Digital Commons Network^™

Prospects For Improving Alfalfa Yield Using Genomic- And Phenomic-Based Breeding, M. W. Francis, D. Pap, A. Krill-Brown, E. C. Brummer

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a perennial outcrossing legume that is cultivated as an important forage crop in many parts of the world. Yield is the most important trait for profitable alfalfa production, yet over the last 30 years yield improvement in California has stagnated. Current breeding methods focus on recurrent phenotypic selection; however, alternatives incorporating genomic- and phenomic-based information may enhance genetic gain and help to address the lack of yield improvement. Here we attempt to increase the yield potential of alfalfa using genomic selection (GS) in combination with high throughput phenotyping (HTP). A total of 193 families …

Use Of Limpograss As An Alternative Feed During The Fall Forage Gap In Beef And Dairy Systems In Central And North Florida, L. Garcia, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., Marcelo O. Wallau, J. D. Pereira-Neto, M. A. Bernardini, M. Ruiz-Moreno

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In central and North Florida, the use of limpograss [Hemarthria altissima (Poir.) Stapf & C. E. Hubb.] for beef and dairy operations is limited and its potential use is not well documented. Two on-farm projects have been conducted in Central and North Florida to explore the use of limpograss as an alternative conserved forage during late fall and winter. The potential use of this forage as baleage for dairy farmers and as stockpiling for livestock producers would offer another alternative to reduce feed costs and fill the forage gap in the area when typical warm-season forages go dormant. In …

Effect Of Using A Prototype Aerator On The Botanical Composition And Fodder Production On Grassland With Low Soil Porosity, Piotr Goliński, Barbara Golińska

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Permanent grasslands located on some organic soils can be sensitive to compaction due to the use of agricultural machinery and their natural tendency for compactness. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of using innovative own constructed aerator on sward botanical composition, dry matter yield and forage quality. The study also looked at the physical properties of the meadow soil. The research was carried out in 2018-2019 using a single-factor field experiment established on a dairy farm located in Wielkopolska region on grassland with the natural organic peat-muck soil compaction. The aerator was constructed by the farmer …

Inhibiting Dhurrin Biosynthesis Effects On Stocker Cattle Daily Gains, S. M. Gruss, K. D. Johnson, R. P. Lemenager, M. R. Tuinstra

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Climate change has made resilient crops more valuable in many agricultural production systems. Sorghum is an important resilient grain and forage crop due to its high drought tolerance and ability to thrive in low-N environments. All current commercial sorghum varieties produce the cyanogenic glucoside dhurrin. Cell maceration causes the conversion of dhurrin to hydrogen cyanide (HCN), which is toxic to animals. Toxicity symptoms range from labored breathing and convulsions to death within minutes. The dhurrin biosynthesis pathway was altered to inhibit dhurrin production by a mutation that inactivated CYP79A1, the first enzyme in the pathway. The dhurrin-free phenotype eliminates the …

Perennial Ryegrass ‘Virazón’, A New Cultivar For Warm Temperate Areas In Uruguay And South America., Felix Gutiérrez, Javier Do Canto, R. Reyno, C. Rossi, A. Stewart, M. Carrere, F. Nolla

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

‘Virazón’ perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), a grazing-type tetraploid cultivar, was developed by the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) in Uruguay as a part of the Joint Venture with PGG Wrightson Seeds and Grasslands Innovation Limited and commercially available since 2021. ‘Virazón’ was developed after 6 cycles of selection from crosses with cultivar Horizon from New Zealand based on climate adaptation, dry matter production, vigor, rust resistance, seed yield, and persistence under Uruguayan conditions. The aim was to obtain a perennial ryegrass with 3 years of consistent production. ‘Virazón’ was evaluated in forage yield trials in comparison with …

Short-Term Effect Of Forage Grasses On Carbon Sustainability, Fodder Security, And Soil Properties In Poor Soils Of Semi-Arid India, H. M. Halli, P. Govindasamy, M. Choudhary, R. Srinivasan, M. Prasad, Vinod K. Wasnik, Vijay Kumar Yadav, A. K. Singh, S. Kumar, D. Vijay

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grasses are essential sources of fodder for livestock and provide options for climate resilience due to their broad range of adoption. They are also valuable resources for soil quality enhancement. Therefore, a six-year field study using nine grasses (2013 to 2019) was initiated in a semi-arid region of central India. The study aimed to assess the short-term impact of these nine grasses on soil carbon stock, selected soil physiochemical and biological properties, and green fodder yield. Results (after six years) revealed that a greater carbon stock (7.0 and 7.2 Mg ha^–1), carbon sustainability index (71.6 and 89.3), and …

Improving Frost Seeding Accuracy With An Entry Level Gps Unit, B. L. Hendrix, Christopher D. Teutsch, J. Jackson, C. Raymond

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Guidance utilizing GPS has long been used for various operations in row crop agriculture. However, the high cost of these systems has limited their use in low-input forage and livestock operations. Reduced prices and the availability of used guidance systems have the potential to increase the use of precision agriculture in pastoral settings. In the past, frost seeding often resulted in areas that received no seed and areas that were double seeded. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the impact of using a guidance system on the uniformity of seed dispersal. This study was conducted at the University …

Application Of Fall Nitrogen Increased Spring Tall Fescue Yield, B. L. Hendrix, Christopher D. Teutsch, J. Duckworth

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Late season nitrogen fertilization is a practice that has long been implemented in turfgrass production. This practice involves applying nitrogen from September through December and results in an extended green period in the fall without stimulating excessive shoot growth. The longer green period results in higher levels of carbohydrate reserves and enhanced root growth compared with a spring-summer fertilization program. In addition to these benefits, sods fertilized in late fall have been shown to green up two to six weeks earlier in the spring. Limited research has considered the impact of late fall nitrogen applications on grass growth in hayfields …

Looking At Cell Wall Components With Our Customers In Mind, D. J. Heuschele, Z. Xu, J. F. S. Lamb, H. J. Jung, D. A. Samac

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Fiber digestibility of alfalfa for animal nutrition is a complex system encapsulating animal, plant, and microbe biological traits. Understanding all components within the system is key to predicting forage quality. We investigated the relationship between alfalfa cell wall components and invitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD) speed (16-hr) and potential (96-hr) of by cattle ruminant microbes. A composite alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) population from seven commercial cultivars underwent two cycles of bidirectional selection for plants with low or high stem 16-hr IVNDFD and low or high stem 96-hr IVNDFD. The resulting selected populations were then evaluated by near inferred spectrometry …

A Global Perspective Of Epichloë Endophyte Toxicity In Sown Pastures, David E. Hume, S. C. Finch

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The asexual Epichloë fungal endophytes that form mutualistic, obligate, asymptomatic associations with ryegrasses (Lolium spp.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) are critical components of pastures in the USA, Australia and New Zealand. Research has convincingly demonstrated that these endophytes enhance agronomic performance of their grass hosts, due to protection from biotic and abiotic stresses such as insect pests and drought. However, although beneficial in terms of enhancing forage quantity, the widespread occurrence of ‘common-toxic’ strains of endophyte negatively impacts the quality of forage for livestock. These bioprotective and anti-quality properties are due to endophyte-expressed secondary metabolites. It …

Alfalfa Response To Phosphorus And Potassium Fertility And Harvest Management, M. A. Islam, M. M. Baidoo

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Balanced nutrition of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) is needed for improving alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) productivity. Availability and uptake of P and K by alfalfa for yield response can depend on their relative levels with soil calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) in combination with harvest management. An experiment was conducted at the University of Wyoming Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center to determine the alfalfa’s response to P and K in association with Ca, Mg, and harvest time. Treatments were 10 selected combinations (kg ha^-1) of three levels of P (0, 34, …

New Insights For Benefit Of Legume Inclusion In Grazing Systems, David M. Jaramillo, José C. B. Dubeux Jr., L. M. D. Queiroz, L. Garcia

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The benefits and challenges of legume inclusion in grazing systems have been well documented over time and across different regions. Recent investigations have provided novel insights into the benefits of legume inclusion in grazing systems. Our objective is not to provide a wide overview of the benefits of legume inclusion but to explore novel insights of recent advancements made from studies evaluating legume inclusion in grazing systems. Efficiency of resource use through legume inclusion in grazing systems can reduce the water footprint associated with beef production through improvements in forage nutritive value and animal performance. These efficiencies also translate into …

Genotype-By-Environment Interaction In Interspecific Urochloa Hybrids Using Factor Analytic Models, R. N. Jauregui, L. M. Hernandez, J. S. Aparicio, L. J. Mazabel, J. A. Cardoso Arango, L. M. Atencio-Solano, S. L. Mejía Kerguelén, V. Castiblanco, M. Peters

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Environmental factors can influence plant phenotypes shaping the expression of pastures. The ability to test genotypes in multiple environments is critical in a breeding program because important traits are heavily influenced by the environment. Nutritional quality is critical in forage breeding because it affects the rate of live weight gain in livestock as well as the quality of end products such as milk and meat. However, there is not much information on the environmental effect on agronomic and nutritional quality traits in tropical forages. For this reason, the objective of the present study was to investigate the genotype-by-environment interaction in …

Comparing Forage Biomass Estimation Between Forager-Mounted Near Infrared Spectroscopy (Nirs) And Rising Plate-Meter (Rpm) Techniques, Andy G. Jones, G. Irisarri, T. Takahashi, M. J. Rivero, P. Harris

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Quantifying the forage mass harvested per paddock is essential for informing late-season management decisions on grazing livestock farms. This information can be used to calculate winter feed budgets and thus support decisions such as area of land to defer for autumn grazing, and head of stock to sell before winter housing. However, there are practical limitations associated with existing measurement methods, which can influence the accuracy of forage biomass estimates. The purpose of the current study was therefore to compare biomass estimation from two alternative precision farming methods — near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) integrated within-spout of a self-propelled forage harvester, …

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 …