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Impact Of Grazing Management On The Productivity Of Cold Temperate Grasslands Of Southern Patagonia - A Critical Assessment, A. F. Cibils, M. B. Coughenour

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The contention that productivity of cold temperate grasslands of southern Patagonia have been greatly affected by domestic herbivore grazing in the past is fairly widespread. The consequences of spatiotemporal interactions between grazing and abiotic factors on the overall productivity of such systems, however, are still poorly understood. Predictions of both short- and long-term impacts of grazing management strategies on grassland productivity require a better understanding of these interactions. In this paper we make a critical assessment of the impact of grazing management on long-term sustainability of the grass steppes of southern Patagonia (Argentina). We discuss this issue in the context …

Productivity Of Winter And Spring Native Improved Vegetation Under Different Grazing Stocking Rates On Basaltic Soil, M. Bemhaja

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Improved grassland with Lotus corniculatus, Trifolium repens and annual phosphorus fertilization, was evaluated during winter and spring for five consecutive years under grazing at three different stocking rates on medium basaltic soil. Specific contribution of Lotus and Trifolium reached 67% of grassland community in the first year. Stipa setigera and Poa lanigera increased their contribution from 0.8 to 17% in the fourth year of grazing experiment. Highest average value of crude protein was 19% during the second year and was related to legumes contribution. Forage availability was always up to 1.5 ton MS/ha at the three stocking treatments. Average daily …

Effects Of Cattle Grazing On A Perennial Legume, Bitumen Trefoil (Bituminaria Bituminosa (L.) Stirton), In A Mediterranean Grassland, M. Gutman, M. Sternberg, A. Perevoltsky

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A six-year study was conducted in a Mediterranean grassland in north-eastern Israel to investigate the effects of cattle grazing management on a perennial legume, Bitumen Trefoil (Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) Stirton). The relationship between grazing pressure and its relative plant cover was studied in the context of inter-annual variation in rainfall. Treatments included manipulations of stocking rates (moderate, heavy and very heavy) and of grazing regimes (continuous vs. seasonal), in a factorial design. The results showed that inter-seasonal rainfall variation was a dominant factor in the expression of plant cover changes of this species. Grazing showed no significant effect on …

Machine Learning Approach To Simulate Soil Co2 Fluxes Under Cropping Systems, Toby A. Adjuik, Sarah C. Davis

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Graduate Research

With the growing number of datasets to describe greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, there is an opportunity to develop novel predictive models that require neither the expense nor time required to make direct field measurements. This study evaluates the potential for machine learning (ML) approaches to predict soil GHG emissions without the biogeochemical expertise that is required to use many current models for simulating soil GHGs. There are ample data from field measurements now publicly available to test new modeling approaches. The objective of this paper was to develop and evaluate machine learning (ML) models using field data (soil temperature, soil …

Highly-Individualized Physical Therapy Instruction Beyond The Clinic Using Wearable Inertial Sensors, Samir A. Rawashdeh, Ella Reimann, Timothy L. Uhl

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Musculoskeletal conditions, often requiring rehabilitation, affect one-third of the U.S. population annually. This paper presents rehabilitation assistive technology that includes body-worn motion sensors and a mobile application that extends the reach of a physical rehabilitation specialist beyond the clinic to ensure that home exercises are performed with the same precision as under clinical supervision. Assisted by a specialist in the clinic, the wearable sensors and user interface developed allow the capture of individualized exercises unique to the patient’s physical abilities. Beyond the clinical setting, the system can assist patients by providing real-time corrective feedback to repeat these exercises through a …

Impact Of Enclosures On Range Productivity In Chepareria West Pokot County Kenya, Regina W. Waiganjo, P. N. Mwangi, Rebecca H. Karanja

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the semi-arid areas of West Pokot particularly Chepareria, majority of the people live semi sedentary lives while others are nomadic pastoralists. In the last three decades, there have been concerted efforts to restore and improve rangeland in this area. Use of enclosures, which is one of the key interventions, by the Vi Agro- forestry a Non-Governmental Organisation, enhancing with many ecological processes such as disturbance, is a method of rehabilitating degraded rangeland, which in turn affects vegetation dynamics. Adoption of these strategies by farmers has been gradual and some areas are still open and degraded. The aim of this …

Increased Above-Ground Biomass And Plant Species Decline Related To The Presence Of Eragrostis Curvula Across Multiple Grazing Grasslands In The Snowy Monaro Region Of Australia, J. Brown, L. Ingram

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

"It will be noticed that invasions most often come to cultivated land, or to land much modified by human practice." This quote was published in 1958 by Charles Elton, and holds true today, backed by empirical evidence suggesting mechanisms of disturbance, plant functional traits and propagule pressure can push a cultivated system towards an invaded state. 17 farms, with either a current or previous history of grazing and land modification, within the Snowy Monaro Region, NSW, Australia, were surveyed to explore the relationship between the non-native C4 perennial tussock grass Eragrostis curvula [Schrad.] Nees. and species richness. As E. curvula …

The Use Of Open Communal Grazing Designs To Screen Options For Grazing Management, David R. Kemp, D. L. Michalk, P. M. Dowling, G. Millar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An open communal grazing design is described that enables a large number of grazing tactics to be concurrently evaluated in small plots under common grazing conditions. Pasture data indicated that the same level of utilisation occurred inside the experimental plots as in the surrounding field. However, differential grazing may occur where plots have divergent composition. The open communal design was economical using < 5% of the land, livestock and fencing resources of alternative designs. The limitations of the open communal design as a research tool are also discussed.

Stocking Rate And Supplementation Effects On Performance Of Lambs Grazing Triticale And Ryegrass Sward In Uruguay, R. San Julián, Fabio Montossi, L. Guarino, F. Pittaluga

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An experiment was carried out from 9 June to 2 October 1997, using a Lolium multiflorum Lom. (Ryegrass) and X Triticosecale Wittmack (triticale) sward to evaluate the effect of stocking rate (SR; 20, 30 and 40 lambs/ha), and supplementation (S; with or without) on Corriedale lamb performance. SR had a significant effect on: liveweight gain (160, 130 and 90 g/an/d, P< 0.01); greasy fleece weight (2.8, 2.7 and 2.3 kg, P< 0.01); fiber diameter (28, 27, and 26 microns, P< 0.05); rib eye depth (2.4, 2.1 and 2.0 cm, P< 0.05); fat cover (3.2, 2.1 and 1.5 cm, P< 0.01); hot carcass weight (17.7, 15.6 and 13.5 kg/an, P< 0.01); GR (10.5, 6.6 and 4.2 mm, P< 0.01) and boneless leg weight (1.56, 1.42 and 1.24 kg, P< 0.05), for 20, 30 and 40 lambs per ha, respectively. At the highest SR, lambs increased grazing time (59 vs 52%) and biting rate (29 vs 26 bites/lamb/min). The mayor influence of S on lamb performance was found in grazing behavior variables: (grazing time (63 vs 50%, P< 0.01); biting rate (26.8 vs 28.4 bites/lamb/min, P< 0.01)), carcass characteristics: (hot carcass weight (15.3 vs 16.0 kg, P< 0.05); GR (7.9 and 6.3 mm, P< 0.05)) for with and without supplement, respectively. Over the experimental period (115 days), liveweight production and wool production ranged from 358 to 437 kg/ha for 20 and 30 lambs/ha respectively, and wool production from 55 to 93 kg/ha for 20 and 40 lambs/ha respectively. These results show the potential use of mixed ryegrass and triticale swards to produce high quality lamb meat even at high SRs, and the convenience of using supplements only when sward conditions are not sufficient to maintain an adequate lamb performance, particularly when high lamb SRs are used.

Lamb Stocking Rate And Supplementation Effects On Mixed Triticale And Ryegrass Swards Characteristics, R. San Julián, Fabio Montossi, L. Guarino, F. Pittaluga

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An experiment was carried out from 9 June to 22 October 1997, using a Lolium multiflorum L. (ryegrass) and Triticosecale Wittmack (triticale) mixed sward grazed by lambs in a rotational grazing system, to determine the effect of stocking rate (SR; 20, 30 and 40 lambs/ha) and supplementation (S; with or without) on herbage production, composition and nutritive value. SR affected significantly before and after grazing herbage mass and sward height, being higher the values of these variables at the lower SR (3232, 2611 and 2345 kg DM ha^-1, P < 0.05; 2557, 1761 and 1612 kg DM ha^-1, P < 0.01; 17, 11 and 9 cm, P < 0.01 respectively). Increments in SR had an effect on post grazing sward composition, increasing the proportion of ryegrass (32, 36 and 47 %, P< 0.05) and decreasing triticale contribution (68, 64 and 55 %, P< 0.05) for 20, 30 and 40 lambs/ha. The effect of SR on sward nutritive value was not very clear. Before grazing, S affected significantly herbage mass, being higher the values at the supplemented treatments (2787 vs. 2672 kg DM ha^-1, P < 0.10). This experiment showed the high potential of forage production and nutritive value of ryegrass and triticale swards for lamb production in the sandy soil region of Uruguay, and the dominant effect of SR, compared to S, on most of the sward variables considered.

Online Pilot Grocery Intervention Among Rural And Urban Residents Aimed To Improve Purchasing Habits, Alison A. Gustafson, Rachel Gillespie, Emily M. Dewitt, Brittany Cox, Brynnan Dunaway, Lindsey Haynes-Maslow, Elizabeth Anderson Steeves, Angela C. B. Trude

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Online grocery shopping has the potential to improve access to food, particularly among low-income households located in urban food deserts and rural communities. The primary aim of this pilot intervention was to test whether a three-armed online grocery trial improved fruit and vegetable (F&V) purchases. Rural and urban adults across seven counties in Kentucky, Maryland, and North Carolina were recruited to participate in an 8-week intervention in fall 2021. A total of 184 adults were enrolled into the following groups: (1) brick-and-mortar “BM” (control participants only received reminders to submit weekly grocery shopping receipts); (2) online-only with no support “O” …

Coordinated Speech Therapy, Physiotherapy, And Pharmaceutical Care Telehealth For People With Parkinson Disease In Rural Communities: An Exploratory, 8-Week Cohort Study For Feasibility, Safety, And Signal Of Efficacy, Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker, Merrill R. Landers, Annalisa Piccorelli, Erin Bush, Reshmi Singh

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Publications

Introduction: The potential for coordinated, multidisciplinary telehealth to help connect people with Parkinson disease (PD) in rural areas to PD specialists is crucial in optimizing care. Therefore, this study aimed to test the feasibility, safety, and signal of efficacy of a coordinated telehealth program, consisting of speech therapy, physiotherapy, and pharmaceutical care, for people with PD living in some rural US communities.

Methods: Fifteen individuals with PD living in rural Wyoming and Nevada, USA, participated in this single-cohort, 8-week pilot study. Participants were assessed before and after 8 weeks of coordinated, one-on-one telehealth using the following outcomes: (1) …

Choice Bundling Increases Valuation Of Delayed Losses More Than Gains In Cigarette Smokers, Jeffrey S. Stein, Jeremiah M. Brown, Allison N. Tegge, Roberta Freitas-Lemos, Mikhail N. Koffarnus, Warren K. Bickel, Gregory J. Madden

Family and Community Medicine Faculty Publications

Choice bundling, in which a single choice produces a series of repeating consequences over time, increases valuation of delayed monetary and non-monetary gains. Interventions derived from this manipulation may be an effective method for mitigating the elevated delay discounting rates observed in cigarette smokers. No prior work, however, has investigated whether the effects of choice bundling generalize to reward losses. In the present study, an online panel of cigarette smokers (N = 302), recruited using survey firms Ipsos and InnovateMR, completed assessments for either monetary gains or losses (randomly assigned). In Step 1, participants completed a delay-discounting task to …

Habitat, Phenology, And Seed Studies Of Citrullus Colocynthis In Lut Desert, Iran, Nastaran Kahrom, Mohammad Farzam, Mansour Mesdaghi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Colocynth is one of the major medicinal plants that naturally grows in deserts of Middle East and North Africa. Extending cultivation of this species is useful for sand dune fixation and for making incomes for the needy inhabitants. Despite of numerous studies on seed germination, there are still debates on best method of seed dormancy breaking for colocynth. Moreover, seed morphology, phonological stages, and habitat conditions of this species are not fully studied. In a flat plain of Gonabad, located at the edge Lut desert, we established line transects of 200 m and plots of 4×4 m, where vegetation parameters, …

Effect Of Winter Grazing Management Of Stockpiled Native Pastures Of Basaltic Soils Of Uruguay On Daily Gains Of Heifers, G. Pigurina, R. Castells, G. Reyes, E. J. Berretta

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The effect of three grazing systems of fall stockpiled native pastures on the winter gains of 66 Hereford heifers (135 kg) was studied. Treatments were: continuos grazing (CG); (C7) the plot was divided in 12 and each was grazed for 7 days and (C28), the plot was divided in 3 and each were grazed for 28 days. Heifers were weighed every 14 days and grazing behaviour was recorded. Stockpiled HM was greater (P< 0.05) in C7 and C28 than in CG (988, 912, and 604 kg DM/ha, respectively). Herbage allowance (HA) was greater (P< 0.01) in CG followed by C28 and C7 (11.7, 6.6 and 5.9 kg DM/100 kg LW, respectively). Post-grazing HM was greater (P0.05) in all pastures (CP 10.2%, NDF 71.2%, ADF 41.3% and ash 14.4%). Final LW of heifers were similar (P> 0.05) (167, 162 and 160 kg for CG, C7 and C28, respectively). A very mild winter favoured exceptional gains which tended to be higher in CG (0.353 …

Influence Of Stocking Rate And Grazing System On Lamb Performance Of Mixed Oat And Ryegrass Swards In Uruguay, Fabio Montossi, R. San Julián, C. Arocena, A. Dighiero

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An experiment was conducted at INIA-Tacuarembó Research Station (Uruguay) during 15 June to 4 October 1998, using a Avena Sativa (oat) and Lolium multiflorum (ryegrass) sward to examine the effect of stocking rate (SR; 25 and 35 lambs/ha) and grazing system (GS; strip and 7 days rotational grazing) on sward and lamb performance. SR had a significant effect on lamb performance, being higher the liveweight gain (LWG; 120 vs 98 g/a/d, P < 0.01), hot carcass weight (HCW; 17.7 vs 16.1 kg/a, P < 0.05) and carcass fat cover (GR; 12 vs 8 mm, P < 0.01) of those lambs managed at the lower SR. At the high SR, lambs increased grazing time (405 vs 376 min., P < 0.05). SG did not affect lamb performance, but strip GS reduces lamb grazing time (367 vs 414 min., P < 0.01) and biting rates (22 vs 24 bites/lamb/min., P < 0.01). Post grazing sward height (SH) was highly associated with LWG (LW = - 101,7 + 32.7 SH – 1.49 SH², R² = 0.66). This experiment demonstrated that: (a) the productive potential of ryegrass and oat swards to produce high quality …

Lamb Stocking, Grazing System And Supplementation Effects On Triticale And Ryegrass Swards Performance In Uruguay, Fabio Montossi, R. San Julián, D. Correa, F. Gonzales, V. Porcile

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An experiment was carried out from 3 of July to 22 of October 1998, using a Lolium multiflorum Lom. (ryegrass) and Triticosecale Wittmack (triticale) sward grazed by lambs, to examine the effect of stocking rate (SR; 25 and 35 lambs/ha), grazing system (GS; strip and 7 days rotational grazing) and supplementation (S; with or without) on sward structure, production, composition and nutritive value. SR affected significantly pre and post grazing herbage mass and sward height, being higher at the lower SR (3211 vs 2832 kg DM ha^-1, P < 0.01; 2443 vs 1939 kg DM ha^-1, P < 0.01; 19 vs 17 cm, P < 0.01 and 10 vs 8 cm, P < 0.01 respectively), increasing, at the high SR, the proportions of the ryegrass green leaf component, particularly in the uppermost layers of the sward canopy. In comparison with 7 days rotational GS, strip GS resulted in higher post grazing herbage mass, sward height and nutritive value (2387 vs 1996 DM ha^-1, P < 0.01; 10 vs 9 cm, P …