Agriculture Commons^™

U.S. Drought Monitor, August 28, 2012, Brian Fuchs

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for August 28, 2012 (8/28/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle.

Trace Element Soil Contamination At Urban Community Gardens In Washington, Dc, Adam J. Long

Environmental Analysis Program Mellon Student Summer Research Reports

In recent years, urban gardening has become a popular form of environmental, food, and social justice. Urban community gardens such as those in Washington, DC can reduce the environmental footprint of food production, provide access to healthy produce in “food deserts,” and provide other social, educational, and even financial benefits. However, the rising popularity of urban gardening has put many people in close contact with urban soils, which are likely to contain various contaminants due to concentrated human activity over extended periods of time. This study investigates heavy metal soil contaminants found in community gardens located in Washington, DC. 45 …

U.S. Drought Monitor, August 21, 2012, Michael J. Brewer, Liz Love-Brotak

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for August 21, 2012 (8/21/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle.

Comparison Of Boer, Kiko, And Spanish Meat Goat Does For Stayability And Cumulative Reproductive Output In The Humid Subtropical Southeastern United States, Ashley N. Pellerin, Richard Browning Jr.

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Background: Longevity is the amount of time breeding females stay active in a herd by avoiding death or culling because of illness or reproductive failure. This is a trait of economic relevance in commercial small ruminant breeding herds as it affects lifetime reproductive output. The purpose of this study was to determine if breed of meat goat influences breeding doe survival rates and cumulative reproductive performance under semi-intensive management. Results: Boer (n = 132), Kiko (n = 92) and Spanish (n = 79) does were evaluated for longevity trends and cumulative kid production. The herd was managed on humid subtropical …

U.S. Drought Monitor, August 14, 2012, Michael J. Brewer, Liz Love-Brotak

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for August 14, 2012 (8/14/12) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle.

Oregon Wine Board "Special" Meeting Minutes August 10, 2012, Oregon Wine Board

Oregon Wine Board Documents

These meeting minutes list individuals in attendance and missing from the "Special" August 10, 2012 Oregon Wine Board (OWB) meeting. The purpose of the meeting, which was conducted as a conference call, was for the Board to take action on the OWB Marketing Committee's recommendations for co-op matching funds for 2012-13. The meeting lasted 22 minutes.

U.S. Drought Monitor, August 7, 2012, Mark D. Svoboda

United States Agricultural Commodities in Drought Archive

Drought map of U.S. for August 7, 2012 (8/7/2012) plus: U.S. crop areas experiencing drought (map), Approximate percentage of crop located in drought, by state (bar graph), Percent of crop area located in drought, past 52 weeks (line graph) for: Corn, Soybeans, Hay, Cattle.

Influence Of Intensity And Duration Of Regulated Deficit Irrigation On Erythroneura Elegantula (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) On Grape, Michael J. Costello, Shawn T. Veysey

Wine and Viticulture

We conducted studies in a Paso Robles, CA, grape (Vitis vinifera L.) vineyard in 2002 and 2003 to estimate the impact of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) intensity and duration on western grape leafhopper, Erythroneura elegantula Osborn. Treatments were based on deficit intensity, 50 and 25% of standard irrigation (moderate and severe deficits, respectively), and deficit duration, 3 or 6 wk time, initiated at the grape phenological stage of berry set.The standard irrigation served as the control, and was intended to be as close to 100% of evapotranspiration (1.0 ETc) for grape in this area. Each week we took counts of …

The Nebraska Phosphorus Index (2012): Background And Users Guide, Charles Wortmann, Charles Shapiro, Leslie J. Johnson, Renee F. Hancock

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication provides the basis and procedure for using a phosphorus (P) index to assess risk of P delivery from agricultural land to surface waters. The P index is intended for planning as well as regulatory and educational purposes.

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for the growth of both crops and aquatic vegetation. Phosphorus, either in inorganic form such as with fertilizer or in organic form as with animal manures, often needs to be applied to the land for optimal crop growth. An important byproduct of animal feeding is manure that contains P. Land application of manure can be beneficial …

What Are Agroforestry's Income Opportunities

Working Trees (USDA-NAC)

What are agroforestry's income opportunities?

Agroforestry is an approach to land use that incorporates trees and shrubs into agricultural systems and allows for the production of trees, crops and/or livestock from the same piece of land. It offers ways to take advantage of profitable product markets and, at the same time, helps improve the land and the environment.

Look at the fields, woods, streamsides and fence rows around a farm or ranch. Are any of these areas under utilized? There are many opportunities for farmers and ranchers to introduce agroforestry practices on their land, which may open up new income …

Nebline, August 2012

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: 9 Reasons to Shop at Farmers Markets

Farm Views

Urban Agriculture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Environmental Focus

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

High School Horticulture Curriculum, Margaret Maratsos

Horticulture and Crop Science

Horticulture is just one of the many topics covered in a high school agriculture curriculum, and yet, there are very few lesson plans or resources available to teachers for these classes specifically. The objectives of this project were to compile a set of lesson plans, lab plans, and tests that would emphasize interactive and investigative learning. The lesson plans were written in such a way that they reflected a certain set of standards, set down by the state of California, and were meant to serve as a bare outline of topics that would be discussed within a week’s worth of …

Pastoral Lease Assessment Using Geospatial Analysis, T P. Robinson, P E. Novelly, R Corner, Philip Thomas, A Russell-Browm

Resource management technical reports

Seven remote sensing based Vegetation Indices (NDSVI, STVI-3, NDVI, Green + Red, Red, Land Monitor and STVI-1) were tested for their potential to discriminate between “poor” and “good” range condition assessments in Western Australia’s pastoral rangelands. Indices were computed using the Australian Greenhouse Office National Carbon Accounting System (AGO NCAS) repository of calibrated Landsat TM/ETM+ mosaics. Discrimination potential was assessed at two levels of stratification – station level (identical to the stratification used to collect the traverse data), and functional group level (an aggregation of similar land systems);

The Trade And Welfare Impacts Of Australian Quarantine Policies: The Case Of Pigmeat, John C. Beghin, Mark Melatos

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

We analyze the trade and welfare impact of quarantine measures imposed by Australia on imports of pigmeat. In particular, we account for changes to Australia’s pigmeat quarantine policy over time, including those changes related to the recent resolution of a WTO dispute between Australia and the European Union. Using a random utility model and applying it to corner solutions in import decisions, tariff equivalents (by major trading partner) are estimated for the different pigmeat quarantine regimes implemented by Australia during the period 1988-2009. The welfare impact on consumers, producers, and foreign exporters is computed using a partial equilibrium model calibrated …

Key Findings Of The Ntm-Impact Project, David Orden, John Beghin, Guy Henry

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

This special issue of The World Economy presents research findings from the European Commission–funded project “Assessment of the impacts of non-tariff measures (NTM)—on the competitiveness of the EU and selected trade partners” (NTM-Impact). Directed toward the EU and its trade partners, the project’s first overall objective was to collect and analyze new data on NTMs for key and representative agri-food products. This involved three components: creating a large symmetric international database on the diverse types of governmental standards and regulations used to address food safety and quality issues, constructing measures of heterogeneity among these standards and regulations; and evaluating the …

Investing In An Agricultural Legacy, Leo Paul Goeringer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

America's agricultural producers continue to age. According to the U.S. Census of Agriculture, the average age of farm operators increased from 55.3 in 2002 to 57.1 in 2007. During the same period, the Census shows a thirty percent decrease in the number of farmers under age 25. Young and beginning producers (YBPs) entering agriculture face high startup costs and a shortage of land to own or rent.

With these concerns in mind, this manuscript details the impact of an innovative proposed loan program for YBPs in Arkansas, which would offer concessionary interest rates and loan fees by participating banks for …

Growing A Sustainable Portland Metropolitan Foodshed, Sheila Martin, Kathryn Doherty-Chapman, Robert Wise, Steve Foust, Kirsten Greene, Ellie Fiore, Ellen Wyoming, Clark Seavert, Rebecca Sullivan, Beth Emshoff, Anita Yap, Elise Scolnik, Bob Short

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

Project Description and Objectives: Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) provided funding for this study to examine key agricultural trends, identify producer needs and define strategies to strengthen the local food production system. The goals of the study are to: Define the Portland Metropolitan Foodshed; identify related agricultural and economic trends and develop a needs assessment based on input from producers and other stakeholders; assemble a regional toolkit of strategies to support evolution of a sustainable Portland Metropolitan Foodshed; work with the City of Damascus, Oregon to test the toolkit on a local level; Develop a research and educational …

Effects Of Compost, Legume Cover Cropping And Vermicompost Extract Foliar Applications On Nutrition And Yield Of Washington Navel Oranges, William Payton Carling

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Effects of Compost, Legume Cover Cropping and Vermicompost Extract Foliar Applications on Nutrition and Yield of Washington Navel Oranges

William Payton Carling

An experiment was conducted to test the effects of four treatments on Washington navel orange (Citrus sinensis) trees in regards to nutrient content of the leaves and fruit, soil nutrient content and properties, and fruit yield. The four treatments included: compost (C) and vermicompost extract foliar (VEF) applications, legume cover cropping (LCC) and VEF applications, VEF applications, and a control. The treatments were implemented from February 2010 to April 2011 and sampling occurred in May …

Characteristics Of Quality Agricultural Magazine Capstone Courses Based On The Five R'S Model, Traci Nicole Rushing

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to assess students' and instructors' perceptions regarding the value of an agricultural communications magazine capstone course at three universities that were identified as exemplary in an effort to describe the characteristics leading to the course's success. Using a qualitative survey methodology, the investigator administered an open-response survey, conducted personal interviews with purposively-selected students in each course and the instructors, and made field observations. Both the interviews and the surveys consisted of six, in-depth questions crafted after Andreasen's (2004) of a successful magazine capstone course. Based on students' and instructors' perceptions through the lens of Andreasen's (2004) model, …

Consumer Sensory Preferences And Willingness-To-Pay For Nutraceutical-Rich Fruit, Lydia Lawless

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Health-oriented juices are prime candidates for the nutraceutical market due to their inherent healthfulness and convenience. Fruits such as açaí berries, blueberries, blackberries, black cherries, Concord grapes, cranberries, and pomegranates are rich in potentially health-supporting polyphenolics, which makes the juices of these fruits attractive for nutraceutical optimization. The compositional, sensory, and stability properties of blueberry, blackberry, and Concord grape juice blends were explored in an extended shelf-life study. Initially, 100% blueberry juice had the highest total monomeric anthocyanins (67.40 mg/100mL), 100% blackberry juice had the highest total phenolics (249.24 mg/100mL), and 100% Concord juice had the highest polymeric color (23.21%). …