Agricultural Science Commons^™

Poisonous Rangeland Plants In San Luis Obispo County, Sara Litten, Amanda Ou

Animal Science

Poisonous Rangeland Plants in San Luis Obispo County is a comprehensive educational guide to rangeland plants that are toxic to domestic livestock. This guide begins with an exploration of how the biological systems are affected by the poisonous plant toxins. The biochemistry behind these toxins is included in the discussion. Next, reference material for fourteen plants that inhabit San Luis Obispo County is provided. This information includes specific toxins found in poisonous plants, affected animals, symptoms of poisoning, stages of growth, lethal dose, and distribution of the plant in California. This section of the guide is filled with helpful photos …

Participatory Evaluation Of Integrated Pest And Soil Fertility Management Options Using Ordered Categorical Data Analysis, Hugo De Groote, Esther Rutto, George Odhiambo, Fred Kanampiu, Zeyaur Khan, Richard Coe, Bernard Vanlauwe

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Maize is becoming the major food crop around Lake Victoria. Major constraints to its production are Striga, stem borer, and declining soil fertility. Innovative integrated technologies have been developed: the 'push-pull' system (intercropping with Desmodium and surrounded by Napier grass), soybean and Crotalaria rotations, and imidazolinone-resistant (IR) maize seed. In 12 demonstration trials in four villages in Siaya and Vihiga districts (Kenya) and two villages in Busia (Uganda) in 2003 and 2004, 504 farmers evaluated all cropping systems and a mono-cropped continuous maize, each cropped with IR or local maize, and supplemented or not with fertilizer, totaling 16 treatments. Farmers …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Western Australian Part Of The Nullarbor Region, Peter-Jon A. Waddell, A K. Gardner, P Hennig

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the Western Australian part of the Nullarbor region, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 2005 and 2007, describes and maps the natural resources of the region. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the area's natural resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The Nullarbor region has …

The Influence Of Nutrients And Physical Habitat In Regulating Algal Biomass In Agricultural Streams, Mark D. Munn, Jeffrey Frey, Anthony Tesoriero

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

This study examined the relative influence of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and habitat on algal biomass in five agricultural regions of the United States. Sites were selected to capture a range of nutrient conditions, with 136 sites distributed over five study areas. Samples were collected in either 2003 or 2004, and analyzed for nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) and algal biomass (chlorophyll a). Chlorophyll a was measured in three types of samples, fine-grained benthic material (CHLFG), coarse-grained stable substrate as in rock or wood (CHLCG), and water column (CHLS). Stream and riparian habitat were characterized at each site. TP ranged from …

‘Food For Life’: Looking Beyond The Horizon, Charles A. Francis, John W. Doran

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Our real challenge appears to be anticipating what the major challenges and constraints will be to food production and distribution a decade or more into the future. This could be called ‘Beyond the Horizon’ thinking. Today there is little disagreement over the massive depletion on a global scale of two essential inputs to agriculture: fossil fuels and fresh water. We also recognize that phosphorus is found in concentrated form in only a few deposits in nature, and that agriculture is rapidly using this limited resource and dispersing it through harvested products and soil loss from fields in forms that make …

Increased Weed Diversity, Density And Above-Ground Biomass In Long-Term Organic Crop Rotations, Samuel E. Wortman, John L. Lindquist, Milton J. Haar, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

While weed management is consistently a top priority among farmers, there is also growing concern for the conservation of biodiversity. Maintaining diverse weed communities below bioeconomic thresholds may provide ecosystem services for the crop and the surrounding ecosystem. This study was conducted to determine if weed diversity, density and biomass differ within and among organic and conventional crop rotations. In 2007 and 2008, we sampled weed communities in four long-term crop rotations near Mead, Nebraska, United States using seedbank analyses (elutriation and greenhouse emergence) and above-ground biomass sampling. Two conventional crop rotations consisted of a corn (Zea mays) …

Soil Water And Crop Growth Processes In A Farmer's Field, Susmitha Surendran Nambuthiri

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The study was aimed to provide information on local biomass development during crop growth using ground based optical sensors and to incorporate the local crop status to a crop growth simulation model to improve understanding on inherent variability of crop field. The experiment was conducted in a farmer’s field located near Princeton in Caldwell County, Western Kentucky. Data collection on soil, crop and weather variables was carried out in the farm from 2006 December to 2008 October. During this period corn (Zea mays L.) and winter wheat (Triticum sp) were grown in the field. A 450 m …

Can R&D Investment Offset The Negative Impact Of Climate Change On Agricultural Productivity?, Nazrul Islam, Ruhul A. Salim

Climate Science Published Reports

Productivity growth in agriculture helps maintain the nation's economic prosperity. However, long-run productivity growth in agriculture faces several challenges such as the potential worsening of climate due to global warming and the loss of productive land due to land use competition, salinity, wind erosion and soil acidity. Strategic policy making and appropriate funding for sustained productivity growth in agriculture is therefore crucial.

Research and development (R&D) to drive innovation is an acknowledged main source of productivity growth. The development and application of technologies generated through R&D boosts agriculture's productivity. Agricultural R&D activities in Australia and in most other developed economies …

White Lupin Leads To Increased Maize Yield Through A Soil Fertility-Independent Mechanism: A New Candidate For Fighting Striga Hermonthica Infestation?, Laure Weisskopf, Pollycarp Akello, Roxane Milleret, Zeyaur R. Khan, Fritz Schulthess, Jean Michel Gobat, Renée Claire Le Bayon

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Nitrogen (N)-deficiency and lack of phosphorus (P) availability are major constraints to maize yields in Western Kenya. In a two-season field study in the lake Victoria basin, we tested the capacity of white lupin (Lupinus albus (L.), cv. Ultra), as a nitrogen-fixing crop with a highly efficient P-acquisition capacity, to increase maize yields when used as a companion or cover crop, or as a source of organic matter. Each experiment was performed on three different fields (Vertisols) differing in N/P availability, previous cropping history and in levels of infestation by the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth. Our results show …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Lower Murchison River Area, Western Australia, P Hennig

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the lower Murchison River area, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 2002 and 2003, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. This survey report presents …

Agroforestry: Working Trees For Sequestering Carbon On Agricultural Lands, Michele M. Schoeneberger

Working Trees (USDA-NAC)

No abstract provided.

Symbiotic Effects Of The Fungus Glomus Sp. On Chromium(Iii), Chromium(Vi), And Lead(Ii) Uptake By Mesquite (Prosopis Sp.): A Novel Method To Remediate Heavy Metals, Jack A. Arias

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The indiscriminate disposal of lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) containing wastes has resulted in a detrimental impact on environmental health. Lead and Cr are in the EPA priority list due to their degree of toxicity on humans, animals, plants, and other living organisms. The removal of toxic wastes involves technologies that are expensive, sometimes incomplete, and could represent health hazards. In addition, site restoration after contaminant removal encompasses time and technological resources. Phytoremediation, the use of plants alone or associated with microorganisms, represents a potentially cost-effective option in the long term management of contaminated sites. Various plants known as "hyperaccumulators" …

Efficacy And Safety Of Catnip (Nepeta Cataria) As A Novel Filth Fly Repellent, J. J. Zhu, X.-P. Zeng, D. Berkebile, H.-J. Du, Y. Tong, K. Qian

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is known for its pseudo-narcotic effects on cats. Recently, it has been reported as an effective mosquito repellent against several Aedes and Culex species, both topically and spatially. Our laboratory bioassays showed that catnip essential oil (at a dosage of 20 mg) resulted in average repellency rates of 96% against stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) and 79% against houseflies, Musca domestica (L.), respectively. This finding suggested that the application of repellent could be used as part of filth fly management. Further evaluations of catnip oil toxicity were conducted to provide a broad-spectrum safety profile of …

Farmers And Nature Conservation: What Is Known About Attitudes, Context Factors And Actions Affecting Conservation?, Johan Ahnström, Jenny Höckert, Hanna L. Bergea, Charles A. Francis, Peter Skelton, Lars Hallgren

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Farmers’ attitudes towards viability of specific conservation practices or actions strongly impact their decisions on adoption and change. This review of ‘attitude’ information reveals a wide range of perceptions about what conservation means and what the impacts of adoption will mean in economic and environmental terms. Farmers operate in a tight financial situation, and in parts of the world they are highly dependent on government subsidies, and cannot afford to risk losing that support. Use of conservation practices is most effective when these are understood in the context of the individual farm, and decisions are rooted in land and resource …

Plan To Support Grains Industry Development 2009-2012, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Plan to Support Grains Industry Development (‘the Plan’) recognises that Western Australian agricultural industries are integral to the economic wellbeing of regional and rural communities. The Plan promotes a progressive and profitable grains industry through modern best practice services and research to enhance continuous improvement in farming and supply chain practices.

The Plan has been developed to align with the Government of Western Australia’s initiatives, strategies and tactics for ‘making every hectare count’ (see Appendix 1) and with grains industry needs as identified by industry stakeholders during a series of consultation forums. These industry needs will be addressed in …

Western Australian Rangeland Monitoring System For Grasslands: Field Manual, Andrew Craig, Philip Thomas

Bulletins 4000 -

Western Australian Rangeland Monitoring System (WARMS) sites are designed to provide defined areas for repeated photography and collection of vegetation composition, shrub/tree cover and landscape function (soil surface assessment) data. This manual defines the procedures for installing and monitoring WARMS sites in the grasslands of northern Western Australia. It provides a documented reference of site stratification at regional scale, and site allocation at station (property) scale. Different procedures apply for sites in the shrublands of the southern pastoral zone. WARMS is designed to be interpreted at the vegetation type or regional scale, rather than lease (station) scale. Information gathered is …

Potential Of Improved Fallows To Increase Household And Regional Fuelwood Supply: Evidence From Western Kenya, B. A. Jama, J. K. Mutegi, A. N. Njui

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Fuelwood is the main energy source for households in rural Africa, but its supply is rapidly declining especially in the densely populated areas. Short duration planted tree fallows, an agroforestry technology widely promoted in sub-Sahara Africa for soil fertility improvement may offer some remedy. Our objective was to determine the fuelwood production potential of 6, 12 and 18 months (the common fallow rotation periods) old Crotalaria grahamiana, Crotalaria paulina, Tephrosia vogelli and Tephrosia candida fallows under farmer-managed conditions in western Kenya. Based on plot-level yields, we estimated the extent to which these tree fallows would meet household and sub-national fuelwood …

Integrated Management Of Striga Hermonthica, Stemborers, And Declining Soil Fertility In Western Kenya, B. Vanlauwe, F. Kanampiu, G. D. Odhiambo, H. De Groote, L. J. Wadhams, Z. R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Striga hermonthica (Delile) Benth., stemborers, and declining soil fertility are serious threats to sustainable food production in the Lake Victoria zone of Kenya. To address these constraints, promising integrated crop management technologies were evaluated, using a multi-locational design in four sub-locations in Siaya and Vihiga district (western Kenya) for six cropping seasons. Technologies evaluated consisted of the traditional maize (Zea mays L.) - bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) intercrop, maize - Desmodium (Desmodium uncinatum (Jacq.) DC.) push-pull intercrop, Crotalaria (Crotalaria ochroleuca G. Don) - maize rotation, and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) - maize rotation. Within each of these systems, imazapyr-coated …

Testing A Simple Field Method For Assessing Nitrate Removal In Riparian Zones, Philippe Vidon, Michael G. Dosskey

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Being able to identify riparian sites that function better for nitrate removal from groundwater is critical to using efficiently the riparian zones for water quality management. For this purpose, managers need a method that is quick, inexpensive, and accurate enough to enable effective management decisions. This study assesses the precision and accuracy of a simple method using three ground water wells and one measurement date for determining nitrate removal characteristics of riparian buffer zones. The method is a scaled-down version of a complex field research method that consists of a large network of wells and piezometers monitored monthly for over …

Wheat Invest. A Compelling Business Case For Investment In The Western Australian Wheat Industry, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

Western Australia (WA) is an ideal location for wheat production. It has competitive advantages including:

• A proven track record in wheat production accounting for approximately 50 per cent of Australia's production. Based on a five year average from 2003/04 to 2007/08*, WA produces around 7.7 million tonnes of wheat per year.

• Over the past five years, the top 25 per cent of farmers averaged 10 per cent return on capital excluding changes in land value.

• Export focussed due to WA's small population. 90 per cent of WA's wheat is exported

• Abundant land at competitive prices and …

Mullewa Research Annexe Spring Field Day Future Farming Systems For North-Eastern Districts 21 August 2008, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Grain and other field crops research reports

Papers:

• Mullewa Research Annexe activities 2008

• Wheat for today and the future

• Consequences of strongly acidic and alkaline soils

• Break crop influence on low rainfall heavy soil

• Chemical fallow options for the north-east agricultural region

• Herbicide tolerance of new wheat varieties

• Lowrainfall oilseed crops for food and biofuel

• Utilising stock to reduce business risk in Binnu! A case study

Physiological Aging Of Potato Tubers Produced During Fall And Spring Growing Seasons And Stored Under Different Temperatures, Dilson A. Bisognin, Sergio T. De Freitas, Auri Brackmann, Jeronimo Luiz Andriolo, Engil Isadora Pujol Pereira, Douglas Renator Muller, Mauricio Guerra Bandinelli

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Adequate tuber storage is necessary to maintain a good availability of potato tubers in the market and to get seeds with adequate physiological age at planting. The objective of this work was to determine the effect of different storage temperatures on tuber physiological aging of three potato clones produced during fall and spring growing seasons. The experiment was carried out as factorial of three clones (Asterix, SMIJ461-1 and SMINIA793101-3) by four storage temperatures (4, 8, 12 and 25 ºC) and two growing seasons (fall and spring) in a random design with four replications. At 30-day intervals, tubers were evaluated from …

Enhancing Fertiliser Use Efficiency For Transplanted Vegetables, Dennis Phillips, Aileen Reid, Gavin D'Adhemar

Horticulture research reports

Horticulture Australia (HAL) Project No. VG04018.

Project VG 04018 ‘Enhancing fertiliser use efficiency for transplanted vegetables’ showed that spraying highly concentrated solutions containing nitrogen over newly transplanted vegetable seedlings for between 14 and 21 days after planting can increase marketable yields by as much as 300% compared to other methods of fertiliser application. Crops that this method has been successfully tested on in this study by the W.A. Department of Agriculture and Food include iceberg and Cos lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage (wombok), celery and cabbage.

The research was conducted on virgin sandy soils of the Swan Coastal Plain near …

Landholder Information For The Safe Use And Management Of Strychnine For Emu Control, Renee Donovan, David Goodall

Biosecurity published reports

Farmnote 34/2003 - Guide to safe use of strychnine poison for emu control included.

Strychnine is a highly poisonous substance that is used in Western Australia for the control of Wild Dogs and Emus. Its use is restricted by law.

This manual outlines your roles and responsibilities in regard to Strychnine use for emu control. In particular this manual outlines the essential information you need to know in regard to:

• The legislative requirements for Strychnine control in Western Australia
• The properties and mode of action of Strychnine
• How to apply to have a strychnine emu baiting program carried out on …

Landholder Information For The Safe Use And Management Of 1080, Renee Donovan, David Goodall

Biosecurity published reports

This manual outlines your roles and responsibilities for using and managing 1080. In particular this manual outlines the essential information you need to know in regard to:

• The legislative requirements for 1080 control in Western Australia
• The properties and mode of action of 1080
• How to lodge an application to lay 1080 baits How to safely store and transport 1080
• The procedures and notification required to carry out a baiting proposal
• Personal safety, identifying signs of poisoning & effecting appropriate first aid treatment
• Your responsibilities for notifying DAFWA and the Police of any accidents or incidents
• Methods for evaluating the …

Environmental Abundance Of Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) Larval Habitats On Land Cover Change Sites In Karima Village, Mwea Rice Scheme, Kenya, Benjamin G. Jacob, Ephantus Muturi, Patrick Halbig, Joseph Mwangangi, R. K. Wanjogu, Enock Mpanga, Jose Funes, Josephat Shililu, John Githure, James L. Regens, Robert J. Novak

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

A study was carried out at Karima Village in the Mwea Rice Irrigation Scheme in Kenya to assess the impact of rice husbandry and associated land cover change for mosquito larval abundance. A multi-temporal, land use land cover (LULC) classification dataset incorporating distributions of Anopheles arabiensis aquatic larval habitats was produced in ERDAS Imagine version 8.7 using combined images from IKONOS at 4m spatial resolution from 2005 and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM)™ classification data at 30-meters spatial resolution from 1988 for Karima. Of 207 larval habitats sampled, most were either canals (53.4%) or paddies (45.9%), and only one habitat was …

Larval Habitat Dynamics And Diversity Of Culex Mosquitoes In Rice Agro-Ecosystem In Mwea, Kenya, Ephantus J. Muturi, Josephat I. Shililu, Weidong Gu, Benjamin G. Jacob, John I. Githure, Robert J. Novak

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Introduction of irrigation projects in developing nations has often been blamed for aggravating the problem of mosquito-borne diseases by creating ideal larval habitats for vector mosquitoes. However, whereas several studies have demonstrated the relationship between malaria vectors and irrigation, little work has been done on culicine mosquitoes despite their potential in transmission of filariasis and arboviruses and their significant biting nuisance in these areas. This study examined the diversity of Culex mosquito fauna and their larval habitats at two sites (Murinduko and Kiamachiri) in Mwea, Kenya over a 12-month period. The habitat types present at each site within a 200-meter …

Agroforestry: Sustaining Native Bee Habitat For Crop Pollination, Mace Vaughan, Scott Hoffman Black

Agroforestry Notes (USDA-NAC)

Over one hundred crop species in North America require a visit from an insect pollinator to be most productive. In the past, native bees and feral honey bees could meet the pollination needs of small orchards, tomato and pumpkin fields, and berry patches, because these farms were typically adjacent to areas of habitat that harbored important pollinators. Today, many farms are large and, at the same time, have less nearby habitat to support native pollinators. To ensure adequate pollination services, producers now rely on European honey bees. Research, however, shows that native bees can be important pollinators in agricultural fields …

Slides: The Cdm Carbon Market And The Upcoming U.S. Market, Evan A. Evans

Climate Change and the Future of the American West: Exploring the Legal and Policy Dimensions (Summer Conference, June 7-9)

Presenter: Evan A. Evans, P.E., Vice President and Director of Engineering, Econergy International, Boulder, CO.

15 slides.

Comparing Climate-Change Mitigating Potentials Of Alternative Synthetic Liquid Fuel Technologies Using Biomass And Coal, Robert H. Williams, Eric D. Larson, Haiming Jin

Climate Change and the Future of the American West: Exploring the Legal and Policy Dimensions (Summer Conference, June 7-9)

Presenter: Robert H. Williams, Senior Research Scientist, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.

19 pages (includes color illustrations).

Contains references.