Theory And Application Of No-Till Reseeding Technology In Degraded Grasslands In China,
2024
China Agricultural University, China
Theory And Application Of No-Till Reseeding Technology In Degraded Grasslands In China, Jingying Jing, Hongyan Ma, Yingjun Zhang
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Grasslands occupy nearly 400 million hectares in China, accounting for about 40.7% of the total land area, provide multiple ecological and economic benefits. However, due to over-grazing and over-cultivation, more than 90% grasslands in China are threatened by degradation that has caused significant negative impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, such as biodiversity losses, decreased productivity, increased soil erosion etc. Thus, restoration of degraded grassland is urgent for sustainable grassland management in China. No-till reseeding has been found to be an effective way for grassland vegetation regeneration with improved productivity and increased plant diversity via reseeding suitable species with minimum …
Rangeland-Centered Agroecosystems In Indian Central Himalayas: Operationalizing Ecological Sustainability In Mountain Agriculture,
2024
GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, India
Rangeland-Centered Agroecosystems In Indian Central Himalayas: Operationalizing Ecological Sustainability In Mountain Agriculture, Vir Singh
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Himalayan Mountains are home to unique agroecosystems harboring unique inter- and intra-species diversity in uncultivated and cultivated lands. The uncultivated lands are largely the rangelands which are ecologically more stable ecosystems than the cultivated lands which are ecologically prone areas. Rangelands, cultivated areas, and livestock in mountain agriculture are in organic linkages with each other, woven into a complex unitary whole, functionally oriented to produce foods and other life-supporting products – such as feed, fiber, fuel, fertilizers, etc. – and provide vital ecological functions. Rangelands in fragile Himalayan mountains serve as a key component of agriculture and the biodiversity conserved …
Mentoring Graduate Students For Academic Careers In Grassland Science,
2024
University of Florida
Mentoring Graduate Students For Academic Careers In Grassland Science, L. E. Sollenberger
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Effective mentorship enhances student productivity and career achievements, yet faculty generally do not receive mentorship training, nor does mentorship receive focused attention, evaluation, and recognition. The objectives of this paper are to 1) define mentorship and identify roles of a mentor, 2) highlight qualities and outcomes of effective mentoring, and 3) elaborate best mentoring practices, metrics for assessing mentoring, and challenges for mentoring the next generation of grassland scientists. Mentoring is a professional alliance where individuals work together to support the personal and professional growth, development, and success of the relational partners. Mentors should be altruistic discipline experts, have substantial …
National Forage Week,
2024
University of Georgia
National Forage Week, B. Stefancik, K. Mullenix
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Social media can be a powerful tool for producers, researchers, and grassland professionals. Social media enables us to connect with a wide audience of producers, Extension personnel, colleagues, industry partners, and even the non-agriculture related community. This presentation in the thematic session on “Understanding the role of social media and digital resources in forage education and promotion” will focus on the impact of National Forage Week. National Forage Week is national campaign initiated by the American Forage and Grassland Council to promote forages and their contributions to society.
Maize-Alfalfa Intercropping Promote Ecosystem Services Than Fertilized Single Crops,
2024
Northeast Normal University, China
Maize-Alfalfa Intercropping Promote Ecosystem Services Than Fertilized Single Crops, D. X. Tao, Y. Z. Gao
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Phosphorus is a non-renewable source of fertilization, which will challenge the future of food production and cropland sustainability worldwide. Crop diversity is known to promote food production, yet its capacity to alleviate the dependence of multiple ecosystem services on non-renewable fertilization remains virtually unknown. Here, we conducted a field experiment to quantify the contribution of maize-alfalfa intercropping to support multiple ecosystem services under contrasting levels of phosphorus fertilization. We showed that unfertilized intercropping systems can support larger levels of multiple ecosystem services such as soil microbial habitat, plant-soil mutualism, nutrient cycling, and soil carbon storage compared with phosphorus-fertilized single crops. …
Identification Of Hyperspectral Characteristics Of The Main Plants In Seriphidium Transiliense Desert Grassland,
2024
Xinjiang Agricultural University, China
Identification Of Hyperspectral Characteristics Of The Main Plants In Seriphidium Transiliense Desert Grassland, Wenhao Liu, Wanqiang Han, Guili Jin, Ying Li, Ke Gong, Jian Ma, Zhibiao Liu, Jiazin Li, Mengtian Chen
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Ground hyperspectral images of sericite–Artemisia desert grassland in different seasons were obtained by a soc710 VP imaging spectrometer. Analysis of variance was used to extract the main species Seriphidium transiliense, Ceratocarpus arenarius, and Petrosimonia sibirica and the spectral characteristic parameters and vegetation indices of bare land in different seasons. On this basis, Fisher discriminant analysis was used to divide the samples into a training set and test set according to a ratio of 7:3. The spectral characteristic parameters and vegetation indices were used to identify the three main plants and bare land. Results showed that under Fisher discriminant analysis, …
A Transdisciplinary Approach To Landscape Transformation Towards Perennial, Diverse, Circular Systems: Why And How,
2024
University of Wisconsin-Madison
A Transdisciplinary Approach To Landscape Transformation Towards Perennial, Diverse, Circular Systems: Why And How, V. Picasso, C. Williams
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Prevailing agricultural systems in the U.S. are dominated by intensification through annual crop monocultures and high amounts of external inputs. Increased yields per unit of land have resulted but many undesirable environmental, ecological, and socioeconomic outcomes have co-occurred. Lack of resilience within intensified agricultural systems is a factor in these outcomes. Redesign of agricultural systems and changes in federal policy are needed to better support resilience in agriculture. Redesign for greater resilience must encourage adoption of agricultural systems that are diverse, perennial, circular, and include forages. We developed a transdisciplinary framework within a project orientation with a focus on crops …
Breeding Cool-Season Forage Grasses For A Warming Climate,
2024
Texas A&M AgriLife Research
Breeding Cool-Season Forage Grasses For A Warming Climate, D. P. Malinowski, J. Ford, A. Stewart, D. Woodfield, W. E. Pinchak
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
In many parts of the world, changing climatic conditions are resulting in increased temperatures and more variable precipitation, intensifying the duration and severity of drought, especially in summer. Warming climate is considered one reason for the increasing failure of traditional, summer-active cool-season perennial grasses at the margin of their zone of adaptation in naturally C4 grass-dominated ecosystems of the Southern Great Plains of the USA. Two cool-season perennial forage grasses orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.) are of major economic and ecological importance in these regions. In 2008, we initiated a breeding program …
Invasive Annual Grass Issues In Canadian Rangelands,
2024
Envu 2022 Environmental Science , Canada
Invasive Annual Grass Issues In Canadian Rangelands, V. Maloney
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
It has been understood for several years now that Canadian grasslands are among the world’s most endangered ecosystems. While the endangerment of the world’s coral reefs and rainforests may make the news more often, the increasingly fast decline of native Canadian grasslands is having a major impact on species diversity as well as global carbon supplies. In this paper, I will discuss the impact invasive annual grasses have had on two important rangeland ecosystems in Canada. Furthermore, strategies for protecting and restoring these invaluable lands will be discussed.
Forage Data Hub – A Platform For Sharing Valuable Datasets For Resilience,
2024
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Forage Data Hub – A Platform For Sharing Valuable Datasets For Resilience, Amanda J. Ashworth, L. Marshall, J. J. Volenec, M. Berti, E. Van Santen, C. Williams, V. Gopakumar, J. Foster, V. Picasso, J. Su
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
In accord with the necessity to enhance ecosystem services and productivity in food systems, is the increase of data availability at multiple scales and over time. To help meet this need, we discuss the development of a National Forage Data Hub which will act as a platform to curate, share, and analyze data pertaining to forage systems. This centralized hub will leverage existing datasets by bridging multiple sources including forage crop—soil, water, and nutrient availability—yield (animal and crop) potential (and gaps)— climate—management systems at high spatial and temporal resolution enabling system interaction assessments through next-generation analytics. This novel approach to …
Tennessee Master Beef Producer Program Promotes Sustainable Beef Production,
2024
University of Tennessee
Tennessee Master Beef Producer Program Promotes Sustainable Beef Production, K. M. Mason, G. E. Bates, J. D. Rhinehart
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Tennessee is home to 1.75 million beef cattle as of January 2022 (USDA, 2022). The majority of cattle farms in Tennessee are cow-calf operations, with a few stocker-backgrounder operations across the state. Most of the cows in the state are maintained on tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort. pastures, with hay being fed in the winter months and sometimes during the summer. Maintenance of a strong cow herd and sufficient grazing land relies on utilization of sustainable production practices. With urban sprawl creating competition for land area, it is important to use production practices that are efficient and attainable …
Guidelines For Optimal Use Of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (Nirs) With Sample Preparation And Presentation Across Instrument Platforms,
2024
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Guidelines For Optimal Use Of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (Nirs) With Sample Preparation And Presentation Across Instrument Platforms, D. W. Mcintosh
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Guidelines for optimal use of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) with sample preparation and presentation across instrument platforms will cover methods and resources specifically for NIRS analysis. Recommendations for sample preprocessing and scanning required to ensure compatibility across calibrations will be highlighted. Proper calibration determinations, monitoring, and performance will be demonstrated to create a baseline for correct use. Additional materials about the use and reporting of nutritive content predictions for publication will be discussed. Goals of this topic session are to develop an understanding of the basics of NIRS technology and provide the basics to what a laboratory is required to …
Challenges And Opportunities For Revegetation In Areas Dominated By Invasive Annual Grasses,
2024
University of Wyoming
Challenges And Opportunities For Revegetation In Areas Dominated By Invasive Annual Grasses, B. A. Mealor, J. A. Crose
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Invasive annual grasses (IAG) are a primary ecological threat to sustainability and ecological integrity of rangelands in the western U.S. While availability of effective tools to control IAG is increasing, ensuring compatibility of control practices with other management practices, such as seeding desirable species, is a critical information need. We summarize a series of studies investigating influences of timing, seeding depth, species selection, and planting timing with various herbicides in sites dominated by invasive annual grasses.
Transitioning To Multiple-Use Polyculture Grassland-Derived Bioenergy Feedstock Systems,
2024
Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Service
Transitioning To Multiple-Use Polyculture Grassland-Derived Bioenergy Feedstock Systems, J. P. Muir, J. L. Foster, A. Falk, S. Weiss, W. D. Pitman, W. Alsion, H. D. Naumann, J. R. Bow, C. Shadrock, E. Osei, O. Lasater
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
We argue that research and development of grassland-derived bioenergy feedstock (GBF) has focused unduly on dedicated monospecific biomass systems to the detriment of more stable multiple-use multispecies grasslands. This has retarded GBF adoption as a viable, sustainable contribution to renewable energy production in North America. We hypothesize that focusing on multiple-use GBFs will foster greater feedstock availability for nascent renewable energy generation while minimizing financial risk to grassland husbandry during market transitions from current grazing systems to more flexible business models. Our hypothesis is that source and demand are more likely to develop simultaneously under less risky multiple-use grassland management. …
Observing And Simulating Temperate Grasslands In Central Europe,
2024
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Germany
Observing And Simulating Temperate Grasslands In Central Europe, C. Nendel
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
This presentation summarises recent activities to observe grassland features using remote sensing and uses this data to feed mechanistic simulation models for temperate grassland vegetation in Central Europe, in order to assess underlying processes that are difficult to observe. Public interest has recently focused on grassland ecosystem services, such as carbon stocks, nitrate retention and greenhouse gas emissions; variables that in principle can be simulated using models. However, current grassland models suffer from the fact that species dynamics in grasslands are very active, and may change in response to water supply and management. As different species come with different traits, …
The Effect Of Nitrogen Rates And Plant Density On Grain Yield Components And Persistence In Intermediate Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum Intermedium) And Mountain Rye (Secale Strictum),
2024
NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australia
The Effect Of Nitrogen Rates And Plant Density On Grain Yield Components And Persistence In Intermediate Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum Intermedium) And Mountain Rye (Secale Strictum), M. T. Newell, N. Munday, R. C. Hayes
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Intermediate wheatgrass (IWG; Thinopyrum intermedium) and Mountain Rye (Mtn Rye; Secale strictum) have potential for release as dual-purpose (grazing and grain production) perennial grains in Australia due to their superior longevity compared to hybrid perennial wheats. Initially developed as perennial forage grasses, few management guidelines exist to inform agronomic practices to maximise grain yields and profitability in Australian environments. An experiment was established in 2020 to examine the effect of plant density and nitrogen rates on grain yield components. The experiment compared the two species (IWG, Mtn Rye) sown at three plant densities (50, 100 and 200 plants/m2) …
Participatory Evaluation Of Urochloa (Brachiaria) Grasses In The Cool Highlands Of Central Kenya,
2024
Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation, Kenya
Participatory Evaluation Of Urochloa (Brachiaria) Grasses In The Cool Highlands Of Central Kenya, Elkana Nyambati, W. Ayako, S. K. Mailu
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Grasslands are increasingly threatened by over exploitation, degradation and climate change that has undermined their productive capacity, leading led to inadequate quantity and quality feed. Urochloa grass, a native of eastern Africa has been widely improved and adapted as livestock forage. A farmer participatory study was conducted to evaluate productivity of eight Urochloa grasses (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu, U. brizantha cv. Xareas, U. brizantha cv. Piata, U. brizantha cv. MG4, U. decumbens cv. Basilisk, U. humidicola cv. Humidicola, U. humidicola cv. Llanero and Urochloa hybrid Mulato II) compared to controls of Pennisetum purpureum (Napier grass cv. Kakamega 1 …
Is There A Need For Tailored Graduate Programs For International Students?,
2024
University of Florida
Is There A Need For Tailored Graduate Programs For International Students?, K. T. Oduor, Lynn E. Sollenberger, J. Dubeux, L. M. D. Queiroz
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
International studies often present opportunities for capacity development and mentorship for students to equip them with the knowledge and skills to address the challenges in their home countries. Typically, international graduate students are drawn from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds different from those in their host countries. Adjusting to these changes might be challenging and time-consuming, thus influencing their academic journey. Understanding these challenges might provide international students the opportunity to address them in time and, where possible, seek help. In this paper, we discuss some graduate program-related challenges international students face and provide potential recommendations that might result in …
Sunn Hemp As An Alternative Forage In The Texas High Plains Region,
2024
USDA-ARS
Sunn Hemp As An Alternative Forage In The Texas High Plains Region, S. A. O’Shaughnessy, H. M. Mosqueda, D. K. Brauer
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Forage production in the Texas High Plains, a semi-arid region, is critical to sustain the local cattle industry. However, the main source of water for irrigation is the highly depleted Ogallala Aquifer, making forage crop water productivity (CWP) of high importance. In this one-year study, three types of forages were cultivated under deficit irrigation treatments of 80% and 50% of full crop water use. The forages were: a non-brown midrib forage sorghum; a legume, sunn hemp; and a sorghum/sunn hemp mix. The experiment was conducted in Bushland, Texas in 2019. Treatment plots were arranged in a split plot design with …
Differences In Carbon Sequestration And Water Use Between A Semi-Arid Native Grassland And Encroaching Vachellia Karroo Woodland,
2024
Rhodes University, South Africa
Differences In Carbon Sequestration And Water Use Between A Semi-Arid Native Grassland And Encroaching Vachellia Karroo Woodland, C. Weideman, A. R. Palmer, G. Carolyn, Kathleen Smart
IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)
Tree and shrub encroachment and proliferation in global grasslands and savannas is widely considered to imply a trade-off between ecosystem C and H2O regulating functions, based on the premise that increased C sequestration associated with higher woody biomass ostensibly drive declines in water production through concomitant increases in evapotranspiration (ET), but evidence for this across climatic and environmental gradients is equivocal. To evaluate these claims, we ran a paired eddy covariance experiment in a native semi-arid C4 grassland and adjacent encroaching Vachellia karroo woodland on the eastern seaboard of South Africa and compared ecosystem C and H2O budgets over nearly …
