurasia Steppe Native Specie--Sheepgrass (Leymus Chinensis), Gongshe Liu, Xiaoxia Li, Dongmei Qi, Liqin Cheng, Shuangyan Chen, Xianjun Peng, Hui Liu

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Sheepgrass (Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel) is an advantageous perennial native grass in China and other northern Eurasian countries having steppe. As an important forage grass of great value in animal husbandry, sheepgrass is well known for its abundant foliage, high palatability and high nutritive content. Sheepgrass is also valuable in grassland restoration and conservation since it is a perennial grass with a rhizome network to fix the soil and can survive well in stressful environments. Terefore, the collection, evaluation and utilization of sheepgrass are necessary for protecting grassland biodiversity, for establishing artificial pasture, restoring degraded grassland, and the development …

Analysis Of Controlling Genes For Tiller Growth Of Psathyrostachys Juncea Based On Transcriptome Sequencing Technology, Zhen Li, L. Yun, X. M. Ren

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Tillering is an important trait of bunch grass that affects biomass and seed yield. Psathyrostachys juncea is a typical perennial bunch grass, and unraveling the regulatory mechanisms of tillering in P. juncea could be helpful to improve the yield of perennial gramineous forages. Hence, we selected the tiller node of P. juncea for transcriptome sequencing to determine the differentially expressed genes (DEG) between high and low tillering materials. The metabolic pathway was studied，candidate genes were screened, and reference genes stability were evaluated. The results showed that approximately 5466 DEGs were identified between two P. juncea genotypes that significantly differed in …

Effect Of Microbial Inoculant On Fermentation Period And Chemical Composition Of Sweet Sorghum Silage, Azizza Mala, Babo Fadlalla, Elnour Mohamed, Siran Wang, Junfeng Li, Tao Shao

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Sorghum is one of the most suitable plants for silage production and becoming an increasingly important forage crop in many regions of the world. Due to its high water-soluble carbohydrates contents (WSC) and low buffer capacity, it is easy to ensile. This study evaluates the effect of adding Lactobacillus plantarum AZZ4 and Pediococcus acidilactici AZZ5 isolated from elephant grass on the fermentation period and chemical composition of sweet sorghum silage. Two strains of Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. Plantarum (AZZ4) , Pediococcus acidilactici (AZZ5), and one commercial bacteria Lactobacillus Plantarum, Ecosyl MTD/1(CB)) were chosen as additives at 6 log colony forming units …

Review: Potential Of Using Seaweed Silage Inoculated With Lactic Acid Bacteria And Its Impact Towards Sustainable Animal Feed, Azziza Mala, Subha Bhassu, Norhidayah Mohd Taufek, Najiah M. Sadali, Siran Wang, Shao Tao, Elnour Mohamed, Adibi N, Nor

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Since ancient times, seaweed has been used to supplement animal feed in coastal areas.

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for seaweed as an animal feed. Effective preservation methods are required because of annual variations in seaweed availability and biochemical composition. Ensiling could be an effective method to preserve seaweeds for animal feed applications. Using lactic acid bacteria is a substitute biological technique for keeping and restoring the usual physiological state of the animal and increasing efficiency. The aim of this review is the potential of using lactic acid bacteria as an inoculant for seaweed silage for …

Managing Interspecies Competition To Improve Spring Pasture, Kelly M. Mercier, Eric D. Billman, K. Soder, D. M. Jaramillo, Sarah C. Goslee, P. A. Adler

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) is one of the earliest maturing pasture grasses utilized in the northeastern United States. However, wet springs can delay forage harvesting resulting in advanced forage maturity and reduction in nutritive value. Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is a tall, upright-growing forb that shows promise as a high-energy companion crop to orchardgrass and may delay orchardgrass maturity through shading effects on plant morphology. The objective of this study was to evaluate monocultures and mixtures of orchardgrass, chicory, and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) over two consecutive springs to determine the effects of species diversity on …

Nutritive Value Of South-Central Kentucky Forbs, Tyler M. Miller, S. R. Smith

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

South Central Kentucky pastures serve as a host for a plethora of forbs found throughout the Upper South and Midwest United States. In this region, forbs can be numerous within pastures that are under- managed. Many producers view forbs as unwanted or weedy species and may not fully understand the value that some of these forbs provide to beef cattle. With little scientific information found on the subject for the specific geographic area, the purpose of this study was to determine what types of forbs will provide adequate nutrition for lactating beef cows. Three pastures from separate farms were used …

Irrigation Effects On Forage Dry Matter Yield And Nutritive Value Of Alfalfa, Rudra Baral, Doohong Min

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is among the top four field crops in United States (U.S.) in terms of acreage harvested and economic value. Several studies have documented that alfalfa requires high amount of water compared to other major field crops. However, more than 65% alfalfa in the U.S. is grown under rainfed condition where severe to moderate drought condition has been pronounced during alfalfa growing season. The magnitude of yield loss due to water-limited conditions is still unknown. In this context, the objective of our study is to evaluate the forage dry matter yield and forage nutritive value of …

Chlorophyll And Mineral Dynamics Of Perennial Grass Species Found In Semi- Arid Rangelands Of South Africa, N. H. Msiza, K. E. Ravhuhali, H. K. Mokoboki, Sydney Mavengahama, L. E. Motsei

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Minerals are essential for ruminants and are mostly provided by grass species. Their growth stage is vital in the supply of these minerals. Perennial grass species have been mostly undervalued, owing to the scarce information concerning their potential feeding value and little documentation about their potential nutritive value in different growth stages. This study was conducted to investigate the chlorophyll and mineral concentration of grass species at different growth stages under greenhouse conditions at the North-West University Experimental farm, North West province, South Africa. The soil, collected from different villages, was mixed and samples were drawn for chemical analysis before …

Farmer Experiences With Alfalfa In The Southern U.S.A., M. K. Mullenix, L. S. Silva, C. G. Prevatt, J. J. Tucker

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a forage crop of primary importance in the United States (USA); however, adoption and use in the southern USA region has been limited. The combination of adapted alfalfa cultivars and management strategies which demonstrate extended forage growing season length, improved forage nutritive value, and reduced N fertilizer inputs have renewed interest in forage-livestock farmers to consider planting alfalfa. A series of Extension-based educational strategies have been used in the southern USA to 1) create awareness on the use of alfalfa, 2) educate farmers regarding establishment and management practices, and 3) showcase opportunities and challenges …

Opportunities For Promoting The Adoption Of Forages In Kenya, Joseph G. Mureithi, Elkana M. Nyambati

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock production plays an important socio-economic role in many areas across Kenya. They are kept in all the major livestock production systems including smallholder mixed crop- livestock system, crop-livestock-tree production system, and pastoral/extensive livestock production system, which occupy about 70% of land in Kenya. Livestock production is mainly constrained by inadequate feed quantity and quality. Forage forms the major source of feed for ruminant livestock as they provide high-quality forage to alleviate feed shortages. The demand for pasture and fodder production and conservation to meet livestock feed requirements, particularly during the dry seasons, has created the need to re-position the …

Domestication Of The Annual Legume Trigonella Balansae For Mixed Farming Systems In Southern Australia, M. G. Wilmot, H. C. Norman, J. K. Hendry, P. Young, Elizabeth L. Hulm, A. Toovey, R. J. Harrison

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An accession of the annual legume Trigonella balansae Boiss. and Reuter. has been selected for commercial release in Australia. The annual legume has significant potential as a self-regenerating pasture within mixed farming systems. As part of a duty-of-care assessment, we tested the hypothesis that sheep grazing the trigonella cultivar will have similar liveweight, condition scores, health and wool production to sheep grazing two widely adopted annual legumes, subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L. cv Dalkeith) and French serradella (Ornithopus sativus Brot. cv. Erica). Forage dry matter digestibility (DMD), crude protein (CP), fibre, mineral content and isoflavones were measured across …

Pasture Production And Grazing System In Assist Project: Outcome And Replication Viability In Nigeria For Sustainable Ruminant Production, Okanlade A. Lawal-Adebowale, M. Jordana Rivero, John Hunt, Sarah Morgan, Hannah Fleming, R. Pywell, Jonathan Storkey

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

As important as pasture is to productive management of cattle, sheep and goats, intensive development of grassland for ruminant animals is rare in Nigeria largely due to no conscious effort at pasture cultivation in the country. Consequently, nomadic and free grazing systems remain a practice in the country, with resultant poor animal productivity and agro-related conflicts between ruminant keepers and crop farmers and/or agro-processors. The need to revert this situation underscored the exploration of the potential value of the innovative pasture production and grazing management system tested under the Achieving Sustainable Agricultural Systems (ASSIST) programmme in Rothamsted Research, United Kingdom, …

Nine-Step Approach Of Smart Agricultural Helps Grain Production Reduce Costs, Increase Yield And Efficiency, Shuqin Gao, Zhaomin Hu, Hongsheng Wang, Xiaobo Zhang, Yucheng Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Food security is a top priority in national governance. Since 1949, high-standard farmland construction, agricultural mechanization development, and agricultural technology promotion have all contributed to the grain production. To ensure grain security, China has drawn a “red line” of 1.8 billion mu (about 120 million hectares) as the official minimum of arable land. At the same time, increasing the investment of capital goods such as fertilizer and pesticides can no longer produce more food. Due to the extensive farming method in the past, the continuous increase in total grain output becomes difficult in the future. With the rapid development of …

Effectiveness Of Mycorrhizae And Vermicompost Seed Inoculation For Germination, Vegetative Growth, Cannabinoid Content, And Cured Flower Weight Of Cbd-Rich Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.), Hannah Boyer, Nicole Wagner, Merritt Drewery

Journal of Agricultural Hemp Research

Effective germination and vigorous growth of hemp cultivars is paramount to cultivators’ ability to produce high-quality hemp products. Beneficial bacteria and fungi are known symbionts to plants and are used in regenerative agriculture to increase plant health and crop yield. This pilot study investigated the effect of microbial seed inoculation on germination rate, plant height, cured flower weight, and cannabinoid content of cannabidiol (CBD)-rich hemp (Cannabis sativa L). The experiment included a control and the following treatments: 1) seed inoculation of Great White ^â Premium Mycorrhizae (GW), 2) seed inoculation of vermicompost (V), and 3) seed inoculation of Great …

Tomato Seedling Performance In Commercial Organic Growing Media, Elizabeth Maynard, Wenjing Guan, Petrus Langenhoven, Lori A. Hoagland

Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture Faculty Publications

Healthy transplants are critical to productivity in the field. For certified organic production in the United States, seedlings must be grown in media that meet the standards of the US Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program. Many commercial organic media options are available, they vary substantially in composition, and it is unknown to what extent this influences seedling performance. This project compared tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedling emergence and growth in seven commercially available media for organic production and evaluated posttransplant performance. Tomato seedlings were grown in greenhouses at Wanatah, West Lafayette, and Vincennes, IN, USA. Chemical characteristics of …

Irrigation Of Sand-Based Creeping Bentgrass Putting Greens With Nanobubble-Oxygenated Water, Eric J. Deboer, Michael J. Richardson, John Mccalla

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

ultural and environmental factors can place creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) under extreme stress during the summer months. This stress, coupled with the growth adaptation of creeping bentgrass, can result in shallow, poorly rooted stands of turf. To enhance root zone oxygen and rooting of creeping bentgrass, golf courses use methods such as core and solid-tine aerification, and sand topdressing. An additional method of delivering oxygen to the soil could be irrigation with nanobubble-oxygenated water. The properties of nanobubbles (NBs) allow for high gas dissolution rates in water. Irrigating with NB-oxygenated water sources may promote increased rooting of creeping …

Genome-Wide Association And Genomic Prediction For Iron And Zinc Concentration And Iron Bioavailability In A Collection Of Yellow Dry Beans, Paulo Izquierdo, Rie Sadohara, Jason Wiesinger, Raymond Glahn, Carlos Urrea, Karen Cichy

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Dry bean is a nutrient-dense food targeted in biofortification programs to increase seed iron and zinc levels. The underlying assumption of breeding for higher mineral content is that enhanced iron and zinc levels will deliver health benefits to the consumers of these biofortified foods. This study characterized a diversity panel of 275 genotypes comprising the Yellow Bean Collection (YBC) for seed Fe and Zn concentration, Fe bioavailability (FeBio), and seed yield across 2 years in two field locations. The genetic architecture of each trait was elucidated via genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and the efficacy of genomic prediction (GP) was assessed. …

The Long-Term Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Floral Abundance And Bumble Bee Abundance In Mixed-Oak Forests Of Southeastern Ohio, Moses Shafer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Pollinators are declining due to climate change and habitat loss driven by agriculture and urbanization. In fire-adapted ecosystems, fire promotes the biodiversity of plants by creating space, reducing competition, and increasing light and nutrient availability. However, little is known regarding the effects of fire on floral abundance of plants used by Bombus. The overall goal of this project was to assess the long-term effects of fire on floral abundance and Bombus abundance. Our specific questions were: (1) How does fire frequency influence floral abundance?, (2) How does fire frequency influence floral abundance of species specifically utilized by bumble bees?, …

Soil And Fertiliser Management For Orchards In The Manjimup District, Neil Lantzke, Simon Yeap, Lukasz Kotula, B Goldspink, Valeria Almeida Lima, John Kammann

Horticulture research reports

This publication aims to give orchardists a broad understanding of the soils in the Manjimup district. It provides information on soil and fertiliser management that will assist in the sustainable production of fruit crops. This document was prepared for a Soils Course for horticulturalists, that was held in September 2023 at Manjimup Horticultural Research Centre.

The Manjimup local government area (LGA) is the most important horticultural district in Western Australia, particularly for fruit and in 2020 the total value of horticultural production was valued at $236 million (Figure 1). Avocados and apples were the most valuable horticultural crops, valued at …

Nutritional Convergence In Plants Growing On Gypsum Soils In Two Distinct Climatic Regions, Clare T. Muller, Andreu Cera, Sara Palacio, Michael J. Moore, Pablo Tejero, Juan F. Mota, Rebecca E. Drenovsky

2024 Faculty Bibliography

Background and Aims

Soil endemics have long fascinated botanists owing to the insights they can provide about plant ecology and evolution. Often, these species have unique foliar nutrient composition patterns that reflect potential physiological adaptations to these harsh soil types. However, understanding global nutritional patterns to unique soil types can be complicated by the influence of recent and ancient evolutionary events. Our goal was to understand whether plant specialization to unique soils is a stronger determinant of nutrient composition of plants than climate or evolutionary constraints. Methods

We worked on gypsum soils. We analysed whole-plant nutrient composition (leaves, stems, coarse …

Powdery Mildew And Its Management In Wheat, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Powdery mildew is a fungal leaf disease that reduces yield and grain quality in susceptible wheat varieties. Disease is both stubble-borne and carried over on green bridge (secondary spread by wind borne spores). It has multiple, fast life cycles in a growing season and can be difficult to control once established. The best approach is an integrated disease management strategy.

With wheat area in Western Australia dominated by susceptible varieties, such as Scepter, powdery mildew remains a concern for growers statewide and has been particularly persistent and damaging in the Esperance Port Zone.

Forage News [2024-01], University Of Kentucky

Forage News

No abstract provided.

Forage News [2024-12], University Of Kentucky

Forage News

No abstract provided.

Stream Restoration Effectiveness In Mullins Creek In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Amadeo Scott, Shannon Speir

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Lotic waterways are vital for habitat, food, water, and flood protection, but urbanization poses a major threat to their integrity. Runoff from urban surfaces leads to pollution, flashiness, loss of biodiversity, and other symptoms, also known as Urban Stream Syndrome (USS). Streams can be restored in order to combat USS, but most restorations are not monitored, so their long-term effectiveness is unknown. This study quantitatively evaluated a decade-old stream restoration in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to assess its effectiveness in combating USS and achieving set restoration goals, and to gain insights for future restoration projects. Restoration goals included decreasing erosion and sedimentation, …

Evaluating Efficiency And Accuracy Of Three Texture Analysis Methods For Blackberry Fruit, Rhys M. Brock, Carmen Johns, Katelyn Lust-Moore, Margaret Worthington

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

A major objective of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UADA) Fruit Breeding program is to improve the texture of blackberry (Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson). Blackberry varieties with improved fruit firmness transport and store well and may maintain superior quality under challenging postharvest conditions than softer varieties. Increased firmness may also make cultivars less susceptible to red drupelet reversion (RDR), a postharvest disorder of blackberries in which fully black drupelets revert to red after harvest. This research project aims to assess the efficiency and accuracy of three methods applied in evaluating blackberry firmness. The study compares instrumental analysis …