Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Rearing Of Lambs On Intensively Managed Pastures In The Carpathian Region And Its Problems, Jozef Habovstiak

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

One of the patterns of utilizing the good pro­ductivity of grass stands in the Carpathian region consists in the intensive rearing of lambs in a pasture system. In the individual pasture farms, 350 to 700 kg of meat per ha were pro­duced over a grazing period of 130 to 150 days. A very important factor in this pasture system is the planning of technical equipment (fences, sheds, etc.). The most critical problem is, however, to keep the lambs in good health. In each pasture farm, therefore, periodical veterinary attendance and strict sanitary ar­rangements must be integral parts of the fight …

The Biological Performance And Efficient Utilization Of Artificial And Natural Grassland Areas In The Valleys And Mountainous Regions Of The Western Part Of Northern Tien Shan, N I. Zakharev, A A. Atabaev, L A. Golovina, L V. Koverga, N G. Kotysheva, I P. Lazarev, N S. Sotnikova, N N. Sycheva

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Investigations over several years and numer­ous experiments • carried .. out under different aspects and in different geographical zones revealed the fundamentally new importance of perennial legume/grass mixtures under in­tensive cultivation and utilization. The intensive utilization of young plants in several cuts and cycles at a high level of agrotechnics allows to obtain high yields of best-quality green ma­terial that can be fed fresh or used for pro­ducing feeds of high biological value, especially in regard to the protein, carotene, and phos­phorus contents. Intensive cultivation and utilization of legume/grass mixtures allows by different tech­nologies to produce feeds of high value …

Studies Of Some Species Sown As Single Crops Or In Mixtures In Alpine Areas, M I. Maslinkov, T S. Koichev, I A. Ivanov

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

An experiment was conducted in the Central Rhodope Mountains, 1,880 m a.s.l., between 1969 and 1974, using red fescue (Festuca rubra L.), timothy (Phleum pratense L.), cock's foot (Dactylis glomerata L.), and bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), with 100 kg nitrogen and 80 kg phosphorus being applied to one hectare per annum. The tests were undertaken by cutting at grazing maturity. The following conclusions were mainly drawn from six-year observations and results obtained therefrom:

(1) Red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) was highly adaptable. It formed high-density plant stands and ensured the highest yields of green …

Influence Of Altitude Level On The Efficiency Of Natural And Sown Grasslands In The Slovakian Part Of The Carpathian Mountains, Jozef Habovstiak

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The results showed a decrease of production of grass stands by 10 % per 100 m altitude in­crease due to the decreasing temperatures. This decrease is more than twice· as high as in the Alpine regions. Similarly, in the higher altitudes the crude protein content of the same grass varieties decreased by 2 % and digestibility by 2.1-10%.

Studies Into Uses Of Natural Nardus Stricta L. Pastures, Totyu Totev, Konstantin Koev

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Experiments were conducted over four con­secutive years, with the view to comparing controlled and unrestricted grazing by sheep. Controlled grazing was found to help increas­ing the green matter yield by 13.3 % and the hay yield by 12.5 %. The actual yield levels resulting from controlled grazing exceeded those ob­tained after unrestricted grazing by 32.5 % for green matter and by 31.5 % for hay. The utili­zation coefficient for green matter was higher by 12.5 %- A controlled grazing regime increased the consumption of real forage plants, such as Agrostis vulgaris, Festuca rubra V. Fallax, and Deschamps1a flexuosa, whereas forb …

Utilization Of Soil In Northern Latitudes, Vasil Ivanovich Ustinov

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

About half of the territory of the Soviet Union is located in the Far North and in regions with similar conditions, including the vast lands of the tundra and forest tundra as well as the various subzones of the taiga. More than 500 million hectares are considered as forage-bearing land: grazing for reindeer and other farm animals, hay land, and potential arable land. Many scientists believe that up to 5 million head of reindeer may be kept grazing these lands. In recent times, great attention has been paid to the rearing of horses, elks, and musk­oxes in northern latitudes. Measures …

The Function Of Grasslands In The Concentrated And Specialized Agriculture And In The Management Of Landscape, Blazej Krcmar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Concentration and specialization of the large­scale agricultural production have come to the focus in recent years and, due to this fact, a new type of landscape is being formed. It is now of topical value to keep a given level of ecosystems heterogeneity. This is essential both in making the production more intensive and in conserving the necessary equilibrium of nature. A slight reduction of natural ecosystems, espe­cially of grassland swards, by the so-called intensification of agroecosystems might bring about an undesired ecological crisis of land­scape. To prevent this danger is our task.

Studies On The Alteration Of Grassland Ecosystems Under Intensification Of Grassland Management In The Gdr, Rudolf Hundt

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of the investigations described in this paper consisted in finding out the effect of industry-like production methods on grassland ecosystems from the plant-sociolog­ical, ecological, and agricultural points of view. In 1954, grassland phytocoenoses in the Elbe river valley near Dessau and in the Mulde river valley near Wurzen had been the object of geobotanical investigations. These investiga­tions were repeated in 1976. Sprinkler irrigation, intensive eutrophication, and ihe inclusion of grazing resulted in a complete change of the ecosystems. The productiveness of the swards improved substantially both in quantitative and in qualitative respect, and the number of species declined …

Persistence Of Various Grassland Components Under Varying Compaction Of The Sward, Vladimir Regal, Miloslava Vesela

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Studies on poaching-reistant successors on 32 types of plant stands and the evaluation of 210 stands on test runs helped to select the species of highest resistance to poaching. By means drawn of such regarding studies the conclusions composition have of grassbeen sports mixtures for grounds, stress-resistant playgrounds, swards airfields, (pastures,and others). position, Poa These Lolium pratensis mixtures perenne bemay be ingthe of simple predominant com­ of species. Tr(folium repens may and serve for short-growing supplementingspecies the stand. In mountainous, Festuca more rubra humid lo­ cations Agrostis with tenuis poorer proved soils, suitable for supplemen­and tation.

Wildfires 1n Semiarid Artemisia/ Stipa Grasslands, James A. Young, Raymond A. Evans

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

We investigated plant succession after acciden­tal burning of Artemisia/ Stipa grasslands. Burn­ing is the most important catastrophic stand renewal process for this grazing resource. The most striking impact of burning was the com­plete removal of the dominant shrub Artemisia tridentata Nutt. which does not sprout after removal of the aerial portion of the plant. Numerous other species of shrubs do root­sprout after burning and assume dominance of the plant community for 10 to 15 years. The native perennial grasses were not unduly in­jured by the fire, but the density of perennial grass had been greatly reduced by a century of …

The Evaluation Of Relationships Between Ecological Factors And Production On Permanent Grassland, Vladimir Krajovic

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

On 42 sites in 10 districts of the Carpathian region of the CSSR, relationships were exam­ined between grassland production and region­al, climatic (precipitation, temperature, solar radiation), and soil conditions (soil type, pH, S, 'r, V, C0., nutrients, and clay fraction). To this, five variants of fertilization were used (0; PK; 120 kg N/ha + PK, 240 kg N/ha + PK; 480 kg N/ha + PK). None of the natural ecofactors is generally characteristic enough for determining an opti­mal production. But the nutrition and the utilization of grass stands are important under each condition. Therefore, a system of differ­entiated grassland management …

The Yield Dependence Of Grass/Clover Mixtures On Different Environmental Conditions, Zygmunt Gryncewicz, Franciszek Gospodarczyk

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Red clover as pure crop as well as in mixture with grasses gave the best yields in foothill locations (450 m above sea level) above all under conditions of sufficient precipitation. In mountain locations (850 m above sea level) grasses showed better growth, accounting for the main part in the overall herbage crop. In the mixtures compared, meadow fescue proved to be the best component in all alti­tudes, Italian ryegrass was best in lowland areas, and timothy in the highest altitudes. Best yields in terms of oat equivalents were obtained from mixtures consisting of 75% clover and 25 % grasses. …

Flood Adaptation And Productivity Of Savanna Grasses, E Gonzalez Jimenez, A Escobar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Savannas subjected to seasonal flooding occupy· vast areas of the Tropics. Above-ground bio­mass values for Venezuelan flooded savannas are high and related to the longer availability of water. C3 plants colonized the waterlogged unit and showed the highest productivity and nutritive value. This natural system permits a prolonged grazing season. These first results show the great potential for animal production of this ecosystem, stressing the need for coor­dinated research efforts in order to gain a better understanding of it.

Studies On Site, Vegetation And Intensification Of Temporarily Flooded Grassland Of The Lower Oder River Near Schwedt, Gisbert Schalitz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

On the temporarily flooded grassland of the lower Oder River near Schwedt, yields can be considerably increased by establishing high­yielding Phalaris arundinacea stands. In the drier zone it is indispensable to kill the old sward. To this effect, adequate methods should be chosen according to the type of existing vegetation. In the range of moisture-tolerant plant as­sociations, increased nitrogen fertilization will allow to build up high-yielding pure stands in short time.

Lead Content In Meadow Vegetation From Non­Contaminated Areas, Andrzej Sapek

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In 270 samples of selected meadow plant spe­cies, taken from natural sites and permanent meadows in the 1st-cut period, the lead con­tent was determined. Mean lead content in particular species fluctuated from 0.36 ppm in Phalaris arundinacea to 1.38 ppm in Carex vulpina. On a whole, the lead content was lower in grasses than in herbs. No relationship between the total lead content in soil and plants has been proved. On the other hand, a positive and often significant relationship between the lead content in particular plant species and their potassium, copper, nickel, and phospho­rus contents was observed.

Influence Of Plant Nutrition And Method Of Utilization On The Accumulation And Decomposition Of Root Matter In Meadow Soils, Yan Liyv, Rikhard Toomre

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Root matter formation of forage plants de­pends primarily on soil fertility. In fertile soils and under intensive fertilization less root matter is formed than in soils of low fertility. The decomposition of root matter as influenced by microbiological processes was found to be more intensive under grazing than under mow­ing. The application of high rates of nitrogen fertilizer (more than 200 kg N/ha) over longer periods is likely to cause undesirable changes in the relationship between forage plants and soil microorganisms, this resulting in yield decline and in lower efficiency of the fertilizers applied.

The Influence Of Grassland Plants Ort The Accu1nulation Of Humus And Nitrogen In The Soil In The Conditions Of The Estonian Ssr, Arnold Sau

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The accumulation of nitrogen and humus in soil under perennial grassland plants was studied between 1965 and 1974 in a trial laid out on carbonated reddish brown sandy loam moraine of original levels of 0.22 % humus and 18 m %1 nitrogen, the C: N ratio being 7 .2. Nitrogen and humus accumulation in the moraine was found to proceed the faster, the higher were the yields of above-ground and underground plant matter. In the course of 10 years, the humus content in the upper 5 cm of soil reached 1.92 to 2.26 % for the higher­yielding variants (grasses+ 150 …

Nitrogen Status Of A Shortgrass Prairie, Pasture Ecosystem, Robert G. Woodmansee, Jerrold L. Dodd, Rudolph A. Bowman, Charles E. Dickinson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nitrogen was partitioned among soil organic matter, living and dead plant material, micro­organisms, above-ground and below-ground animals, and mineral N in a shortgrass prairie, pasture ecosystem in eastern Colorado, USA Soil organic matter contained the largest amount of N (89.5 %), and dead plant material contained 6.8 % of the total N in the system. Living organisms contained 3.4 % of the N in the ecosystem. Mineral N accounted for 0.2 %. Less than 1.0 % of the N in the system was located above ground. The amount of N im­mobilized in animals was small.

Nutrient Leaching In Hydromorphic Grassland Soils As Established In Lysimeters, Gerhart Mundel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Lysimeter experiments were laid out for study­ing the leaching of nitrogen, calcium, po­tassium, and phosphorus from different hy­dromorphic soils. Most of the hydromorphic soils, above all those of low-bog sites, have to be considered as instable open systems from the very be­ginning of their cultivation. Matter removal well exceeds the amount of matter introduced into these soils. The degree of nutrient leaching in most cases is clearly dependent on the soil humus status. Attention is drawn to the in­tensive calcium leaching and the low level of nitrogen removal as compared with an­pydromorphic soils. The level of potassium leaching is closely …

Available Soil Nutrients Related To Species Composition Of Some Meadow Communities In North-Western Bohemia, Emilie Balatova-Tulackova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The pH value as well as the content of humus and some available nutrients (Ca, Mg, K, P, N) were assessed in soil samples taken from the upper part of the rhizosphere in 15 different types of moist meadows situated in north­western Bohemia. The results obtained were evaluated mainly from the point of view of the occurrence of Ca, K, and Pin soil related to the species composition (which is the decisive factor in its classification in the phytocenolog­ical system). The greatest indicative value is shown by plants with relatively narrow ecolog­ical amplitude in the given phytocenological bounds, such as …

Yearly Nitrogen Budget In Natural And Fertilized Grasslands Of A Bohemian-Moravian Highlands District, Milada Findeisova, Vladimir Ruzicka, Blanka Ulehlova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Simplified models are presented of nitrogen cycling in the three grassland ecosystems, as compiled from soil, plant, rain- and lysimetric water analyses pertaining to an experimental site near Kamenicky, in the nature conservancy area Zdarske vrchy in the Bohemian-Moravian highlands. The plant stands, all originally classified as Polygalo-Nardetum strictae, in­clude a control and two stands as modified by two levels of fertilization for three years. The increment of nitrogen harvested decreases con­siderably at the higher level of fertilization, while the nitrogen losses from the ecosystem increase and the atmospheric nitrogen fixation decreases dramatically.

Mineral Composition Of Vegetation Related To Primary Production In Alluvial Meadow Ecosystems, Jana Jakrlova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Concentration and ratio of mineral nutrients, dynamics of mineral nutrient uptake per 1 m2, and the contents of mineral nutrients in per­manent biomass reserve and in maximum biomass were assessed in three selected types of meadow ecosystems representing a natural hydrological series in a given area (dry, moist, wet). The assessment was based on chemical analyses (N, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg) and production analysis of above-ground and underground parts of defined vegetation.

Total above-ground biomass produced per year was estimated (from the dry type to the wet one) at 706, 1070, 2430 g • W • m-2, re­spectively; total …

Biomass Budget And Energy Flow In Alluvial Meadow Ecosystem, Milena Rychnovska, Blanka Ulehlova, Jana Jakrlova, Marta Tesrova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Primary production, production processes, and decomposition have been studied in alluvial meadow ecosystems for 6 years. Water has been found to be the decisive factor in the energy flow and mineral elements turnover. The quality and quantity of production and decomposition processes depend on the oc­currence and duration o( floods. Permanent pool of underground biomass in Alopecurus pratensis stand makes 45.3 %, permanent pool of shoot biomass makes 54.7 % of the total biomass. 19.4 % of the total biomass is taken off as forage. 11. 7 % of shoot biomass is de­composed during the summer season, and 3 .1 …

Current Aspects Of Eco-Physiological Studies Of Meadow Plants, Momcilo Konic

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Basic parameters applied in eco-physiological studies of meadow plants are: water balance (hydration, transpiration intensity, amounts and forms of water, water deficit, etc.), assim­ilation balance (CO2 balance, assimilation performance, compensation effect), matter pro­duction. Eco-physiological studies should be followed by microclimatic measurements and the anatomical analysis of the meadow plants under study. Eco-physiological studies of meadow plants, if performed in a complex and systematic way, constitute the safest basis for detennining the characters of the entire meadow plant com­munity under the concrete conditions of natural factors prevailing in terms of natural condi­tions and human influence.

Landscape Management Problems Of Grassland Utilization In Mountainous Regions Of The Gdr, Peter Hentschel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the medium-altitude mountains of the GDR, many meadows cannot be utilized for intensive forage production. Because of their importance for recreation, game feeding and nature con­servation, general afforestation is not possible. A model is presented that allows for every meadow to choose between intensive utili­zation, afforestation, and reservation for other social needs. Management methods for mead­ows not suitable for intensive utilization, espe­cially the employment of herbicides, are dis­cussed.

Stephen Baenziger, Unl Agronomy & Horticulture, Breeding New Wheat Varieties, Mark Griep, P. Stephen Baenziger

UNL ORCA Interview Series

Stephen Baenziger awarded the ORCA in 2011. He was born in 1951 in Toronto, Canada. When he was an infant, his family immigrated to the U.S., where he grew up in Des Plaines, Illinois. He earned a bachelor's in biological chemistry magna cum laude from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Next, he earned a master's and doctorate in plant breeding and genetics at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Over the next decade, he worked for the USDA at Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland and then at the Monsanto Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1986, he joined the …

Survey Increases Understanding Of United States Sweetpotato Producer Clean Seed Needs, Lorin Harvey, Mark Shankle, Rachael Carter, Kelsey Harvey

Journal of Extension

A needs assessment of sweetpotato producers across the United States was conducted as part of a strategic planning process to enhance the applicability of research and education. A national survey and a 2-day grant-planning workshop were also used to engage stakeholders to develop a USDA–NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative Proposal to improve and promote clean seed programs. Ninety-five U.S. sweetpotato producers completed the survey, representing more than 73,000 acres of production. Therefore, the survey respondents are estimated to account for nearly half of U.S. sweetpotato production, underscoring the importance and relevance of the results.

Warm-Air And Forced-Air Ventilation Drying Of Grass Seeds, Werner Maltry

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

For the design of warm-air conveyor driers and of ventilated bins to be used for grass seeds drying, certain parameters of the drying characteristics under varying conditions must be known. Investigations in a climatized cham­ber with seeds from different plant species at varying bulk height, inlet air temperature, and rate of air flow have shown the drying charac­teristics of a layer to be quite similar to those of a single drying crop. The curve of the drying velocity can be approximated by two branches, a first branch with constant drying velocity and a second straight-lined declining branch. The whole oper­ation …

Problems Of Phytophagous And Pollinating Insect Control Of Seed Lucerne In France, Rene Bournoville, Pierre Guy, Jean-Noel Tasei, Alain Delaude F.N.A.M.S

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This paper is concerned with two factors of lucerne seed yields: phytophagous and pollina­tor insects. There are three groups of phytophagous insects, i.e. foliage species: Acyrthosiphon pisum, Apion pisi, Hypera variabilis, Colaspidema atrum; gall midges: Dasyneura ignorata, Conta­rinia medicaginis; and seed pests: Laspeyresia medicaginis, Tychius aureolus, Adelphocoris line­olatus, Lygus rugulipennis, Bruchophagus roddi. Net sweeping, yellow dish trapping, and gall rearing were used for population and flight observation. Laboratory tests were carried out to deter­mine the susceptibility of Miridae bugs, pre­dators, and pollinators to insecticides. The possibility of rearing and multiplying Megachile pacifica was demonstrated. Studies on its local enemies and …

Progress In Grass Seed Production Through Specialization And Concentration, Heinz Hartmann

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Specialization and concentration •in grass seed production require a long-term development programme. Such development programme has to be put into effect planfully and from year to year by all partners involved. The crews in charge of actual production must be in command of up-to-date seed-growing technologies and see with great continuity to their own further education. Both the farms and nationally-owned enter­prises for seed and planting stocks (VEB Saat­und Pflanzgut) must be furnished with efficient machinery and other facilities for adequate col­lection, treatment, and marketing of grass seed. A complex quality-ensuring system has to be established for high-accuracy control and …