Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Using Various Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains During Forage Conservation Towards Fermentation, Storage, Nutritive Value And Safety Improvement, Jonas Jatkauskas, Vilma Vrotniakiene

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Many research efforts have been devoted to find ways how to produce silages with maximum nutritive value, good fermentation and low mould and yeast counts. While there are different objectives in using silage additives, the main objectives are to improve fermentation and reduce dry matter loss, and to prevent secondary fermentation at feed out time. This paper presents our most significant and recent investigations on forage inoculation before ensiling that have a potential for beneficial application on grassland and ruminant nutrition.

Traditional Livestock Production And Growth Opportunities In India, S. M. Deb

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock and animal health development projects need to be based on an understanding of livestock production systems because different systems need different approaches particularly in view of degradation of environment combined with population pressure. In India, the livestock production system is primarily traditional, consisting of mixed-farming and pastoral systems, therefore, development of marginal and smallholder mixed farms must aim at intensification of the total production system. Resource-poor farming systems may aim at the improved management of the various livestock species in backyards. Pastoral systems must focus on effective management of grazing pressure. Community pasture management involves application of technologies, land …

Nutrient Movements Through Ruminant Livestock Production Systems, Adegbola T. Adesogan, Jose C. B. Dubeux, Lynn E. Sollenberger

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Considerable attention has been paid to reducing nutrient emissions from ruminant livestock in the last few decades. This area will continue to attract considerable research in the future due to increasing farm sizes in some developed countries as well as the increasing demand for meat and dairy products, particularly in developing countries. This paper discusses the deposition and losses of carbon and nitrogen in soils and plants in grazed and harvested forage systems as well as utilization and losses of both nutrients by ruminants in both systems. The paper also outlines several soil, plant, and animal-focused strategies that can be …

Rainwater Harvesting And Its Impact On Farming Systems, J. S. Samra

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Landless, small holders and other poors supplement their livelihood and adapt to climate change by grazing, stall feeding with crop residues and fodder cultivated under rainfed and irrigated conditions. Improving productivity by conserving rainfall, ground water recharging, harvesting and recycling of rainwater especially in degraded open access or shared land with community participation was quite successful over a wide range of precipitation and ecological situations. Various types of trenches, bunding, vegetative barriers, gully plugs, ponds, check dams, land slides and mine spoils stabilization etc. retained more soil moisture, seeds, vegetative propagules etc. in situ and prevented soil erosion. It regenerated …

Strengthening Livelihood Of Rural Farmer Populations Through Improved Grasslands, Sujatha Premaratne, S. C. Somasiri

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

This paper reviews the current background of the grassland resource with a purpose of livestock perspective to improve the livelihood of rural farmers. The use of grasslands for livestock rearing by rural farmers has been a long tradition. In climate and vegetation contrast, these grasslands are much more diverse. They are likely to play an economical role in increasing the milk production in many Asian countries. With an increase of human population, the traditional feeding, breeding and surviving habitats for livestock have been acutely restricted in many countries. Therefore, a continued effort is needed to maintain production for sustainable management …

Problems And Prospects Of Grassland Development: Policy Issues, S. Ray Smith

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

There are a range of government and non-government policies that affect grassland development around the world. The objective of this paper is to provide examples of successful policies which have been instrumental in the preservation and maintenance of grasslands and to highlight policies which have resulted in negative consequences. This paper will not attempt to provide a complete overview of policies, but instead will provide examples from representative countries. Policies which affect grasslands can be classified into two broad categories: government policies that cover comprehensive landscape issues like the Grassland Household Contract System (GHCS) in China or the Federal Land …

Management Of Grazing Lands Through Educating Communities, D. Ariungerel, Graeme Hand, Annabel Walsh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Mongolian steppe is one of the world’s largest grassland and it is an arid to semiarid land with a strong climate gradient. Biodiversity loss leading to desertification and land degradation is estimated to be impacting around 65% of the total area of Mongolia. The preliminary objective of this project was to trial the Positive Deviance Methodology to determine if this method assists herders to design behaviors to reverse this biodiversity loss. This project is a partnership between Mongolian Herders, Mongolian rangeland scientists and Australian based Stipa Native Grasses Association. The Positive Deviance Methodology has five basic steps based around …

Livestock And Local Development: Going To A New Humananimal Relationship, Jean François Tourrand, Laurent Dobremez, Benoit Dedieu, Guillaume Duteurtre, M. G. Piketty, P. Lescoat, B. Hubert

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Along the past ten years, the French National Agency for Research (ANR) has financed projects regarding livestock. Results of five projects were gathered to understand the long-term livestock trends. At the end of the 19th century, animal breeding was oriented towards the production of goods to meet the local, regional, national and global demand, according to the zone. The market gradually became the key-factor to norm both production and consumption. It is now integrating environmental norms and is starting to invest in the social domain. However, this economical vision of animal production does not take into account the other functions …

Genomic Approaches For Dissecting Complex Traits Related To Quality Production Of Range Grasses, Masumi Ebina

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Tropical grasses have been widely used as warm-season forage grasses in the warm temperate zone since the early 20th century because of their high yields; they have also been used as perennial forages in their native tropical areas. Increasing demand for animal production sparked by economic development in tropical countries is requiring breeders to improve native forage grasses in these countries. Considerable efforts have been made to breed accessions with improved characteristics and to develop new cultivars. However, cross-breeding is not common, owing to a lack of genetic information and to complexities related to polyploidy, high sterility rates, outcrossing, and …

Emission Of Green House Gases From Grasslands And Their Mitigation, Prem N. Sharma, Shyam Khadka

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The concentrations of green house gases (GHG) in the atmosphere began in pre-industrial times and it continues to increase. This could result into an alarming increase in temperature of up to 5.4 ^oC by year 2100 due to a net global annual GHG emission of H 4.5-6.5 Gt C equivalent. About 18% of the world’s GHG are contributed by livestock and related activities on grasslands that are spread over almost 35 million Km².These grasslands give livelihood to over a billion people most of who are poor. Twenty to 70% of the land surface area is degrading often …

High-Altitude Grassland Management And Improvement Of Pastoral Livelihoods In The Hindu Kush Himalayan Region, Eklabya Sharma

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is the largest mountain systems in the world, spanning over 4.3 million km2 and covering 3500 km long fragile environment. Grasslands in the HKH region are the source of livelihoods for approximately 25 to 30 million pastoralists and agro-pastoralists. High altitude grasslands play a significant role in storage and regulation of water; storage of carbon in soil and peat lands; permafrost storage; and stabilization of climate, soil, and nutrients. They foster a rich biodiversity with endemic species of fauna and flora; provide clean air and open spaces for recreational purposes, and bolster a rich …

Animal And Pasture Responses To Grazing Management Of Chemically Suppressed Tall Fescue In Mixed Pastures, Jessica A. Williamson

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Treatment of endophyte-infected tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh] with the broad leaf herbicide Chaparral® can mitigate fescue toxicosis and enhance forage quality by suppressing seedhead emergence. Applying the herbicide to fescue pastures also reduces forage mass and promotes severe spot grazing when pastures are continuously grazed. A grazing experiment was conducted with steers (2013) and heifers (2014) to evaluate animal and plant responses in fescue-bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) mixtures treated with Chaparral to determine the effects of grazing management on pasture carrying capacity, nutritive values, botanical composition, and animal performance. Continuous and rotational (i.e., four subdivisions to …

Investigations Into The Home Lawn Carbon Balance And Improving The Efficacy Of T-Phylloplanins For Combating Turfgrass Diseases, Kenneth L. Cropper

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Over the past couple of decades, there has been an increased interest in evaluating the environmental impacts of some turfgrass management practices. Two independent studies were conducted to examine different questions of turfgrass management impacts and sustainability. The first study examined the inputs and outputs of four different turfgrass home lawn systems. Two of these systems were designated as high maintenance and were composed of either a pure stand of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) or tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). The other two systems were designated as low maintenance and were composed of either a pure stand …

Evaluation Of Input-Intensive Soybean Management Systems And The Effect Of Lactofen Application On Soybean Physiology, John M. Orlowski

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

In an effort to maximize yields, many soybean growers have begun moving to intensive, input-based soybean management systems. However, limited reliable information exists about the effect of these inputs on soybean yield. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of individual inputs and combinations of inputs as part of high-yield management systems on soybean seed yield and to determine the effect of one of these inputs, lactofen, on soybean physiology. Small plot studies were established in nine states across the Midwest. A number of commercially available soybean inputs were evaluated individually and in combination to determine their …

Examining Vegetative Growth Of Cool-Season Forage Grasses For Dairy Cattle Grazing Preference, Eric D. Billman

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The objective of this study was to determine dairy cattle preference amongst four species of cool-season forage grasses: eight orchardgrasses (Dactylis glomerata L.), five tall fescues [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.], five perennial ryegrasses (Lolium perenne L.), and six festuloliums [xFestulolium braunii (K. Richt.) A. Camus.]; 24 cultivars in total. Each grazing trial utilized four Holstein-Friesian heifers over six hours. Maturity differences were eliminated by having animals graze only vegetative material. After six grazing trials (three each in 2014 and 2015), consistent results in animal preference were not found; three of the six trials did show preference …

Identification Of Novel Qtl Governing Root Architectural Traits In An Interspecific Soybean Population, Lakshmi P. Manavalan, Silvas J. Prince, Theresa A. Musket, Julian Chaky, Rupesh Deshmukh, Tri D. Vuong, Li Song, Perry B. Cregan, James C. Nelson, J. Grover Shannon, James E. Specht, Henry T. Nguyen

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Cultivated soybean (Glycine max L.) cv. Dunbar (PI 552538) and wild G. soja (PI 326582A) exhibited significant differences in root architecture and root-related traits. In this study, phenotypic variability for root traits among 251 BC₂F₅ backcross inbred lines (BILs) developed from the cross Dunbar/PI 326582A were identified. The root systems of the parents and BILs were evaluated in controlled environmental conditions using a cone system at seedling stage. The G. max parent Dunbar contributed phenotypically favorable alleles at a major quantitative trait locus on chromosome 8 (Satt315-I locus) that governed root traits (tap root length and …

Genetic And Molecular Characterization Of Submergence Response Identifies Subtol6 As A Major Submergence Tolerance Locus In Maize, Malachy T. Campbell, Christopher A. Proctor, Yongchao Dou, Aaron J. Schmitz, Piyaporn Phansak, Greg R. Kruger, Chi Zhang, Harkamal Walia

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Maize is highly sensitive to short term flooding and submergence. Early season flooding reduces germination, survival and growth rate of maize seedlings. We aimed to discover genetic variation for submergence tolerance in maize and elucidate the genetic basis of submergence tolerance through transcriptional profiling and linkage analysis of contrasting genotypes. A diverse set of maize nested association mapping (NAM) founder lines were screened, and two highly tolerant (Mo18Wand M162W) and sensitive (B97 and B73) genotypes were identified. Tolerant lines exhibited delayed senescence and lower oxidative stress levels compared to sensitive lines. Transcriptome analysis was performed on these inbreds to provide …

Allmaps: Robust Scaffold Ordering Based On Multiple Maps, Haibo Tang, Xingtan Zhang, Chenyong Miao, Jisen Zhang, Ray Ming, James C. Schnable, Patrick S. Schnable, Eric Lyons, Jianguo Lu

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The ordering and orientation of genomic scaffolds to reconstruct chromosomes is an essential step during de novo genome assembly. Because this process utilizes various mapping techniques that each provides an independent line of evidence, a combination of multiple maps can improve the accuracy of the resulting chromosomal assemblies. We present ALLMAPS, a method capable of computing a scaffold ordering that maximizes colinearity across a collection of maps. ALLMAPS is robust against common mapping errors, and generates sequences that are maximally concordant with the input maps. ALLMAPS is a useful tool in building high-quality genome assemblies. ALLMAPS is available at: https://github.com/tanghaibao/jcvi/wiki/ALLMAPS.

Effects Of Sowing Date On Phenotypic Plasticity Of Fitness-Related Traits In Two Annual Weeds On The Songnen Plain Of China, Haiyan Li, John L. Lindquist, Yunfei Yang

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Background Phenotypic plasticity of fitness-related traits is vital for plant species to adapt to variable environments. Chenopodium glaucum L. and Amaranthus retroflexus L. are two common weed species globally. Understanding the plasticity in life-history traits, especially in reproductive allocation, within and among these species is important for predicting their success and for managing them in different environments.

Methodology/Principal Findings Seeds of the two plant species were sown every 10 days from 26 Jun to 15 Aug. Life-history and fitness-related traits of both phenology and morphology were measured, and dry biomass of roots, stems, leaves, and reproductive tissues was determined at …

Fingerprinting Soybean Germplasm And Its Utility In Genomic Research, Qijian Song, D. L. Hyten, Gaofeng Jia, Charles V. Quigley, Edward W. Fickus, Randall L. Nelson, P. B. Cregan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The United States Department of Agriculture, Soybean Germplasm Collection includes 18,480 domesticated soybean and 1,168 wild soybean accessions introduced from 84 countries or developed in the U.S. This collection was genotyped with the SoySNP50K BeadChip containing greater than 50K SNPs. Redundant accessions were identified in the collection and distinct genetic backgrounds of soybean from different geographic origins were observed that could be a unique resource for soybean genetic improvement. We detected a dramatic reduction of genetic diversity based on linkage disequilibrium and haplotype structure analyses of the wild, landrace and North American cultivar populations and identified candidate regions associated with …