Digital Commons Network^™

Increasing Feed Conversion Efficiency In Automatic Milking Systems: The Impact Of Grain-Based Concentrate Allocation And Kikuyu (Pennisetum Clandestinum) Pasture State On Kikuyu Pasture Digestibility, Cameron E. F. Clark, Mohammed R. Islam, Ajantha Horadagoda, Ravneet Kaur, Helen Golder, Sergio C. Garcia, Kendra L. Kerrisk

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Automatic milking system (AMS) farms, rely upon voluntary cow traffic (the voluntary movement of cattle around a farm) for milk harvesting and feed consumption. Dairy cows on a pasture-based AMS farm typically move from depleted to fresh allocations of pasture in small groups, or individually, at differing times. The first cows moving to an allocation of fresh pasture get access to rapidly fermentable, ad libitum, high quality pasture in contrast to those cows accessing the same allocation towards the end of the access period. At the same time, grain-based concentrate (GBC) is allocated independent of the pasture state that …

The Production Potential Of Festuca Spp., Lolium Spp. And Festulolium Hybrids In The Southern Cape Of South Africa, Janke Van Der Colf, Philip R. Botha

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Researchers are continuously searching for species that can improve the productivity and sustainability of pasture systems under adverse environmental conditions such as drought and extreme temperatures. Plant breeders have bred hybrids between ryegrass (Lolium spp.) and Fescue (Festuca spp.) in an attempt to combine the high forage quality of the former with the stress tolerance of the latter (Kopecky et al., 2008; Akgun et al., 2008). The resultant hybrids are commonly referred to as Festulolium spp. These species include Festulolium pabulare which is a cross between Tall Fescue (F. arundinacea) and Italian ryegrass …

Enhancement In Milk Production Through Improved Production Technique Of Green Fodder, Rajiv Kumar Singh, B. S. Kirar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Unavailability of sufficient quantity of fodder is identified as one of the major constraints in achieving desired level of livestock productivity. The available fodder can meet the demand of only 47% of total livestock population. Since green fodder cultivation is not under farmers practice in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh, maximum animals due to unavailability of sufficient quantity of green fodder, fight to prevent their life. Due to lack of knowledge about improved variety of berseem and their suitable package and practices, the farmers not capable to produce the quantity required per day basis. In view of this, KVK Panna …

Sustainable Quality Fodder Production Under Temperate Mountain Agriculture In Kashmir, Mushtaq Ahmad, Gul-Zaffar, Intikhab Aalum Jehangir, S. M. Razvi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Inadequate supply of quality feed and fodder is the primary cause of lower productivity of milch animals in India. Oats (Avena sativa L.) is an important fodder crop in J&K. Jammu and Kashmir state the fodder requirement is about 4.31 million tonnes against the available 3.26 million tonnes (Anonymous, 2008). Kashmir valley experiences a long lean period of winter, resulting in scarcity of green and quality fodder which results in drastic decrease in milk production. Therefore, to meet the need of animal products, there is a great importance of fodder cultivation to compensate fodder scarcity during lean period ( …

Forage Options For Dairy Cows, Mohammed R. Islam, Sergio C. Garcia

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

To remain competitive internationally, the Australian dairy industry will need to increase milk production per unit of land by producing and utilising more from home-grown feed. In the context of decreasing land availability but increasing feed cost per unit of land, increasing production and utilisation of home-grown feed is crucial to increase milk production in pasture-based dairy farms (Fariña et al., 2011). Pure pasture-based systems can achieve a maximum of ~20 t dry matter (DM)/ha/yr, although in practice top commercial farmers hardly exceed 15-16 t DM/ha. A strategy to increase productivity of forages is to select adequate combinations of …

System Fitness Of Grazeable Forages For Large Herds In Automatic Milking Systems, Mohammed R. Islam, Sergio C. Garcia, Cameron E. F. Clark, Kendra L. Kerrisk

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Automatic milking rotary (AMR) systems have the capacity to milk 800 cows. To maintain a pasture-based system whereby > 50% of the total diet is pasture (Garcia and Fulkerson, 2005), large herds milked by AMR will be required to walk significant distances. Walking distances of greater than 1-km are associated with an increased incidence of undesirably long milking intervals and reduced milk yield (Lyons N, unpubl. data). The aim of this study was to investigate the total land area required and associated walking distance for large automatic milking system (AMS) herds when incorporating complementary forage rotations (CFR; Garcia et al., …

Effect Of Nitrogen And Phosphorus Application On Productivity, Nutrient Uptake And Quality Of Teosinte (Zea Mexicana L.) Fodder, Magan Singh, A. S. Harika, P. S. Oberoi, Rakesh Kumar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Teosinte (Zea mexicana L.) is popularly known as Makchari being a close relative of maize. It provides succulent, palatable and nutritive fodder during Kharif season for feeding the animals as green fodder or conserved fodder in the form of silage. Teosinte is an excellent multicut fodder which gives high yield of nutritious green lush fodder in 65-70 days with less inputs as compared to maize. Nitrogen is an essential component of proteins, nucleic acid, enzymes, coenzymes, chlorophyll and cell wall. Phosphorus plays a vital role in crop production as it is involved in CO₂ fixation, sugar metabolism, energy …

Improved Modelling Of Lucerne (Medicago Sativa L.) Production For Grazing Livestock, Andrew Smith

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Lucerne (or alfalfa; Medicago sativa L.)-based pastures play an important role in livestock and mixed farms (croplivestock) in Australia. If lucerne is to be more widely adopted, it will be important that landholders are able to plan to maximize its benefits to their livestock enterprises (usually as a part of a diverse feed base), as well as assess the benefits and minimizing the costs of lucerne phases to subsequent crops. However, the ability to accurately model lucerne plant physiology across the full spectrum of environments, genotypes and cultivars remains elusive. This study aimed to review and revise the description of …

Gaps And Variability In Pasture Utilisation In Australian Pasture-Based Dairy Systems, Sergio C. Garcia, Cameron E. F. Clark, Kendra L. Kerrisk, Mohammed R. Islam, S. R. Fariña, J. Evans

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

We used commercial farm data from 4 states of Australia and 9 subsets of data from 4 whole farm system studies conducted in Australia and New Zealand to: (1) explore the relationship between pasture utilisation and farm profitability; (2) identify gaps and causes of both between and within-farm variability in pasture utilisation; and (3) discuss possibilities to reduce these gaps through the application of technology-based solutions. Results confirm that the amount of pasture utilised per ha is a key driver of profitability of Australian pasture-based systems. In spite of this, the gap between potential (research) and commercial reality is huge. …

The Role Of Botanical Garden Of Pbai In Bydgoszcz In Promoting The Crop And Usage Of Perennial C4 Grasses In Poland, Włodzimierz Majtkowski, Gabriela Majtkowska, Bartosz Tomaszewski

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Among the over 300 grass species known from Poland, there are about 160 species well established in the flora (~130 native with C3 photosynthesis pathway and ~30 aliens), and nearly 150 ephemerophytes, occasional escapers from cultivation or cultivated species (Mirek and Piękoś-Mirkowa 2002). Grasses from other climatic zones have been introduced to our country in recent years, especially as ornamental plants and as a source of biomass for energy purposes. The studies conducted since the 1990s in Botanical Garden of PBAI in Bydgoszcz, where the National Grass Collection is located, have contributed considerably to the popularization of C4 grasses in …

Little Effect Of Species Richness And Vegetation Composition On Herbage Production And Quality In A Permanent Temperate Grassland, Johannes Isselstein, Tatiana From, Ute Petersen, Nicole Wrage-Mönnig

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Phytodiversity of grasslands has been shown to support production and other ecosystem services (e.g.Weigel et al. 2009, Tilman et al. 2012). However, in many of these studies, species richness was controlled by sowing and weeding and it was questionable to what extent the findings would also be applicable to permanent 'real world' grasslands where the species number is dependent on site and management conditions. In addition there is uncertainty about the effect of diversity on the herbage value for ruminants (Wrage et al. 2011). In a new approach to biodiversity experiments, we combined experimental and observational measures …

Yak Rearing On High Altitude Pastures Of Northeastern Himalaya Of India: Their Utilization Strategies And Rejuvenation, Vijay Paul, Sanjit Maiti, G. Krishnan, D. Medhi, S. M. Deb

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Yak rearing on alpine pastures is the main occupation of the highland pastoral nomads (Brokpa and Dokpas) of north-east (NE) India. These pastoral nomads living in the remote mountains solely rely on high altitude pastures for their nutritional and livelihood security because of virtual existence of agricultural activities in this area. They rear yaks under transhumance and utilize various pastures while migrating from low land winter pastures to high altitude alpine pastures during summer. Therefore, the temperate and alpine pastures are the major feed resources for the yaks. The indiscriminate use of pastures and impending climate change results …

Use Of Native Grassland In Small-Scale Dairy Systems In The Highlands Of Central Mexico. A Case Study, P. A. Sainz-Sanchez, Carloss Manuel Arriaga-Jordan, D. Heredia Nava, C. G. Martinez-Garcia, F. Vicente, L. R. Garcia-Winder, A. Martinez-Fernandez

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Small-scale dairy systems in Mexico comprise 78% of specialized dairy farms and provide 37% of national production. They are small farms with herds 3-35 cows plus replacements, and rely on family labour (Posadas-Domínguez et al., 2014).

In the highlands, many farms have native grasslands, grazed during the rainy season, and supplemented with other feeds as maize straw, maize grain and maize ears. Native grasslands have not been studied in this context. This is a case study on the use of native grassland in a small-scale dairy farm. The objective was to determine how native grasslands are integrated in feeding …

Adjusting Corn Nitrogen Management By Including A Mineralizable-Nitrogen Test With The Preplant And Presidedress Nitrate Tests, Jason Clark, Fabian G. Fernandez, Kristen S. Veum, James J. Camberato, Paul R. Carter, Richard B. Ferguson, David W. Franzen, Daniel E. Kaiser, Newell R. Kitchen, Carrie A.M. Laboski, Emerson D. Nafziger, Carl J. Rosen, John E. Sawyer, John F. Shanahan

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

The anaerobic potentially mineralizable N (PMN) test combined with the preplant (PPNT) and presidedress (PSNT) nitrate tests may improve corn (Zea mays L.) N fertilization predictions. Forty-nine corn N response experiments (mostly corn following soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]) were conducted in the U.S. Midwest from 2014–2016 to evaluate the ability of the PPNT and PSNT to predict corn relative yield (RY) and N fertilizer over- and under-application rates when adjusted by PMN. Before planting and N fertilization, PPNT (0–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm) and PMN (0–30 cm) samples were obtained. In-season soil samples were obtained at the …

Soil Sample Timing, Nitrogen Fertilization, And Incubation Length Influence Anaerobic Potentially Mineralizable Nitrogen, Jason Clark, Kristen S. Veum, Fabian G. Fernandez, Newell R. Kitchen, James J. Camberato, Paul R. Carter, Richard B. Ferguson, David W. Franzen, Daniel E. Kaiser, Carrie A.M. Laboski, Emerson D. Nafziger, Carl J. Rosen, John E. Sawyer, John F. Shanahan

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Understanding the variables that affect the anaerobic potentially mineralizable N (PMNan) test should lead to a standard procedure of sample collection and incubation length, improving PMNan as a tool in corn (Zea mays L.) N management. We evaluated the effect of soil sample timing (preplant and V5 corn development stage [V5]), N fertilization (0 and 180 kg ha−1) and incubation length (7, 14, and 28 d) on PMNan (0–30 cm) across a range of soil properties and weather conditions. Soil sample timing, N fertilization, and incubation length affected PMNan differently based on soil and weather conditions. Preplant vs. V5 PMNan …

Date Palm Wastes As Growth Substrate In Hydroponics To Grow Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa L.), Khawla Mohammed Al Marzooqi

Aridland Agriculture Theses

Recently, many countries are practicing a variety of modern farming techniques like hydroponics, aquaponics, aeroponics vertical farming etc., to enhance production and quality of the production. Among such techniques, hydroponic system of production is growing plants in an appropriate substrate, which provides both physical and nutrient support with a suitable root environment. Substrate media can be either inorganic or organic. In this study, date palm leaf waste has been used, rock wool slab and cocopeat slab. The main objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using palm leaf wastes as a growing substrate extensively in the hydroponics …

Expression Profiling And Mutant Analysis Reveal Complex Regulatory Networks Involved In Arabidopsis Response To Biotic, Abiotic And Hormonal Stresses, Arjun Sham Valiyaveettil Shamgopal

Biology Dissertations

Biotic and abiotic stress factors consistently threat during different stages of the plant’s life cycle. A complex network of signaling molecules is required to overcome stresses, which is linked to general physiological and molecular processes. Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungal pathogen that causes grey mold disease on many crops. Apart from B. cinerea, several biotic, abiotic and hormonal stresses have detrimental effects on plant growth and productivity. The aim of this study is to identify the genetic regulations of individual stress types using comparative microarray analyses, and to find out the role of differentially expressed genes in Arabidopsis- …

Nebline, April 2020

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Preparing Water for Use in an Emergency

Extension Postponements, Cancellations & Changes

Census Reminder

Create a Culture of Wellness with Nebraska Extension

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Warm Spring and Weed Growth

Creating Capable Children

Empathy Over Sympathy

Those Pesky Fruit Flies

Preventing Conflicts With Tree Squirrels

Six Annual Flowers for Sunny Locations

Hiring a Lawn & Landscape Professional

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

HEART OF 4-H

At 4-H Lock-In, Teen Council 4-H’ers “Inspire Kids to Do”

New in 4-H at Super Fair

4-H/FFA Livestock Identification Help Nights, June 2 & 9

4-H Senior Ellie Babcock’s Third Year Showcasing …

A Global Perspective On Sustainable Intensification Research, Kenneth Cassman, Patricio Grassini

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Despite general agreement that meeting food demand without further loss of natural ecosystems requires sustainable intensification, there is little dialogue about the research agenda needed to achieve it. To that end, we evaluate current trajectories towards sustainable intensification, review published research on the topic, identify missing links, and propose a prioritization framework to fill gaps. Although progress towards sustainable intensification is behind schedule, we are optimistic that current trends can get back on course assuming a well-prioritized and adequately funded research portfolio and appropriate policies and institutions to support it.

Science-Based Decision Support For Formulating Crop Fertilizer Recommendations In Sub-Saharan Africa, Jairos Rurinda, Shamie Zingore, Jibrin M. Jibrin, Tesfaye Balemi, Kenneth Masuki, Jens A. Andersson, Mirasol F. Pampolino, Ibrahim Mohammed, James Mutegi, Alpha Y. Kamara, Bernard Vanlauwe, Peter Q. Craufurd

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In sub-Saharan Africa, there is considerable spatial and temporal variability in relations between nutrient application and crop yield, due to varying inherent soil nutrients supply, soil moisture, crop management and germplasm. This variability affects fertilizer use efficiency and crop productivity. Therefore, development of decision systems that support formulation and delivery of site-specific fertilizer recommendations is important for increased crop yield and environmental protection. Nutrient Expert (NE) is a computer-based decision support system, which enables extension advisers to generate field- or area-specific fertilizer recommendations based on yield response to fertilizer and nutrient use efficiency. We calibrated NE for major maize agroecological …

Maize Growth, Yield, Water Productivity And Evapotranspiration Response To Different Irrigation Methods And Amounts And Different Timing And Methods Of Nitrogen Applications, Ali T. Mohammed

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Declining the quantity and quality of freshwater resources in many parts of the world, including Midwestern USA, especially in the light of rapidly growing world’s population and changing climate, imposes significant and, in some cases imminent, challenges for producers, policy- and decision-makers to produce more yield with less water and other inputs, particularly in water scarcity regions.

There is not comprehensive previous research has quantified and evaluated coupled impacts of irrigation rates and nitrogen timing management strategies and their interactions on maize (Zea mays L.) productivity and its various attributed efficiency index metrics under different irrigation methods under the …

Closing Yield Gaps In Oil Palm Production Systems In Ghana Through Best Management Practices, Tiemen Rhebergen, Shamie Zingore, Ken E. Giller, Charles Adu Frimpong, Kwame Acheampong, Francis Tetteh Ohipeni, Edward Kofi Panyin, Victor Zutah, Thomas Fairhurst

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The area under oil palm in Ghana has expanded but average fruit bunch yields remained low, resulting in large yield gaps. This study assessed the potential for increasing yield with 'Best Management Practices (BMP)' on plantations and smallholder farms in southern Ghana, compared with current standard practices, i.e. reference (REF) yield. We evaluated short-term (≤1 year) yield increases with 'yield taking' (improved crop recovery), and long-term increases (>1 year) with 'yield making' (better agronomy) practices and identified the factors that contributed most to yield improvements. Average fruit bunch yield increases with BMP were 2.1 t ha−1 (+19%) and 4.7 …

Cascading Effects Of Polyphenol-Rich Purple Corn Pericarp Extract On Pupal, Adult, And Offspring Of Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca Sexta L.), Mandeep Tayal, Pavel Somavat, Isabella Rodriguez, Leilani Martinez, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

A major bottleneck in the commercialization of plant-based pest management compounds is that the extraction methods are complex, time-consuming, and even highly expensive. Using a recently developed inexpensive extraction and quantification methodology to isolate polyphenols (including anthocyanins and condensed tannins) from purple corn pericarp, we examined their effects on Manduca sexta, a common insect herbivore. Following up on our previous work which demonstrated the negative impacts of polyphenol-rich extract on larval stages, we further examined whether there are any cascading effects on subsequent life stages (pupal and adult) including any possible transgenerational effects. Our results show that polyphenol-rich purple corn …

Spore Germination For Three Edible Zimbabwean Mushrooms Using Biostimulants, Melody Pamire, Wilson Parawira

Tanzania Journal of Science

Spores play critical roles in the population and community development of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF), which grow naturally in the presence of host plants. EMFs have not been cultivated commercially in most countries including those in Africa. In vitro germination of their spores is refractory and has been witnessed only in the presence of stimulants. In this study, germination of spores for three wild ectomycorrhizal fungi commonly collected in Zimbabwe was investigated under the influence of three biostimulants in Murashige and Skoog (MS) and Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) media for the first time. The stimulatory capacity of tomato or potato roots …

Strategies To Ameliorate Pasture Production For Livestock In High Altitude Regions, M. M. Roy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The high altitude regions in India exhibit a diverse climate, topography, vegetation, ecology and land use pattern. The annual average rainfall varies from 80 mm in Ladakh to over 200 cm in some parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The vegetation varies from the scrub in the lower hills to arctic in the Greater Himalaya (GJK 2004). In this region, Ladakh is a unique land form encompassing distinct physical features, ecology, environment, ethnicity, agricultural systems and livestock rearing practices. This region experiences a very hostile climate and winter temperature may go as low as -30⁰ C. Summer temperature …

Local Use And Knowledge Validation Of Fodder Trees And Shrubs Resources Browsed By Livestock In Manipur (India), R. Joseph Koireng, Ansarul Haq, Kh. Priya Devi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

North Eastern states of India particularly in Manipur livestock rearing were being considered as one of the important homestead activities in the farm household. In the rural household economy, livestock is considered as an inseparable component in the whole farm business, as the production of milk and meat as well as manure, draught and transportation depends on it. It provides nutritional security to farm family and stabilizes farm income too.

As a major source of animal feeds in Manipur, fodder trees and shrubs are highly valued by farmers. They have deep root systems enabling the extraction of water and nutrients …

Pasture Management For Sustainable Forage Production, Pijush Kanti Mukherjee, Putan Singh, S. S. Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the livestock management grazing was the major feed resources in the past and even today a significant portion of livestock is being sustained on grazing resources from pastures and other grazing lands like forest, fallow lands, cultivable waste lands etc.

During the last few decades ever increasing livestock population has created enormous grazing pressure on pasture resources leading to deterioration and destruction of pastures. This has led to the urgent need of improvement of pastures as well as judicious implementation of grazing management practices. There has been certain constraints on pasture development which include fragmentation and degradation of …

Production And Quality Assessment Of Pasture Crop In Red Lateritic Wasteland Of Central Chhattisgarh, Mahendra Nath Naugraiya, G. S. Tomar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The livestock constitutes a very important component in rural economy, as in agriculture. Our country largely depends on livestock for manure and power. The availability of fodder is short from the requirement and an estimate of several agencies, there is more than 300 per cent gap between availability and requirement (Anon, 1980). Most of the livestock depend either partially or completely on natural and developed pastoral system, but the existing practices of utilization of range lands, grasslands and forest areas natural resources and increasing land degradation. In the improved pastoral system in wastelands, the carrying capacity of grass-legumes pastoral field …

Effects Of Alternate Furrow Irrigation On The Forage Quality Of Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa), Xiao Yu, Zhengang Guo, Tingting Jia, Yuying Shen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is widely used to establish pasture to sustain animal production because of its high nutritional quality for livestock (Bouton, 2012). Therefore improving quality of alfalfa pasture is the main goal for establishing pasture throughout the world. Irrigation is an important approach for achieving high qualities of alfalfa pasture, however, the scarcity of water threatens the sustainability of world alfalfa production, requiring us to force on using water more efficiently (Liu and Guo, 2013). Alternate furrow irrigation has been proved as a water-saving technique to promote fruit quality of tomatoes and grapevines and the seed quality …

The Impact Of Surface Coal Mining On The Pre- And Post-Mining Agricultural Potential Of The Grassland Biome Of Southern Africa, Wayne F. Truter, T. Bredell, J. Olivier, D. Van Heerden, P. Mosebi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Surface mining of coal is widespread in the grassland areas of the Mpumalanga Province in South Africa, and is the main cause of many environmental impacts in this agriculturally important region. To ensure healthy and productive vegetation after the reclamation process, disturbed soils need to be ameliorated and re-vegetated with locally adapted grass species to protect, preserve and improve soils for future agricultural use. To date, soil compaction is regarded as one of the main factors that cause severe restrictions in the effective rooting depth of plants, and the level of compaction is strongly influenced by altered soil water contents, …