Agriculture Commons^™

An Investigation Of Quality Climate And Its Association With Implementation Of Quality Management System, Sai K. Ramaswamy, Gretchen A. Mosher

Sai Ramaswamy

Quality management and continuous improvement are paramount for businesses to survive and thrive in today’s competitive landscape (Goetsch & Davis, 2003; Abdullah et al., 2009). One effective approach to operationalize quality processes and continuous improvement goals is a formalized quality management system (Khanna et al., 2010; Mosher et al., 2013). Quality management systems are embodiments of the organization’s policies, procedures, plans, resources, processes and delegation of responsibility and authority designed to achieve customer satisfaction within the boundaries of organizational objectives (Goetsch & Davis, 2003). While these systems are being used extensively across many industries, the ideas are relatively new to …

Approaching Safety Through Quality: Factors Influencing College Student Perceptions, Sai K. Ramaswamy, Gretchen A. Mosher

Sai Ramaswamy

Quality management practices have been identified by previous literature as a factor that could potentially reduce the level of safety incidents and hazards in agricultural work environments. The present study used multivariate analysis to examine the effect of independent variables such as quality and safety awareness, work experience, safety and quality management experience, and the perceived importance of safety and quality on the role of quality management practices as a mitigating factor for safety hazards and incidents in agriculture. Variables were measured on a five-point scale using a survey questionnaire. Data were collected from approximately 900 undergraduates enrolled in the …

Perceptions Of Agricultural College Students On The Relationship Between Quality And Safety In Agricultural Work Environments, Sai K. Ramaswamy, Gretchen A. Mosher

Sai Ramaswamy

Agriculture is a high-hazard industry that employs a large number of young workers below the age of 25. Recent studies have documented a strong positive correlation between quality management in agriculture and occupational safety as perceived by agricultural workers. Younger workers have been found to be at higher risk for occupational injuries and fatalities in agriculture. Furthermore, college students in agriculture have minimal exposure to safety and quality management principles in their coursework and thus may not be aware that the two concepts are associated. Little research has studied how young workers perceive the relationship between safety and quality and …

Pre-Professional Perceptions Of Safety And Quality Concerns In Agricultural Work Environments, Sai Kumar Ramaswamy

Sai Ramaswamy

Pre-professionals in the field of agriculture will play a vital role in the application and implementation of quality and safety policies in agricultural work environments. Yet, no comprehensive study has been completed to understand these pre-professionals' perceptions of quality and safety and how these two factors interact in the agricultural workplace. This study built on the work of Mosher et al. (2012), which measured the interactions between employees' perceptions of safety and quality in an agricultural work environment. To understand how pre-professionals perceive the link between quality and safety, undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences …

In-Season N Fertilization Strategies Using Active Sensors, Daniel Barker, John Sawyer

John E. Sawyer

The objectives of this project were to measure corn yield response to applied nitrogen (N) fertilizer based on active canopy sensing during the mid-vegetative corn growth stage (V10) and compare yield and N use efficiency between pre-plant N (PP-N), pre-plant + sensor N (PP+S-N), split N strategy (SNS), and rescue N strategy (RNS).

In-Season N Fertilization Strategies Using Active Sensors, Daniel Barker, John Sawyer

John E. Sawyer

The objectives of this project were to measure corn yield response to applied nitrogen (N) fertilizer based on active canopy sensing during the mid-vegetative corn growth stage (V10) and compare yield and N use efficiency between pre-plant N (PP-N), pre-plant + sensor N (PP+S-N), split N strategy (SNS), and rescue N strategy (RNS).

In-Season N Fertilization Strategies Using Active Sensors, Daniel Barker, John Sawyer

John E. Sawyer

The objectives of this project were to measure corn yield response to applied nitrogen (N) fertilizer based on active canopy sensing during the mid-vegetative corn growth stage (V10) and compare yield and N use efficiency between pre-plant N (PP-N), pre-plant + sensor N (PP+S-N), split N strategy (SNS), and rescue N strategy (RNS).

Impacts Of Cover Crops On Phosphorus And Nitrogen Loss With Surface Runoff, Antonio Mallarino, Richard Cruse, Dan Jaynes, John Sawyer, Pablo Barbieri

John E. Sawyer

Iowa research has demonstrated that cover crops can improve soil productivity and water quality by increasing soil organic matter and reducing nitrate nitrogen (N) leaching. Other research has investigated and is investigating the agronomic and economic viability of using cereal rye cover crops in continuous corn or corn-soybean rotations. However, no Iowa research has evaluated under natural rainfall the impact of cover crops on phosphorus (P) and N loss with surface runoff interacting with other management practices. The need for this type of research was indicated in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy documents. This effort assessed what would be needed …

Impact Of 4r Management On Crop Production And Nitrate-Nitrogen Loss In Tile Drainage, Matthew Helmers, John Sawyer, Josh Sievers

John E. Sawyer

Corn Belt corn and soybean producers are increasingly challenged to maximize crop production while addressing the contributions farm practices make to Gulf hypoxia. Based on the need for nitrate-N reductions to meet water quality goals, new management practices are needed to reduce nitrate-N losses at minimal cost and maximum economic benefits. This three-year field research and demonstration project is evaluating various promising N management methods and technologies by documenting the nitrate-N export and crop yield from various systems.

Pesticide Policy And Farmworker Health, Joan D. Flocks

Joan D. Flocks

Although data on the carcinogenicity of agricultural pesticides are still being generated and are thus incomplete, research such as the Agricultural Health Study indicates that populations with increased, regular exposure to pesticides have high rates of a variety of cancers (National Institutes of Health & Environmental Protection Agency 2008). Policies that regulate toxins such as pesticides are envisioned by the public to be empirical and objective, but toxins are socially produced and their regulation is just as often based on political and economic factors as it is on science (Luke 2000). This does not bode well for farm- workers who …

Variation In Avian Pathogenic Escherichia Coli Colonization Levels In Chickens, Melissa Monson, Michael Kaiser, Susan Lamont

Melissa Monson

Colonization levels in five tissues after avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) inoculation were investigated in chickens to generate phenotypic data for a genome wide association study (GWAS). Bacterial loads were measured in 370 birds and varied among individuals and tissues. Mean bacterial levels were significantly different between tissues (right lung > spleen > left lung and liver > blood). There were also significant correlations in bacterial load between tissues. These data suggest that colonization levels could be used as phenotypes in GWAS and could help identify markers associated with poultry resistance to APEC infections. After verification, these markers could be used for genetic …

Association Of Different Iowa Livestock Truck Wash Stations Service Levels With Enterobacteriaceae Counts, Amber Danielson, Samaneh Azarpajouh, Anna Johnson, James Dickson, Locke Karriker, Rodney Baker, Christopher Rademacher, Troy Bigelow, Kenneth Stalder

Samaneh Azarpajouh

Data from eighteen different truck washes were used to compare the association of different service levels with Enterobacteriaceae counts. Service levels were classified into three different categories; prewash (n=78), post wash with disinfectant (n=78), and post wash without disinfectant (n=12). A total of 168 drag swabs were used for collection for the purpose of this study. Prewash services were defined as trailers before they were scraped out and washed. Post wash with or without disinfectant services were defined as after the trailers were washed and disinfectant was or was not applied. Prewash trailers tended to have higher Enterobacteriaceae counts of …

Potential Impact Of Biofield Treatment On Atomic And Physical Characteristics Of Magnesium, Mahendra Kumar Trivedi, Rama Mohan Tallapragada, Alice Branton, Dahryn Trivedi, Gopal Nayak, Omprakash Latiyal, Snehasis Jana

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

An Impact Of Biofield Treatment On Spectroscopic Characterization Of Pharmaceutical Compounds, Mahendra Kumar Trivedi, Shrikant Patil, Harish Shettigar, Ragini Singh, Snehasis Jana

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Spectroscopic Characterization Of Biofield Treated Metronidazole And Tinidazole, Mahendra Kumar Trivedi, Shrikant Patil, Harish Shettigar, Khemraj Bairwa, Snehasis Jana

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Effect Of Biofield Treatment On Spectral Properties Of Paracetamol And Piroxicam, Mahendra Kumar Trivedi, Shrikant Patil, Harish Shettigar, Khemraj Bairwa, Snehasis Jana

Mahendra Kumar Trivedi

Health Professionals’ Roles In Animal Agriculture, Climate Change, And Human Health, Aysha Z. Akhtar, Michael Greger, Hope Ferdowsian, Erica Frank

Michael Greger, MD, FACLM

What we eat is rapidly becoming an issue of global concern. With food shortages, the rise in chronic disease, and global warming, the impact of our dietary choices seems more relevant today than ever. Globally, a transition is taking place toward greater consumption of foods of animal origin, in lieu of plantbased diets. With this transition comes intensification of animal agriculture that in turn is associated with the emergence of zoonotic infectious diseases, environmental degradation, and the epidemics of chronic disease and obesity. Health professionals should be aware of these trends and consider them as they promote healthier and more …

The Public Health Impacts Of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations On Local Communities, Michael Greger, Gowri Koneswaran

Michael Greger, MD, FACLM

Large-scale farm animal production facilities, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), release a significant amount of contaminants into the air and water. Adverse health effects related to exposure to these contaminants among CAFO workers have been welldocumented; however, less is known about their impact on the health of residents in nearby communities. Epidemiological research in this area suggests that neighboring residents are at increased risk of developing neurobehavioral symptoms and respiratory illnesses, including asthma. Additional research is needed to better understand community-scale exposures and health outcomes related to the management practices and emissions of CAFOs.

The Human/Animal Interface: Emergence And Resurgence Of Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Michael Greger

Michael Greger, MD, FACLM

Emerging infectious diseases, most of which are considered zoonotic in origin, continue to exact a significant toll on society. The origins of major human infectious diseases are reviewed and the factors underlying disease emergence explored. Anthropogenic changes, largely in land use and agriculture, are implicated in the apparent increased frequency of emergence and reemergence of zoonoses in recent decades. Special emphasis is placed on the pathogen with likely the greatest zoonotic potential, influenzavirus A.

Morphological, Anatomical And Molecular Investigation Into Witches’ Broom Disease Of Mamejvo (Enicostemma Axillare), K. Abirami, Anjali Sharma, Jatindra Nath Samanta, V. S. Rana, Kunal Mandal

Kunal Mandal

Mamejvo (Enicostemma axillare Raynal) is a perennial herb with diversified health benefits. It was found to be affected by a witches’ broom disease under the field conditions at Anand, Gujarat, India. Affected plants were 53.33% reduced in height due to shortened internodes, leading to typical witches’ broom symptoms. Flower size was reduced significantly in the affected plants compared with the healthy ones and their petal color gradually turned green (virescence). Affected plants produced 2.5 times more dry herbage than the normal plants but with less active ingredient (swertiamarin). Symptomatic plants died early while root suckers from such plants failed to …

Spatial Distribution Of Commercial Banks In Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria, I B. Abdullahi, M A. Ijaiya, A Abdulraheem, R I. Abdulkadir, R O. Ibrahim

Confluence Journal of Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

The spatial distribution of banks in any geographic entity determines the level of accessibility to its services by the public. This study examined the pattern of banks distribution in Ilorin metropolis. Field survey was employed in determining the number of available commercial banks and their respective distances between each other. The spatial analysis technique such as the nearest neighbour analysis as used ascertain the degree of clustering, density and the average distance taken to access these services. The study revealed that about 96% of the total number of banks are situated in the Central Business District which exhibited a very …

Conservation And Development Interventions At The Wildlife-Livestock Interface, Steven A. Osofsky, Sarah Cleaveland, William B. Karesh, Michael D. Kock, Philip J. Nyhus, Lisa Starr, Angela Yang

Philip J. Nyhus

No abstract provided.