Digital Commons Network^™

Nebraska Range Shortcourse: A Successful Approach To Continuing Education, Daniel R. Vaughn, Anthony D. Watson, Lowell E. Moser, Walter H. Schacht

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Casual visitors to Nebraska rarely see the diversity of the 23 million acres of its rangeland. The state boasts of its nonparalleled range beef cattle industry which relies heavily on the Sandhills, a seemingly endless expanse of grass-covered dunes. In sharp contrast to the Sandhills, however, is a wide array of landscapes including the pine ridge of northern Nebraska, the sagebrush grassland of the southwestern region, the shortgrass prairie of the panhandle, the highly-dissected loess hills, and wooded river valleys. These landscapes offer a complex mixture of habitats, recreational opportunities, rangeland products, and management challenges. People with varied education and …

Morphological Development Of Switchgrass As Affected By Planting Date, Alexander J. Smart, Lowell E. Moser

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Late-spring and early-summer plantings of warm-season grasses often fail, due to dry soil conditions and competition from annual grass and broadleaf weeds. The objective of this study was to compare the morphological development of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) planted in early, mid, and late spring in eastern Nebraska. This study was conducted in 1994 and 1995 at Lincoln, NE, on a Kennebec silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Cumulic Hapludolls). 'Blackwell' and 'Trailblazer' switchgrass were planted in mid-March, late April, and late May using a single-row, precision grass-seed cone planter to a depth of 0.6 to 1.3 cm at 98 …

Predicting Developmental Morphology In Switchgrass And Big Bluestem, Rob B. Mitchell, Kenneth J. Moore, Lowell E. Moser, John O. Fritz, Daren D. Redfearn

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) are important warm-season grasses in livestock production systems in the central and eastern USA. The objectives of this study were to quantify the morphological development of ‘trailblazer’ switchgrass and 'Pawnee' big bluestem and to evaluate day of the year (DOY) and growing degree day (GDD) as predictors of switchgrass and big blnestem morphological stage. Pure stands of each species were sampled at weekly intervals in 1990 and 1991 at Mead, NE, and classified as to mean stage count (MSC) and mean stage weight (MSW). Prediction equations for MSC …

Relationships Between In Situ Protein Degradability And Grass Developmental Morphology, R. B. Mitchell, D. D. Redfearn, Lowell E. Moser, R. J. Grant, K. J. Moore, B. H. Kirch

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The objective of this research was to determine the relationships between the morphological development and in situ ruminally degradable protein (RDP), ruminally undegradable protein (RUP), and microbial protein of two cool season grasses (intermediate wheatgrass and smooth bromegrass) and two warm season grasses (switchgrass and big bluestem). The initial growth of grass tillers grown near Mead, Nebraska was clipped at ground level six times during the 1992 growing season and morphologically classified. Mean stage was calculated. Forage was ground to pass a 2-mm screen and was incubated in ruminally fistulated steers for 16 h. The RUP was adjusted for microbial …

High-Affinity Potassium Uptake Transporter From Higher Plants, Julian Schroeder, Daniel P. Schachtman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The present invention provides polynucleotide sequences encoding high affinity potassium uptake transporters. The polynucleotides of the invention can be used to modulate alkali metal uptake in plants and other organisms.

Leaf Nutritive Value Related To Tiller Development In Warm-Season Grasses, J. R. Hendrickson, Lowell E. Moser, K. J. Moore, Steven S. Waller

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Assessing nutritive value of key grass species in relation to plant development is essential for producers to efficiently manage livestock enterprises. Changes in nutritive value for tiller populations of 2 common Nebraska Sandhills grasses, prairie sandreed [Calamovilfa longifolia (Hook.) Scribn.] and sand bluestem [Andropogon gerardii var. paucipilus (Nash) Fern.], in response to morphological development was evaluated at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory (GSL) during the 1990 and 1991 growing seasons. Morphological development was determined on a 40 to 60-tiller sample from each block (12 blocks in 1990 and 8 blocks in 1991) at ten-day intervals using a comprehensive staging …

Fractal Analysis Of Temporal Yield Variability Of Crop Sequences: Implications For Site-Specific Management, Bahman Eghball, Gary E. Varvel

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Characterizing spatial and temporal variability is important in site-specific or long-term studies to evaluate the effects of different management systems on crop performance. Long-term experiments offer unique possibilities to study the effects of management practices on crops and soils over time. The objective of this study was to characterize temporal grain yield variability of seven crop sequences using fractal analysis and to determine whether temporal or spatial variability dominated the grain yield variability. Three crops of corn (Zea mays L .), soybean [Giycine max ( L.) Merr.], and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] were studied from 1975 …

Notes: Forage Yield, Quality, And Fertility Of Sorghum X Sudan Grass Hybrids In A1 And A3 Cytoplasm, Jeffrey F. Pedersen, J. J. Toy

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Currently, no information is available comparing the agronomic performance of A1 and A3 cytoplasms in sorghum x sudangrass [Sorghumbi color (L.) Moench] hybrids. The objectives of this study were to compare the effects of A1 and A3 cytoplasm on the maturity, fertility, height, forage yield, and forage quality of sorghum × sudangrass hybrids. In 1989, pollen from a bulk of eight sudangrass populations was used to pollinate four sorghum lines that had been male-sterilized in both A1 and A3 cytoplasm. Hybrids were grown at the Univ. of Nebraska Field Laboratory Ithaca, NE, in 1990 and 1991, in a split-plot …

Season And Genotype Influence Golf Ball Roll Distance On Creeping Bentgrass, A.M. Rist, Roch E. Gaussoin, Bob Shearman, J.D. Fry, Walter W. Stroup

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Golfers are demanding increased ball roll distances on a daily basis, but cultural practices to achieve this often are detrimental to the green. One option for increasing ball roll distance without altering cultural practices may be to select creeping bentgrass genotypes that provide less resistance to ball roll. Studies were conducted at the John Seaton Anderson Turfgrass and Ornamental Research Facility near Ithaca, Neb., and at the Rocky Ford Turfgrass Research Facility in Manhattan, Kans., to determine genotype and seasonal influences on golf ball roll distance. Eighteen creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) genotypes were evaluated. Genotype was not a …

Mid-Career And Senior Faculty: Maintaining Vitality And Productivity, Daniel W. Wheeler

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Beginning in 1810 at Harvard Univ., mid-career and senior faculty were presented with opportunities for faculty renewal and development through sabbatical leaves. The focus was on increasing knowledge, skills, and research, particularly as a content expert. Faculty also attended their academic discipline annual meetings and conferences to increase content development.

Even with strong academic traditions and professional autonomy, some institutions began to provide expanded professional development activities, particularly to address teaching. However, the focus was often on seminars, with the major outcome to increase the subject matter expertise of the faculty.

Starting in the late 1950s, the academic and popular …

Soil Temperature And Fumigation Effects On Plant Phosphorus Uptake And Related Microbial Properties, Dennis L. Mccallister, L. A. Jawson, M. D. Jawson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Early season problems with growth of corn (Zea mays L.) under cool, wet conditions prompted a study of the effects of soil and environmental conditions on mineralization and plant uptake of phosphorus (P). Our objective was to determine the effect of soil test P, temperature, and soil fumigation on soil P availability and uptake during early corn growth. Corn was grown in growth chambers at temperatures of 14°C or 25°C. Soils were a high-P Hastings silty clay loam (fine, montmorillonitic, mesic Udic Argiustoll) and a low-P Sharpsburg clay loam (fine, montmorillonitic, mesic Typic Argiudoll). Plants grew for up to …

Buffalograss Establishment With Preemergence Herbicides, Jack D. Fry, Roch E. Gaussoin, Dan D. Beran, Robert A. Masters

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Field studies were conducted at two sites in Nebraska (NEI and NE2) and one site in Kansas (KS) in 1994 to determine the influence of selected preemergence herbicides on establishment of seeded 'Sharp's Improved' buffalograss [Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.]. Herbicides were applied within 2 days after seeding. Application ofimazethapyr at 0.07 kg·ha^-1 usually resulted in buffalograss seedling density, vigor, and foliar cover that were superior to buffalograss stands where other herbicides were applied. Buffalograss response to AC 263,222 at 0.07 kg∙ha^-1 was variable and appeared to be influenced by level of weed interference. Seedling density and vigor …

Molecular And Functional Characterization Of A Novel Low-Affinity Cation Transporter (Lct1) In Higher Plants, Daniel P. Schachtman, Raman Kumar, Julian I. Schroeder, Ellen L. Marsh

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The transport of cations across membranes in higher plants plays an essential role in many physiological processes including mineral nutrition, cell expansion, and the transduction of environmental signals. In higher plants the coordinated expression of transport mechanisms is essential for specialized cellular processes and for adaptation to variable environmental conditions. To understand the molecular basis of cation transport in plant roots, a Triticum aestivum cDNA library was used to complement a yeast mutant deficient in potassium (K⁺) uptake. Two genes were cloned that complemented the mutant: HKT1 and a novel cDNA described in this report encoding a cation …

Chlorophyll Meter And Stalk Nitrate Techniques As Complementary Indices For Residual Nitrogen, Gary E. Varvel, James S. Schepers, Dennis D. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

An irrigated monoculture corn and soybean-corn cropping systems study with cropping system as the first split, corn hybrid as the second split, and N fertilizer rate as the final split in four replications was used. Four commercially available Pioneer brand corn hybrids (3162, 3379, 3394, and 3417) were evaluated in both cropping systems. Nitrogen fertilizer as ammonium nitrate was broadcast at rates of 0, 45, 90, 135, and 180 lb N/acre in 1991 and 1992 and 0, 56, 112, 168, and 224 lb N/acre in the 1993 and 1994 growing seasons.