Life Sciences Commons^™

Temporal Changes In The Nutrient Content Of Cattle Dung In The Nebraska Sandhills Ecosystem, Amanda Shine, Martha Mamo, Gandura O. Abagandura, Walter Schacht, Jerry Volesky

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Dung excreted by cattle composes a significant portion of the nutrient inputs in a grazed ecosystem and can have wide-ranging effects on soil properties and vegetation. However, little research has been conducted on the nutrient dynamics of excreted dung in situ that has not been disturbed prior to field sampling. In this study, we analyzed 294 dung pats (1–24 days old) collected from a Nebraska Sandhills meadow to determine water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC), water-extractable nitrogen (WEN), water-extractable phosphorus (WEP), and percent dry matter (DM) changes over time. In addition, we investigated if sample handling - frozen storage – and the …

Spring Meadow Management Practices: What’S A Rancher To Do?, Tara M. Harms, Jerry D. Volesky, Mitchell B. Stephenson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

• Subirrigated meadows are a valuable forage resource to ranching operations in the Nebraska Sandhills, being used for both hay production and livestock grazing. • The water table of these meadows is within one meter of the soil surface during the growing season. • In some years, wet conditions hinder meadow utilization, resulting in a buildup of standing dead and litter plant material which can lower forage production.

• Investigate if burning and mowing are effective strategies to remove dead plant material from meadows • Determine if burning or mowing interact with grazing to influence end of season forage production …

Use Of Uav Imagery And Nutrient Analyses For Estimation Of The Spatial And Temporal Contributions Of Cattle Dung To Nutrient Cycling In Grazed Ecosystems, Amanda Shine

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nutrient inputs from cattle dung are crucial drivers of nutrient cycling processes in grazed ecosystems. These inputs are important both spatially and temporally and are affected by variables such as grazing strategy, water location, and the nutritional profile of forage being grazed. Past research has attempted to map dung deposition patterns in order to more accurately estimate nutrient input, but the large spatial extent of a typical pasture and the tedious nature of identifying and mapping individual dung pats has prohibited the development of a time- and cost-effective methodology. The first objective of this research was to develop and validate …

Grazing Strategy Effects On Utilization, Animal Performance, Aboveground Production, Species Composition, And Soil Properties On Nebraska Sandhills Meadow, Aaron Shropshire

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Ultrahigh stocking density (a.k.a., mob grazing) is proposed as a management tool that results in greater harvest efficiency, animal performance, aboveground plant production, species richness, and soil carbon content. The study objective was to determine grazing treatment, haying, or non-defoliated control effects on forage utilization, aboveground production, animal performance, and soil properties. In 2010, 25 ha of Sandhills meadow were divided into 2 replications of 3 grazing, a hay, and control treatment. Grazing treatments were a 120-pasture rotation with one grazing cycle (mob), a 4-pasture rotation with one cycle (4PR1), and a 4-pasture rotation with two cycles (4PR2) at stocking …

Effects Of Herbicides And Grazing On Floristic Quality Of Native Tallgrass Pastures In Eastern South Dakota And Southwestern Minnesota, Alexander J. Smart, Matthew J. Nelson, Peter J. Bauman, Gary E. Larson

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences

Historic herbicide use and grazing have influenced natural diversity and quality of native pasturelands in the Great Plains. Floristic quality assessments are useful to assist agencies in prioritizing conservation practices to enhance native grasslands. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of past land-use practices on the floristic quality of remnant native pastures in eastern South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota. Floristic quality assessments were conducted on 30 native pastures and categorized by past management practices (herbicide application and grazing intensity). Mean coefficient of conservatism (C) and floristic quality index (FQI) were calculated for each site~Results showed that …

Sheep Updates 2007 - Part 3, Andrew Ritchie, Edward Riggall, James Hall, Gus Rose, Johan Greeff, John Young, M. Alchin, M. Young, T. Johnson, John Lucy, Martin Staines, Tim Wiley, Rob Grima, Sandra Prosser, Matt Ryan, Geoff Moore, Tony Albertsen, Phil Barrett-Lennard, George Woolston, John Titerington, Sarah Knight, Brianna Peake

Sheep Updates

This session covers seven papers from different authors:

PROFITABILITY

1. Benchmarking demonstrates both the potential and realised productivity gains in the sheep and wool industry, Andrew Ritchie, Edward Riggall and James Hall, ICON Agriculture, Darkan

2. Improving sheep genetics will increase farm profitability, Gus Rose, Johan Greeff Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, John Young Farming Systems Analysis Service, WA

3. Meat, Merinos and making money in WA Pastoral Zone, M. Alchin, M. Young and T. Johnson, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia,

GRAZING

4. Nitrogen - farmers' friend or foe? John Lucy and Martin Staines, Department …

Guidelines For Management Of Farmland Adjacent To The Busselton Wetlands, William Oldfield, Department Of Conservation And Land Management, Department Of Planning And Infrastructure

Bulletins 4000 -

The Busselton Wetlands are a chain of wetlands that lie parallel with the coastline of Geographe Bay, Western Australia and in close proximity to the town of Busselton. The main issues for the maintenance of quality of the wetlands are nutrient levels and habitat value. This guide outlines many of the current best practices related to farming around wetlands.

Crop Updates 2002 - Geraldton, Steve Penny Jr, Robin Wilson, Iian Barclay, Robyn Mclean, Robert Loughman, Jenny Garlinge, Bill Lambe, Neil Venn, Peter Clarke, Wal Anderson, Raffaele De Cima, James Bee, Darshan Sharma, Sheena Lyon, Melaine Kupsch, Mohammad Amjad, Pam Burgess, Veronika Reck, Brenda Shackley, Ray Tugwell, Bindi Webb, Robert Park, Daya Patabendige, Phil Michael, Debbie Thackray, Jenny Hawkes, Roger Jones, David Stephens, Bob French, Laurie Wahlsten, Glen Riethmuller, M. Bolland, P. White, T. Khan, Kevin Walden, Ravjit Khangura, Martin J. Barbetti, Graham Walton, Françoise Berlandier, Paul Carmody, Christiaan Valentine, Roy Latter, Keith Devenish, Bill Bowden, Michael O'Connell, Chris Gazey, David Gartner, Caroline Peek, David Rogers, Greg Shea, George Yan, Alexandra Douglas, Sally Peltzer, Paul Matson, David Minkey, Clinton Revell, Giles Glasson, Dean Thomas, Aik Cheam, Siew Lee, Mike Clarke, Peter Newman, Glenn Adam

Crop Updates

This session covers twenty seven papers from different authors:

1. Taking the Why out of Wyalkatchem – the new widely adapted wheat variety, Steve Penny Jr, Department of Agriculture

2. Future wheat varieties, Robin Wilson, Iain Barclay,Robyn McLean, Robert Loughman, Jenny Garlinge, Bill Lambe, Neil Venn and Peter Clarke

Department of Agriculture

3. Maximising wheat variety performance through agronomic management, Wal Anderson, Raffaele Del Cima, James Bee, Darshan Sharma, Sheena Lyon, Melaine Kupsch, Mohammad Amjad, Pam Burgess, Veronika Reck, Brenda Shackley, Ray Tugwell, Bindi Webb and Steve Penny Jr

Department of Agriculture

4. Cereal rust update 2002 – …

Crop Updates 2002 - Weeds, Vanessa Stewart, Peter Newman, Glenn Adam, Andrew Blake, Natalie Lauritsen, Sally Peltzer, Paul Matson, Nerys Wilkins, David Minkey, Glen Riethmuller, Tim Cusack, Kathryn Steadman, Pippa Michael, Paul Blackwell, Dave Brindal, Michael Walsh, Wayne Parker, Clinton Revell, Giles Glasson, Dean Thomas, Alister Draper, Bill Roy, Marta Monjardin, David Pannell, Stephen Powles, Robert Barrett-Lennard, Martin Bent, Paul Neve, Art Diggle, Patrick Smith, Mechelle Owen, Abul Hashem, Christopher Preston, Tracey Gillam, Rick Llewellyn, Richard Quinlan, Aik Cheam, Siew Lee, Mike Clarke, David Nicholson, Harmoohinder S. Dhammu, Terry Piper, Chad Sayer, Ian Rose, Andrew Blake, Jerome Critch, Gordon R. Cumming, Sam Taylor, John Moore, Rosyln Jettner, Stuart Bee, Lionel Martin, Keith Devenish, Felicity Flugge, Amir Abadi, Duncan Peter, Stuart Mcalpine

Crop Updates

This session covers fifty eight papers from different authors:

1. INTRODUCTION Vanessa Stewart, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

INTEGRATED WEED MANAGEMENT

IWM system studies / demonstration sites

2. Major outcomes from IWM demonstration sites, Alexandra Douglas Department of Agriculture

3. Integrated weed management: Katanning, Alexandra Douglas Department of Agriculture

4. Integrated weed management: Merredin, Vanessa Stewart Department of Agriculture

5. Long term resistance site: Get ryegrass numbers low and keep them low! Peter Newman and Glen Adams Department of Agriculture

6. Using pastures to manage ryegrass populations, Andrew Blake and Natalie Lauritsen Department of Agriculture

Weed biology and competition

7. …

How Sustainable Is Grazing Sheep On Annual Pastures In The Woolbelt?, Don Mcfarlane, Richard George

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Low wool prices have reduced the profitability of producing wool from clover-based annual pastures in the south-western woo/belt. The heavy reliance on one commodity is economically unsustainable for many farmers. But we should also consider how ecologically sustainable the practice is.

Shallow-rooted annual pastures contribute to widespread salinity in the area, annual legumes are acidifying the soils and making them water repellent, and bare, detached soils from heavy grazing cause sheet and rill erosion during autumn storms. In addition, stock are degrading remnant vegetation and destroying the soil's structure.

To counteract this degradation, the woo/belt needs more perennial pastures and …

The Sandplain Lupin : Its Nutritional Value And Grazing Management, P W. Morcombe

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The sandplain lupin or Western Australian blue lupin (Lupinus cosentinii) was introduced to the West Midlands at the turn of the last century. Since that time it has been used as a self-regenerating summer forage for sheep and cattle.

Being deep rooted, it has adapted well to the sandy soils from Perth to Northampton, and plantings now cover more than 100,000 ha.

As few other improved pasture species will persist on these deep sands the sandplain lupin provides an important source of summer feed for grazing livestock. A stand can be grazed throughout summer at stocking rates of 10 to …

Saltland Notes : Don't Put Sheep In Yet, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

If you have sown bluebush or saltbush this year, keep the sheep out.

Grazing To Control Pasture Composition, R A. Bettenay

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

APART from grazing management, there are a number of means by which the farmer can influence pasture composition.

With the exception of grazing, all of these processes involve recurring costs, so it is important to exert the utmost possible control through the grazing animal.