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Advances In Forage Legumes: Shrub Legumes, M. H. Shelton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage tree legumes benefit agriculture through their multi-purpose contributions to livestock feeding, to productivity of farming systems, and to protection of the environment.

Of the several hundred forage tree legume species regarded as having potential for forage only c. twenty are in common use. These are listed together with their agroecological range and tolerance of adverse environments including acid soils, cool temperatures, low rainfall, poor drainage and high salinity. The value of many species to ruminants is limited due to low nutritive value arising from low protein availability and low acceptability caused principally by high condensed tannin content. Only 10 …

Alfalfa, J. H. Bouton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Cultivated alfalfa or lucerne (Medicago sativa spp. sativa) is the most important forage legume in the world with approximately 32 million hectares cultivated mainly in the temperate regions of both the northern and southern hemispheres. Intensive research has been conducted on the management and physiology of the crop and a major seed industry has developed world wide. Since insect and disease pests are numerous in alfalfa, development of cultivars with the proper fall dormancy and a broad genetic base for pest resistance has been pursued in order to provide increased adaptation, persistence, and yield. There has been a …

Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopic Discrimination In Alfalfa For High Yield And Quality Forage, W. S. Oliveira, P. P. A. Oliveira, M. Corsi, S. M. Tsai

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Biological nitrogen fixation and assimilation of CO₂ can be indirectly monitored in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) through the variation of the stable N and C isotopes in the plant (Δ values). Such measurements result in a simple, non-destructive and reliable method for identification of alfalfa cultivars of high yield and nutritional quality. A program for selection of 12 alfalfa cultivars under field and controlled conditions (lysimeters) included determination of biomass and N accumulation. Under controlled conditions yields ranged from 1.77 to 2.47 ton/ha/month (Pioneer 5312 and WL-605) and N2-fixed varied from 77.43 to 84.01% for total N (Brazilian …

Hemp Microgreen Mineral Content, Cannabinoids, Total Phenolics, And Antioxidants, Cheston T. Schayot

LSU Master's Theses

Hemp (Cannabis sativa) L. microgreens were grown to 7 and 12 days with and without supplemental lighting and/or fertilizer. The principal macronutrient found in hemp microgreens was nitrogen (N), followed by potassium (K), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and sulfur (S). The principal micronutrient found in hemp microgreens was iron (Fe), followed by manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), boron (B), and copper (Cu). Hemp microgreens were similar to other commonly grown microgreen species in minerals except for P and Mg, where they could potentially be an excellent source, and Zn, where they fell below previously reported amounts. The …

Response Of Roseau Cane (Phragmites Australis) To Two Biotic Stresses: Hyalopterus Pruni And Bipolaris Yamadae, Heather E. Cizek

LSU Master's Theses

Roseau cane (Phragmites australis) is considered an invasive plant because of its ability to replace native plant species. However, in Louisiana it plays an important role protecting coastal infrastructure and being part of the marsh ecosystem in the lower Mississippi River Delta. In recent years, Roseau cane has been affected by a die-off, a problem that has also been reported in some European countries. Possible biotic and abiotic factors that have been associated with the die-off include scale insects, climate change, pollution, salinity levels, and pathogens.

In this research, the individual and combined effect of a foliar disease …

Predicting Winter Wheat Grain Yield Using Fractional Green Canopy Cover (Fgcc), Vaughn Reed, Daryl B. Arnall, Bronc Finch, Joao Luis Bigatao Souza

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Optical sensors have grown in popularity for estimating plant health, and they form the basis of midseason yield estimations and nitrogen (N) fertilizer recommendations, such as the Oklahoma State University (OSU) nitrogen fertilization optimization algorithm (NFOA). That algorithm uses measurements of normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI), yet not all producers have access to the sensors required to make these measurements. In contrast, most producers have access to smartphones, which can measure fractional green canopy cover (FGCC) using the Canopeo app, but the usefulness of these measurements for midseason yield estimations remains untested. Our objectives were to (1) quantify the relationship …

Lignin, Sugar, And Furan Production Of Industrial Hemp Biomass Via An Integrated Process, Jikai Zhao, Jason Griffin, Kraig Roozeboom, Juhee Lee, Donghai Wang

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Traditional pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is often accompanied by washing and disposal of wastewater, which leads to overuse of water and loss of by-products. The objectives of this study were to validate the potential of an acid-base integrated process for simultaneous sugars, furans, and lignin production without washing and wastewater discarding. The difference in conversion performance among different biomass resources was also demonstrated. Parallel acetic acid (HOAc, pH = 2.25) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH, pH = 13.46) pretreatments followed by solid and liquid integration were applied to four genotypes of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) biomass that were harvested …

The Use Of Cafeteria Trials For The Selection Of Desmodium Ovalifolium Genotypes, Axel Schmidt, R. Schultze-Kraft, B. L. Maass, C. E. Lascano

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

For the selection of tropical legumes which contain anti-nutritive components such as tannins, relative acceptability of genotypes to ruminants is of particular importance, since these plant components may influence selective grazing behaviour and subsequent animal productivity. Plant-animal interactions are not predictable from laboratory analyses. Involving grazing animals through the conduction of relative-acceptability (=cafeteria) trials at early stages of the germplasm selection process might therefore provide a convenient tool to adjust and confirm genotype selection based on laboratory quality analyses data. As part of a multilocational germplasm evaluation project, cafeteria-experiments were conducted at two contrasting environments in Colombia with a core …

Agronomic Evaluation Of Alfalfa Cultivars In Rio Grande Do Sul, Brasil, J. C. De Saibro, R. Battisti, T. M. S. Freitas

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

From April 1995 to June 1998, thirty five alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars (cvs.) were evaluated in a field trial at the “Depressão Central” ecoclimatic region, in southern Brazil. Two years after sowing, 30 cultivars were excluded from the test due to their poor overall agronomic performance, mainly low forage DM yields. The remaining cultivars: Crioula (local genotype used as a check), Victoria, Rio and P 30 are hay-type cultivars while Alfagraze is a grazing-tolerant type. Twenty-two harvests were made and no significant differences were found for total DM yields among cvs. Crioula, Victoria, Rio and P 30; however, …

Evaluation Of Paspalum Spp. With Adaptation To Poorly Drained Soils In The Tropical Americas, Michael Peters, B. Hincapié, P. Avila, C. E. Lascano

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A collection of Paspalum accessions obtained from Brazil was tested for their adaptation to poorly drained soils. Three accessions were selected based on their DM production and nutritive value. Productivity and quality of these three accessions was stable over the periods of maximum and minimum rainfall, giving potential for continuous forage supply throughout the year in the tropical Americas. Grazing trials for the selected accessions are underway.

Intake Characteristics And Performance Of Contrasting Grass Varieties Continuously Stocked With Sheep, R. J. Orr, J. E. Cook, R. A. Champion, A. J. Rook

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Fifteen intermediate-heading perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) varieties were grazed by sheep under continuous variable stocking management. Mean daily grass dry matter intake per ewe was positively correlated with liveweight gain per ewe (r = 0.63) and per ha (r = 0.58) over an 8-month grazing season. Daily intake was not correlated with grazing time (r = 0.12) but was positively correlated with instantaneous dry matter intake rate (r = 0.75). Breeding varieties with high intake rate characteristics should allow increases in the contribution of grazed grass to grassland-based livestock farming. There is now a …

Variability For Nitrogen And Phosphorus Uptake Among Timothy Genotypes, Réal Michaud, Gilles Bélanger, A. Brégard

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Cultivars of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) with high N and P use efficiencies are required to reduce costs of production and risks of N and P pollution, and to meet the nutrition requirements of high producing animals. This field study aimed at comparing, (under three N rates) the relationship between DM yield, N uptake, and P uptake of 27 timothy half-sib families, plus the cultivar Champ as a control (Dry matter yield), N and P uptake increased with increasing N rates. Genotypes also differed for DM yield, N and P uptake. For a given DM yield, the genotypes had …

Research On Forage Quality: Progress And Priorities, J. A. Milne

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A broad definition of forage quality is used and the purposes for which research on forage quality is undertaken currently are outlined. These range from research that provides simple measurements that describes the forage quality of a commercial product to research on forage quality to improve understanding of digestion processes. Much of the research in the last decade has related to improving predictive measurements. The different degrees of progress that have been made in the development and use of measurements to further our understanding of forage quality are described and related to their fitness of purpose. It is concluded that …

Forage Quality And The Environment, C. E. Lascano, A. Schmidt, R. Barahona

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The influence of environmental factors on forage quality of temperate and tropical grasses has been reviewed by several authors, who summarized how light, temperature, drought and soil nutrients influence chemical composition, and digestibility of forages grown in contrasting areas of the world. The effects of season of the year on forage growth, grazing behavior and animal performance have also been the subject of numerous papers and reviews. However, there are few recent reviews that summarize how changes in climatic and edaphic factors influence forage quality of legumes with variable levels of condensed tannins (CT), which are important secondary compounds in …

The Effect Of Perennial Ryegrass Cultivar Lock Up Length And Nitrogen On Forage Quality For Silage, Joseph L. Jacobs, Frank R. Mckenzie, G. N. Ward

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A study was undertaken to determine the effects of three perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cultivars (Vedette, Impact and Nevis) with differing maturities, lock up length and nitrogen (N) application upon the dry matter (DM) yield and nutritive characteristics of pasture for silage. The addition of N at 50 kgN/ha significantly (P< 0.05) increased DM yield for all cultivars. Metabolisable energy (ME) (MJ/kgDM) of the ryegrass declined with time for all treatments, although by week 8 of lock up the ME content of Vedette was significantly (P< 0.05) lower than for other cultivars. When the DM yield and ME content of ryegrass at early ear emergence for each cultivar was compared, the harvestable metabolisable energy (MJ/ha) was highest for Nevis followed by Impact and Vedette. In conclusion, there is potential to use later maturing cultivars of ryegrass in south east Australia to allow for later harvesting of forage for silage, whilst maintaining ME and maximising DM yields. Furthermore the use of N fertiliser can also increase DM yields without impinging on pasture quality.

Screening Fresh Forages For Protein Degradation And Nutritive Value, Garry C. Waghorn, J. L. Burke

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A method has been developed to prepare fresh forages for in sacco and in vitro incubation by freezing and mincing to achieve a particle size distribution of dry matter (DM) similar to in vivo conditions. The method is described and data presented to indicate losses of nitrogen (N) during in sacco digestion and net yield of ammonia from proteolysis in vitro for 22 fresh and conserved forages. Grasses, legumes and herbs were evaluated, with fractional degradation rates of forages ranging from 0.07h^-1 with tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) to 0.24 h^-1 with chicory (Cichorium intybus). …

Evaluation Of Centrosema Rotundifolium For Sand-Soil Savannas In Eastern Venezuela, I. Rodríguez, R. Schultze-Kraft, S. González

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An evaluation of a collection of amphicarpic Centrosema rotundifolium showed considerable variability among the six accessions tested, regarding above- and below-ground seed production. Dry-season forage yields were very low but rainy-season yields reached acceptable levels. Contents of crude protein, P and Ca were intermediate to high (CP and P) or low (Ca). Three accessions are suggested for on-farm testing in association with grasses in order to explore the plant persistence implications of belowground seed production under practical conditions. Furthermore, the potential of this amphicarpic species for the conservation of sandy soils deserves attention.

Amphicarpy In The Tropical Legume Centrosema Rotundifolium: A Research Project In Eastern Venezuela, S. Müller, R. Schultze-Kraft, I. Rodríguez

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Amphicarpy is a particular reproduction mechanism by which a plant can produce both above-ground and below-ground seeds and thus has the potential to contribute to an enhanced persistence of a plant population. It can be found in a range of tropical legumes, e.g. in several Centrosema species. The balance between above- and below-ground seed production is evidently influenced by environment and management factors but these influences are not well known. In the case of perennial tropical legumes, in addition to seed production shifts the allocation of resources affects also the production of tuberous roots as storage organs. A research project …

Genetic Resources For Tropical Areas: Achievements And Perspectives, Cacilda B. Do Valle

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This paper analyses the present status of tropical forage resources and their utilization in the development of novel cultivars based on the accumulated information from past decades of collecting, evaluation and whatever little breeding has been pursued. The situation of world collections of tropical forages is presented and discussed in the light of limited investment and dwindling resources. A cause for concern is the lesser priority assigned to conservation and manipulation of official tropical germplasm banks, such as CSIRO’S and CIAT’s. In order to assure the availability of tropical genetic resources for the future it is imperative that international efforts …

Short-Term Waterlogging Depresses Early Growth Of Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus L.) On Saline Soils With A Shallow Water Table In The Coastal Zone Of Bangladesh, Priya Lal Chandra Paul, Richard W. Bell, Edward G. Barrett-Lennard, Enamul Kabir, Mohammed Mainuddin, Khokan Kumer Sarker

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), which is widely grown globally for its high-quality edible oil, is reasonably salt and drought tolerant but it is susceptible to waterlogging. In the saline coastal zone of the Ganges delta, sunflower is often exposed to sudden heavy rainfall during early growth but plant tolerance to such events is not known. Hence, we evaluated the effect of short-term soil inundation (referred to as waterlogging) for 0, 24, 48 and 72 h on sunflower at emergence, 2-leaf, and 4-leaf stages in early- and late-sown crops under field conditions (saline, clay-textured soil, and shallow groundwater). Waterlogging …

Forage Production And Nutritive Value Of Four Promising Sorghum X Sudangrass Hybrid In Korea, S. Seo, J. G. Kim, E. S. Chung, J. K. Lee, S. H. Yoon

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Sorghum x sudangrass hybrid (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is one of the most important annual grass utilized for supplemental summer forage. There were 14 National Livestock Cooperative Federation (NLCF)’s recommended forage sorghum´sudangrass hybrids in Korea. Among them several hybrids were produced widely, however, they have not been evaluated under same environmental conditions. Therefore, a field experiment was carried out to compare the plant height, forage yield and nutritive value of the NLCF’s recommended cultivars at NLRI, Suwon, Korea in 1995. The four promising cultivars of sorghum´sudangrass hybrid used in this study were P 988, TE-Haygrazer, NC+ 855 (heading type), …

The Effect Of Plant Population On The Yield And Quality Of Annual Rye-Grass, M. E. V. L. Lourenço, P. M. M. Palma

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The primary objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of three plant population levels (350, 750 and 1150 plants m^-2) on dry matter yield and forage quality (crude protein and dry matter digestibility) of four rye-grass genotypes (Barspectra, Billion, Clipper and Pollanum) used in two harvests (March and May).

The results for dry matter yield means by year, genotype, and harvest were always higher in the second harvest than in the first, and the highest total mean value was reached in the first year (5853 Kg ha^-1). The genotype Billion was the most stable …

Intake And Digestibility Of Black Locust Foliage Fed To Growing Goat Wethers, L. J. Unruh, J-M. Luginbuhl, J. P. Mueller

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Leaves of Black locust (BL, Robinia pseudoacacia), a native southeastern United States tree species known to contain substantial levels of condensed tannins, were fed to 16, four month old (20.4 kg body weight [BW]) Boer wether goats (Capra hircus hircus) to determine their effects on intake and digestibility. Four diets were stall fed in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. Diets included: (1) 100% eastern gamagrass (EGH; Tripsacum dactyloides) hay; (2) 70% EGH and 30% mixture of ground corn (GC; Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max) meal (SBM); (3) 75% …

Nutritional Quality Of Digitaria Eriantha Steudel. Subsp. Eriantha Cv. Irene, M. J. L. Privitello, R. L. Sager

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Digitaria eriantha is a South African perennial grass, C4 type, that grows during spring and summer with rainfalls higher than 400mm. The aim of this paper was to evaluate its nutritional quality profile: Crude Protein (%CP), True Protein (%TP), Soluble Protein (%SP), Non-Protein Nitrogen (%NPN), Neutral Detergent Fiber (%NDF) and Acid Detergent Fiber (%ADF) in cumulative production cuttings during a species cycle. In-sacco technique was applied to estimate the degradability of dry matter (DM). A simple regression statistics method was applied to relate different nutritional parameters. Digitaria eriantha presents low percentage of CP from flowering and of NPN during its …

Agronomic Potential And Nutritive Value Of Promising Leucaena Species In The Yucatan Peninsula, Luis Ramírez-Avilés, W. O. Cruz, Francisco J. Solorio-Sánchez

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Two experiments were carried out in order to evaluate the agronomic potential, the nutritive value and the tolerance to psyllid (Heteropsilla cubana) of nine Leucaena species. A randomized block design with four repetitions was used. There were significant (P< 0.01) differences on dry matter production (i.e. leaf and twigs yield ). L. collinsii showed the most promising result, which could be related to its high psyllid tolerance. In a second experiment, the preference indices of Leucaena species was assessed with sixteen male pelibuey sheep in a cafeteria trial. There were significant (P< 0.0001) differences among Leucaena species. L. esculenta paniculata was the species most preferred . There was no relationship between chemical composition …

Global Distribution And Richness Of Armillaria And Related Species Inferred From Public Databases And Amplicon Sequencing Datasets, Rachel A. Koch, Joshua Herr

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Armillaria is a globally distributed fungal genus most notably composed of economically important plant pathogens that are found predominantly in forest and agronomic systems. The genus sensulato has more recently received attention for its role in woody plant decomposition and in mycorrhizal symbiosis with specific plants. Previous phylogenetic analyses suggest that around 50 species are recognized globally. Despite this previous work, no studies have analyzed the global species richness and distribution of the genus using data derived from fungal community sequencing datasets or barcoding initiatives. To assess the global diversity and species richness of Armillaria, we mined publicly available sequencing …

Ramon (Brosimun Alicastrum) Foliage As Supplement For Lactating Dual Purpose Cows, Carlos A. Sandoval-Castro, R. Cetina, I. Pérez, Luis Ramírez-Avilés

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of the present study was to asses the value of ramón (Brosimun alicastrum) foliage as a N-source in replacement of soybean-N in lactating dual purpose cows (Bos indicus x B. taurus). Four lactating cows were used in a latin rectangle design. Ramón was included to replace 0, 33, 66 and 100 % of the soybean-N contained in the supplement. Basal diet was fresh “Taiwán” a cultivar of Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) fed ad libitum. Basal and total dry matter intake, digestibility (total fecal collection), saleable and calf suckled milk yields, and …

Dry Matter Yield, In Vitro Digestibility, Protein And Fiber Composition Of 'Tifton 9' Bahiagrass (Paspalum Notatum) At Six Maturities, J. M. B. Vendramini, C. M. Haddad, Carlos G. S. Pedreira

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of this research was to evaluate dry matter yield, in vitro digestibility, and the concentrations of protein and cell wall components in 'Tifton 9’clipped at six maturities. Herbage was cut at the age of 20, 27, 34, 41, 48 and 55 days. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with six trataments (ages) and four replications. Dry matter yield and acid detergent fiber ranged from 188 g m^-2, to 593 g m^-2 and 386.9 g kg^-1 to 375.1 g kg^-1 respectively, with the cubic regression model having the best fit (P< 0.05). Concentrations of crude protein decreased linearly (P< 0.05) from 121 to 69 g kg^-1. …

Herbivore Preference For Afternoon- And Morning-Cut Forages And Adoption Of Cutting Management Strategies, H. F. Mayland, J. C. Burns, D. S. Fisher, Glenn E. Shewmaker, R. Carlstrom, D. S. Cash

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Photosynthesizing forage plants accumulate total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC) during daylight, but then TNC concentrations are reduced during the night. Afternoon-cut forage (PM) has greater TNC value and thus economic value, than morning-cut (AM). Livestock prefer PM-cut hay and this can be readily demonstrated by offering animals a choice of hays cut in PM and AM. Alfalfa growers in the western United States are readily adopting PM-cutting technology to increase profits.

Corn Nitrogen Management Under Different Tillage Systems, Akshara Athelly

LSU Master's Theses

Adoption of no-tillage (NT) and cover crops (CC) significantly effect soil physicochemical properties and nutrient cycling that necessitates modified nutrient management to maximize crop yields. Two field experiments were conducted to evaluate N-sources Urea Ammonium Nitrate (UAN), urea, and urea+ N-stabilizer (urea+ stab) and N-split applications 100%N at V2 (S1), 25%N at V2+75%N at V6 (S2), 25%N at V2+ 50%N at V6+ 25%N at VT (S3) in a sandy loam soil and three CC wheat (Triticum aestivum), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) , and radish (Raphanus sativus) and their combinations along with three N-rates ( …