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Farm, Ranch And Home Quarterly Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska- Lincoln

Farm, Ranch and Home Quarterly

In this issue:

An Investment Returned ....................... 2

The Northeast Station- 25 years of Research, Extension and Service......... 3

Opportunities and Obstacles- Women Choose Agricultural Careers.............. 11

The Animal Welfare Movement- Where did it come from and where is it going?.............. 14

Center Pivot Irrigation- Runoff Analyzed on Sloping, Clayey Soil .................. 16

Nitrogen Management- Soils Change in Nutrient Content......................... 18

New Directions in Research ................................ 20

Respiration, Carbohydrate Content, And Leaf Growth Of Tall Fescue, Lowell E. Moser, J. J. Volenec, C. J. Nelson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) was grown in controlled environment chambers with a 14-hour photoperiod, and then kept in darkness for 8 days in one experiment and 20 days in another. The objectives were to determine concentrations of total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC) and relate them to leaf elongation rates (LER) and to rates of dark respiration (R,). After various times in darkness, leaf terminal meristems in vegetative tillers, root tips, and center-sections of collared leaf blades were excised, and oxygen consumption was measured.

Oxygen consumption was generally highest in terminal meristerns, intermediate in root tips, and lowest in mature …

Variability For Quality And Agronomic Traits In Forage Sorghum Hybrids, J. F. Pedersen, Herman J. Gorz, Francis A. Haskins, W. M. Ross

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The variation among 49 F, forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] hybrids from a 7 x 7 cross-classified design was explored in 1979 and 1980 for the following traits: dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL). Differences were found among hybrids for all traits. Parental means for males generally had a wider range of variation than for females. The means of hybrids involving the male parent, 'White Collier', were highest in IVDMD, and lowest in NDF, ADF, and ADL. IVDMD was …

Agricultural Experiment Station News June 1982

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

CONTENTS:
From the Director’s Desk
Widaman Trust Awards to Twelve
SAHS SEZ
New AES Project Outline Format
NEW AND REVISED PROJECTS
Grants and Contracts
New Experiment Station Personnel
Journal Articles - Submitted for Publication
Journal Abstracts - Submitted for Publication
BULLETINS PRINTED
CALENDAR OF EVENTS - SUMMER, 1982

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 14, No. 2. June 1982

The Prairie Naturalist

DISTRIBUTIONS, DENSITIES, AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCES OF GRASSHOPPERS (ORTHOPTERA: ACRIDIDAE) IN A NEBRASKA SAND HILLS PRAIRIE ▪ A. Joern

FLORA OF FOREST CLEARINGS CREATED BY LOGGING IN BELTRAMI COUNTY, MINNESOTA ▪ E. W. Devlin

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS FOR NORTH DAKOTA - 1981 ▪ R. N. Randall

RAPTOR USE OF HARDWOOD DRAWS IN CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA ▪ R. C. Gaines and S. C. Kohn

NOTES ON DUCK NEST STRUCTURES ▪ J. G. Sidle and P. M. Arnold

EFFECT OF SOIL MOISTURE OR SOIL TEMPERATURE ON REPRODUCTION OF INDIGENOUS NEMATODE POPULATIONS IN A MIXED PRAIRIE ▪ J. D. Smolik

CORRECTION: Replacement for Table …

Agricultural Experiment Station News May 1982

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

CONTENTS:
From the Director’s Desk
Search Advisory Committee for Dean and Director, AES
The Field Laboratory is Now Ours
Department of Agricultural Communications Review
SAHS SEZ
Sorghum/Millet Collaborative Research-Year Four
Open House-Gudmundsen Sandhills Research Center, Friday, June 4th
ANNA H. ELLIOTT FUND
Calendar of Events
Grants and Contracts
NEBRASKA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION PUBLICATIONS - April 1982
Calendar of Events – Summer, 1982

Agricultural Experiment Station News April 1982

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

CONTENTS:
FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
SAHS SEZ
TRAVEL OPPORTUNITY - SPAIN
GRANTS AND CONTRACTS
NEBRASKA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION PUBLICATIONS - March 1982

The Relationship Of Nutritional Factors To Apple Tree Root Damage By Pine Voles, F. A. Servello, J. J. Hasbrouck, R. L. Kirkpatrick, K. E. Webb

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Damage to apple tree roots by pine voles is believed to occur primarily during the winter months. Cengel et a1. (1978) found that the stomachs of pine voles contained significant amounts of root material only during January and March sampling periods. In addition, the diet of pine voles at that time consisted primarily of less preferred grass species because preferred forb species were unavailable. Therefore, apple tree roots may serve as a food source in the winter when preferred forages are unavailable. If, in fact, pine voles are consuming roots in response to reduced food supplies, then one would expect …

Effect Of Green Vegetation And Cotton Nest Material On Reproduction And Survival Of Pine Voles (Microtus Pinetorum), Jack A. Cranford

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Plant compounds associated with active plant growth and senescence have been reported to have different effects on microtine reproduction (Berger et al., 1977, 1981). Biological assays of inhibitory compounds showed some effect at pharmacological doses in Microtus pennsylvanicus but not in M. pinetorum (Cranford et al., 1980; Derting and Cranford, 1981). Stimulatory plant compounds contained in active growing wheat have been demonstrated to cause early sexual maturation (Berger et al., 1981) and to induce reproduction in wild populations during non reproductive periods (Negus, 1977; Berger et al., 1981). Bodenheimer (1949) postulated that plants contain compounds which trigger the onset of …

Progress Of A Bioenergetic Simulator Of Pine Vole Populations, K. C. Jordan, A. R. Tipton, R. L. Kirkpatrick

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

The pine vole research effort under way at VPI & SU has involved 4 parts: an investigation of nutrition and energetics, a study of habitat and behavior, an evaluation of chemical control, and the development of a computer simulation model of population dynamics. Coyle et a1. (1981) reported on the results of a preliminary model developed by Coyle (1980), and outlined a second stage model to incorporate his (1980) recommendations and the continually expanding base of field and laboratory data. The preliminary model was a demographic simulator mechanistically driven by bioenergetic equations developed chiefly from laboratory studies at Virginia Tech. …

Proceedings Of The Sixth Eastern Pine And Meadow Vole Symposium, Harpers Ferry, Wv (Covers, Frontmatter, Contents)

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Frontmatter

Proceedings Of The Sixth Eastern Pine And Meadow Vole Symposium, March 10-12, 1982 (Complete Proceedings)

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Entire symposium

Highlights of the Sixth Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposium
The Sixth Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposium was held at the Cliffside Inn, Box 786, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia 25425, March 10-12, 1982, for the purpose of assessing the current status of research, extension, and industry programs relating to the problem of vole damage to fruit trees. The meeting was intended to create a problem solving atmosphere in which growers; various governmental agencies such as EPA, USDA, USDI; the chemical industry; and university personnel could ob¬serve the current thrusts of research and extension programs and their potential …

Influence Of Photoperiod And Nutrition On Food Composition, Body Condition And Reproduction In The Pine Vole, J. J. Hasbrouck, A. R. Tipton, R. L. Kirkpatrick, Jack A. Cranford

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Previous field studies in Virginia reported a longer breeding sea¬son in pine voles in maintained apple orchards than in abandoned orchards and attributed the difference to nutrition (Cengel et at. 1978, Noffsinger 1976). The maintained orchard was theorized to have better quantity and quality of forage in fall due to mowing, fertilizing and the presence of apple drops. Hasbrouck et a1. (1981) found adult male pine voles snap-trapped in November and December in an orchard where apples were present had significantly heavier reproductive organs and higher spermatozoa counts than those trapped in an area of the orchard where apples had …

Cc302 Revised March 1982 Fact Sheet

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Campaign Circular 302 Revised March 1982 contains facts about the purpose, structure, funding, and activities of the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension

Agricultural Experiment Station News March 1982

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

CONTENTS:
FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
IN THE INTERIM
SAHS SEZ
GRANTS AND CONTRACTS
GRANTS
NEBRASKA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION PUBLICATIONS - February 1982
BULLETINS PRINTED

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 14, No. 1. March 1982

The Prairie Naturalist

LEGUME DISTRIBUTION AND NODULATION IN ARAPAHO PRAIRIE, ARTHUR COUNTY, NEBRASKA ▪ L. A. Kapustka and J. D. DuBois

BREEDING BIRDS IN TWO DRY WETLANDS IN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA ▪ D. E. Hubbard

RELATIVE EFFICIENCY OF THREE SMALL-MAMMAL TRAPS IN PRAIRIE WETLANDS G. W. Pendleton and R. P. Davison

WHITE PELICAN POPULATIONS AT CHASE LAKE, NORTH DAKOTA, EVALUATED BY AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY ▪ J. G. Sidle and E. L. Ferguson

MOSQUITOES (DIPTERA:CULICIDAE) CONSUMED BY BREEDING ANATINAE IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA ▪ M. I. Meyer and G. W. Swanson

BOOK REVIEWS:

Peterson's revised field guide ▪ J. M. Andrew

Midwestern turtles ▪ …

Performance Of Blends Of Short, Medium, And Tall Sorghum For Forage, Herman J. Gorz, Francis A. Haskins

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

This study was conducted to evaluate a wider range of plant types and agronomic and quality traits than had been previously reported for blends of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. Three groups of sorghum cultivars and hybrids, each including a i-dwarf (tall), a 2-dwarf (medium), and a 3-dwarf (short) sorghum, were used in a 2-year study. Within each group the following seven blends were compared: tall (T), medium (M), and short (S); T and M; T and S; M and S; T alone; M alone; and S alone. Principal emphasis was given to total dry matter (DM) production (sum …

Legume Distribution And Nodulation In Arapaho Prairie, Arthur County, Nebraska, L. A. Kapustka, J. D. Dubois

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Vegetational sampling of the legumes of Arapaho Prairie, located in the southwest portion of the Sand Hills of Nebraska, was conducted in June 1980. Lathyrus polymorphus, Petalostemon purpureum, Psoralea digitata and Amorpha canescens were the leading dominants. The overall density of legumes was 0.309 plants m^-2.

Of eight examined, only Petalostemon villosum and Glycyrrhiza lepidota supported large numbers of nodules. The others including the dominant legumes were unnodulated or had only a few, usually degenerate nodules.

It appears that the legumes are of minor importance in the overall N economy of Arapaho Prairie. Nevertheless since many …

Predator Problems When Using Sheep And Goats In Managing Brush On Rangelands, James E. Bowns

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 10th (1982)

Rangelands occupy a large portion of the western United States and the world. Grazing by ruminant animals provides the only means of obtaining usable products from these lands. Sheep and goats are more efficient producers, better adapted to many ranges, and are useful in controlling or manipulating shrubs and other undesirable vegetation which results in improved range conditions and increased water yields. There has been a general decline in sheep and goat numbers and a shift toward cattle. Predation has been a major factor in the abandonment of many sheep and goat operations and the shift to other livestock. A …

Development And Evaluation Of Methods To Reduce Rat Damage To Coconut In The Philippines, L.A. Fiedler, M.W. Fall, R.F. Reidinger Jr.

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 10th (1982)

Based on findings from studies conducted in the Philippines over a span of almost a decade, primarily by scientists at the Philippine National Crop Protection Center, crown-baiting (wherein bait containing anticoagulant is placed monthly in the crowns of some palms in a coconut plantation), holds the potential of providing highly economical protection from rat damage. The success of the method in various field trials appeared related, in part, to selective removal of rodents that feed in the palms and to the use of baits that were preferred over growing nuts. Studies have also indicated that only 10% or less of …

Reducing Starling Depredations At Livestock Feeding Operations Through Changes In Management Practices, Daniel J. Twedt, James F. Glahn

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 10th (1982)

Economic losses due to starling depredations at livestock feeding operations can be reduced by implementing management practices that limit access to or reduce consumption of grain products by starlings. Current farm management practices that reduce losses to birds are reviewed and alternate practices suggested. Management practices suggested include physical separation of feed from starlings, use of feed types that reduce the rate of consumption by starlings, and use of feeds that are either unpalatable or not physiologically usable by starlings. The reduction in starling numbers at feedlots resulting from these management practices may alleviate economic losses with a concomitant lesser …

Bird Problems And Their Solutions In Britain, Ernest N. Wright

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 10th (1982)

The background and organization of research on bird pests in Britain are described and the main projects are outlined. Work is currently concentrated on bullfinches, starlings, rooks and woodpigeons together with behavioral studies aimed at developing better bird scarers.

Agricultural Experiment Station News February 1982

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

CONTENTS:
FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
PROFESSIONAL COURTESY
SAHS SEZ
SANDHILLS TASK FORCE FORMED
GRANTS AND CONTRACTS
COMPETITIVE AND SPECIAL GRANTS
New Experiment Station Personnel
NEBRASKA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION PUBLICATIONS - January 1982
Journal Abstracts - Submitted for Publication
BULLETINS PRINTED

Resurgence Of Nilaparvata Lugens (Stål) Populations As Influenced By Method And Timing Of Insecticide Applications In Lowland Rice, E. A. Heinrichs, G. B. Aquino, S. Chelliah, S. L. Valencia, W. H. Reissig

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Resurgence of Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) after insecticide application is a common phenomenon in rice in South and Southeast Asia. Among other insecticides inducing resurgence, carbofuran, decamethrin, and methyl parathion were selected for this study. Of the various methods of carbofuran application tested, foliar sprays were most active in inducing resurgence. Extent of resurgence was highly influenced by time of insecticide application. Sprays of methyl parathion and decamethrin applied 50 and 65 days after transplanting (DT) induced resurgence in the third generation of N. lugens at ca. 90 DT, whereas earlier applications had little effect. The cause(s) for resurgence was not …

Blood Flow And Nutrient Uptake Of The Bovine Uterus And Fetus, Calvin L. Ferrell, Ronald L. Prior, Ronald K. Christenson, Stephen P. Ford

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Basic knowledge of the nutritional and hormonal requirements for normal development of the fetus and other gravid uterine tissues is essential to establish bases from which to study factors that my contribute to abnormal fetal development. Despite recognition of this necessity, few data are available that describe blood flow to the gravid uterus of cows. Data obtained by Ferrell and Ford (1980) indicated blood flow to the gravid uterus was 75, 155, 154, 105, and 60 ml/min/kg at 80, 140, 180, 210, and 240 days of gestation. Silver and Comline (1975) reported blood flow to be 312±20 ml/min/kg gravid uterus …

Decreasing The Postcalving Anestrous Period In Suckled Beef Heifers, Sherrill E. Echternkamp

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The interval from calving to first ovulation was reduced to less than 45 days in 2-year-old suckled heifers by feeding a high energy diet (ADG, 1.4-2.5 lb/day) during the postcalving period or by a single injection of exogenous gonadotropin (2,250 IU PMSG) on day 42 postcalving. A comparison of reproductive parameters for heifers on the high and low energy (maintenance) diets during the postcalving period indicated that a higher percentage of heifers on the high energy diet had ovulated by 46 days postcalving (100 vs 0 %) and that both basal plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) concentration and estrogen-mediated LH release …

Performance Characteristics Of Feedlot Bulls And Steers Implanted With Estradiol-17Β, Bruce D. Schanbacher, Ronald L. Prior

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Bulls were shown to grow more rapidly (+18%) and convert feed to live weight gain more efficiently (22% less feed) when compared to steers. Whereas bulls had larger loin eye areas and yielded a higher percentage of major retail cuts, marbling scores and quality grades were similar for bulls and steers. Implants containing estradiol-17β dipropionate had no major effects on performance characteristics of steers but reduced the performance of bulls to approximately that of steers. Our research shows that estradiol can suppress performance of feedlot bulls by inhibiting testosterone secretion from the testes.

Beef Research Program Progress Report No. 1 (1982): Table Of Contents

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

ROMAN L. HRUSKA U.S. MEAT ANIMAL RESEARCH CENTER, Robert R. Oltjen........iii

BREEDING AND GENETICS

Sixteen years of selection for weaning weight, final weight, and muscling score in Hereford cattle: Robert M. Koch, Larry V. Cundiff, and Keith E. Gregory. . . . . . . . . . . .. 1

Effects of heterosis in Hereford, Angus, and Shorthorn rotational crosses: Larry V. Cundiff, Keith E. Gregory, and Robert M. Koch. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. 3

Heterosis and breed maternal and transmitted effects in beef cattle: Keith E. Gregory, Larry …

The Effect Of Varying Levels Of Raw And Precooked Spent Fowl Muscle In The Manufacture Of Restructured Steaks, S. C. Seideman, P. R. Durland, N. M. Quenzer, C. W. Carlson

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Spent fowl muscle (raw or precooked) was flaked and formulated to include: 1) 100% raw meat; 2) 80% raw meat and 20% precooked meat; 3) 50% raw meat and 50% precooked meat; and 4) 20% raw meat and 80% precooked meat. The products were mixed, formed, pressed, and cut into restructured steaks. Steaks were evaluated for physical appearance, fat, and moisture content, cooking and textural properties, and sensory attributes. As the percentage of precooked spent fowl meat was increased in restructured steaks, the steaks appeared lighter in color, contained less moisture and more fat, and suffered greater cooking losses than …

Effect Of Grain Source And Dietary Level Of Oat Hulls On Phosphorus And Calcium Utilization In The Growing Pig, R. L. Moser, E. R. Peo, Jr., B. D. Moser, A. J. Lewis

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Three metabolism trials were conducted to determine the effect of grain source and dietary level of oat hulls on dry matter digestibility, P and Ca retention and intestinal phytase activity of growing pigs. Twenty-four crossbred pigs (39 kg)were used. Dry matter digestibilities of corn-based diets were greater (P<.01) than grain sorghum-based diets (74.7 vs 63.5%). Diets containing 10% oat hulls had lower (P<.01) dry matter digestibilities than diets containing no oat hulls (64.0 vs 74.2%).