Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Irrigation Effects On Forage Dry Matter Yield And Nutritive Value Of Alfalfa, Rudra Baral, Doohong Min

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is among the top four field crops in United States (U.S.) in terms of acreage harvested and economic value. Several studies have documented that alfalfa requires high amount of water compared to other major field crops. However, more than 65% alfalfa in the U.S. is grown under rainfed condition where severe to moderate drought condition has been pronounced during alfalfa growing season. The magnitude of yield loss due to water-limited conditions is still unknown. In this context, the objective of our study is to evaluate the forage dry matter yield and forage nutritive value of …

Gge Biplot Analysis Of Forage Yield Performance And Stability Assessment Of Tall Fescue Experimental Populations Selected Under Grazing Pressure In A Stress Environment, Ali Missaoui, J. L. Ford, D. R. Woodfield, A. Stewart, S. Makaju

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Integrating the yield and stability of genotypes selected under grazing pressure is an important objective in breeding forage crops. Genotype × environment (G x E) interaction is a major source of inconsistency in crop performance across locations. As a result, a genotype is considered stable if it has a low contribution to the G x E interaction. This study explores the effects of G x E interaction on yield and stability of 10 tall fescue experimental populations selected for persistence under grazing pressure outside the area of adaptation of the species (stress environment). Six standard checks were included. The populations …

Identification Of Endangered Range Plant Species And Change In Ground Cover In North Kordofan State, Sudan, Mohammed D. Elnazeir, A. A. Khatir, A. M. Morakah

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

This study was conducted in North Kordofan State. With the objectives of identifying change in ground cover, other range attributes and the endangered plant species. The primary source of data was mainly from previous studies, while secondary data were obtained from field work using loop and transect method, personal interviews, rapid rural appraisal technique and direct observation, SPSS software was used in statistical analysis. The results indicate that there were notable changes in range composition. Percentage live plants and decreased by 17.5, while litter and rock increased by 17.9% and 0.30%. Some of the species still exist, with higher percentage …

Strategies For Seed Quality Improvement In Eastern Gamagrass, A Tripsacum Species, J. I. Morrison

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

In the southeastern United States, perennial warm-season grasses constitute the backbone of many forage production systems, whether for grazing or harvested feed. North American native plants offer unique ecosystem benefits as well as high forage quality when managed properly. Popular native grasses used for grazing in the southeastern US include Andropogon (bluestems), Sorghastrum (indiangrass) and members of the genus Tripsacum including eastern gamagrass (T. dactyloides) in North and Central America; Guatemala grass (T. fasciculatum syn. T. andersonii) in Latin America and the West Indies; and wide-leaf gamagrass (T. latifolium) throughout Mesoamerica. Eastern gamagrass …

Chlorophyll And Mineral Dynamics Of Perennial Grass Species Found In Semi- Arid Rangelands Of South Africa, N. H. Msiza, K. E. Ravhuhali, H. K. Mokoboki, Sydney Mavengahama, L. E. Motsei

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Minerals are essential for ruminants and are mostly provided by grass species. Their growth stage is vital in the supply of these minerals. Perennial grass species have been mostly undervalued, owing to the scarce information concerning their potential feeding value and little documentation about their potential nutritive value in different growth stages. This study was conducted to investigate the chlorophyll and mineral concentration of grass species at different growth stages under greenhouse conditions at the North-West University Experimental farm, North West province, South Africa. The soil, collected from different villages, was mixed and samples were drawn for chemical analysis before …

Farmer Experiences With Alfalfa In The Southern U.S.A., M. K. Mullenix, L. S. Silva, C. G. Prevatt, J. J. Tucker

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a forage crop of primary importance in the United States (USA); however, adoption and use in the southern USA region has been limited. The combination of adapted alfalfa cultivars and management strategies which demonstrate extended forage growing season length, improved forage nutritive value, and reduced N fertilizer inputs have renewed interest in forage-livestock farmers to consider planting alfalfa. A series of Extension-based educational strategies have been used in the southern USA to 1) create awareness on the use of alfalfa, 2) educate farmers regarding establishment and management practices, and 3) showcase opportunities and challenges …

Opportunities For Promoting The Adoption Of Forages In Kenya, Joseph G. Mureithi, Elkana M. Nyambati

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Livestock production plays an important socio-economic role in many areas across Kenya. They are kept in all the major livestock production systems including smallholder mixed crop- livestock system, crop-livestock-tree production system, and pastoral/extensive livestock production system, which occupy about 70% of land in Kenya. Livestock production is mainly constrained by inadequate feed quantity and quality. Forage forms the major source of feed for ruminant livestock as they provide high-quality forage to alleviate feed shortages. The demand for pasture and fodder production and conservation to meet livestock feed requirements, particularly during the dry seasons, has created the need to re-position the …

Evaluation Of Apomictic Megathyrsus Maximus Accessions And Ecotypes To Improve Feed Availability In Western Kenya, David Miano Mwangi, S. W. Mwendia, Joseph G. Mureithi, P. Karimi, Maurice Mudeheri, An Notenbaert, Andres Juan, Tarus David

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

In Kenya, the dairy sub-sector is dominated by smallholder farmers, who keep between 1-10 dairy cows, and produce over 80% of the marketed milk in the country. The sub-sector is characterized by low milk production, long calving intervals and high calf mortality. The main constraint is the lack of year- round quality feeds hence the low lactation yield of 1,400 litres from animals capable of 3,500 - 4,000 litres. The main feed is Napier grass (Cenchrus purpureus) formerly Pennisetum purpureum. However, in the last decade the productivity and reliability of Napier grass has been constrained by the emergence Napier …

Annual Clovers Around The World: Current Status And Future Prospects, P. G. H. Nichols, G. R. Smith, D. J. Moot, Serkan Ates, Claudio Porqueddu, Esteban F. Rios, Mounir Louhaichi, Alejandro Del Pozo, N. Kotze, Alan W. Humphries, K. Ghamkhar, M. H. Ryan

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

This paper reviews the distribution and importance of annual clover (Trifolium) species for pasture and fodder production systems globally. Of the 158 recorded annual Trifolium species, 65.2% are endemic to the Mediterranean basin and surrounding areas, 14.6% to sub-Saharan Africa, 17.7% to the United States of America and 2.5% to Chile. Fourteen species have been commercialised, while other endemic and naturalised annual clovers are also utilised. Key species for self-regenerating pastures include T. subterraneum, T. michelianum and T. respinatum var. resupinatum, while major dual-purpose grazing and fodder species include T. incarnatum, T. vesiculosum, T. alexandrinum and T. …

Domestication Of The Annual Legume Trigonella Balansae For Mixed Farming Systems In Southern Australia, M. G. Wilmot, H. C. Norman, J. K. Hendry, P. Young, Elizabeth L. Hulm, A. Toovey, R. J. Harrison

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

An accession of the annual legume Trigonella balansae Boiss. and Reuter. has been selected for commercial release in Australia. The annual legume has significant potential as a self-regenerating pasture within mixed farming systems. As part of a duty-of-care assessment, we tested the hypothesis that sheep grazing the trigonella cultivar will have similar liveweight, condition scores, health and wool production to sheep grazing two widely adopted annual legumes, subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L. cv Dalkeith) and French serradella (Ornithopus sativus Brot. cv. Erica). Forage dry matter digestibility (DMD), crude protein (CP), fibre, mineral content and isoflavones were measured across …

Pasture Production And Grazing System In Assist Project: Outcome And Replication Viability In Nigeria For Sustainable Ruminant Production, Okanlade A. Lawal-Adebowale, M. Jordana Rivero, John Hunt, Sarah Morgan, Hannah Fleming, R. Pywell, Jonathan Storkey

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

As important as pasture is to productive management of cattle, sheep and goats, intensive development of grassland for ruminant animals is rare in Nigeria largely due to no conscious effort at pasture cultivation in the country. Consequently, nomadic and free grazing systems remain a practice in the country, with resultant poor animal productivity and agro-related conflicts between ruminant keepers and crop farmers and/or agro-processors. The need to revert this situation underscored the exploration of the potential value of the innovative pasture production and grazing management system tested under the Achieving Sustainable Agricultural Systems (ASSIST) programmme in Rothamsted Research, United Kingdom, …

Tillering Of ‘Marandu’ Brachiaria Under Different Nitrogen Rates In The Brazilian Savannah, A. B. O. Assis, A. L. Bocchi, T. C. Pedrosa, A. O. Matos, A. P. B. Soares

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The tiller is the basic unit of grass growth and tiller density determines the horizontal ground cover, leaves production and pastures perennially. The objective in this study was to quantify the number of aerial and basal tillers and basal:aerial tillers ratio in Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu, established in Brazilian savannah, submitted to nitrogen doses (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N/ha). The experiment was carried out in the Forage and Pasture Sector of Jataí Federal University (UFJ) and after soil correction and fertilization, plots were established with Marandu palisade grass in a randomized block design, with four replications and four …

Could Formononetin Of Red Clover (Trifolium Pratense L.) Be Enhanced By Phosphorus And Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Management?, Fernando Ortega-Klose, Andrés Quiroz, L. Bardehle, P. Aguilera

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Red clover is a forage legume of importance in the world with limited persistency; in Chile this is due mainly to the root borer (Hylastinus obscurus Marsham) infestation. Our previous studies have shown that there is a strong relationship between the root borer and the formononetin content in roots of the plants; therefore, studying factors that enhance the concentration of formononetin in the plant could help to decrease the negative effect of the root borer. The purpose of this research was to assess the relationship between phosphorus availability (P) in the soil interacting with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) over …

The Influence Of High Density Grazing And Conventional, Rotational Grazing On Soil And Vegetation Parameters In The Semi-Arid And Mesic Grasslands Of South Africa, Jamie Paulse, C. Visser, P. J. Malan, G. N. Smit, F. H. De Witt

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

In South Africa, multi-camp rotational grazing using ‘conservative stocking rates’ have been the conventional approach to livestock grazing management systems. However, as of late, the high-desnity approach (used interchangeably – depending on the situation – with regenerative grazing, mob grazing, short duration, high pressure grazing, rapid rotation, time controlled, ultra-high density, holistic grazing and holistic resource management) has been adopted by numerous farmers. This approach is considered to be an adaptable one, incorporating the ‘herd effect’ concept, whereby large numbers of animals occupy an area for short periods of time, and allowed an extended rest period. It claims to improve …

A New Paradigm Of Life Science Research Driven By Artificial Intelligence, Xin Li, Hanchao Yu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The rapid development of biotechnology and information technology has brought life sciences into a new era of data explosion. The traditional life science research paradigm struggles to reveal the fundamental rules of complex biological systems from rapidly growing biological big data. As artificial intelligence continues to achieve disruptive breakthroughs in life science, a new paradigm driven by AI is emerging. This study delves into typical examples of life science research driven by AI, proposes the concept and key elements of the new life science research paradigm, elaborates on the cutting-edge of life science research under this new paradigm, and discusses …

Genome-Wide Profiling Of Novel Conserved Zea Mays Micrornas Along With Their Key Biological, Molecular And Cellular Targets And Validation Using An Rt-Pcr Platform, Abdul Baqi, Sami Ullah, Muhammad Ayub, Muhammad Zafar Saleem, Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Asad Ullah

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are typically non-coding RNAs that start off as endogenous molecules and regulate post-transcriptional levels of gene expression by mRNA degradation or translational repression. They are 18–26 nucleotides long, evolutionarily conserved and essential for predicting novel miRNAs in a variety of plants. Maize (Zea mays) is a significant food and forage crop in the globe today. In the present study, many maize miRNAs have been found to be associated with both plant development and responses to stress. In this study, 66 unique conserved maize miRNAs from 65 different miRNA families were predicted using several genomics-based methods …

The Role Of Cu (0-0.03) And Zn (0.02) Substitution On The Structural, Optical And Magnetic Properties Of Mgo Nanoparticles, S. Naseem Shah, Atif Dawar, Yasmeen Bibi, Abid Ali, M. Asif Siddiqui

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The co-precipitation method was employed to prepared Cu (0-0.03) and Zn (0.02) dual doped MgO nanoparticles. The secondary phases of CuO and Cu₂O were observed along with the cubical phase of MgO. The doping induced effect was noticed for the crystallite size variations (14.39-19.89 nm). The morphological transformation from spherical to rice-like shape were observed. The estimated values of optical bandgap (4.66-4.45 eV) were well correlated with the crystallite size and dopant concentrations. The ferromagnetic ordering was observed at room temperature and the enchantment in the coercivity (142.27 Oe) with Zn (0.02) doping was noticed. Such type of …

Program Requirements For Beef Cattle Certified As Usda Organic, Carsten Loseke, Elliott James Dennis

Cornhusker Economics

This document provides an overview of the use and production of the USDA Certified Organic program for the beef cattle industry, with an emphasis on the state of Nebraska. We detail what cattle qualify, feed requirements, medical and health standards of cattle, and premiums paid by consumers for USDA certified organic products. All information is taken from the Organic Foods Production Act Provisions available in the Federal Register.

Seeing Eye To Eye? Comparing Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Biomolecular Visualization Assessments, Josh T. Beckham, Daniel R. Dries, Bonnie L. Hall, Rarchel M. Mitton-Fry, Shelly Engelman, Charmita Burch, Roderico Acevedo, Pamela S. Mertz, Didem Vardar-Ulu, Swati Agrawal, Kristin M. Fox, Shane Austin, Margaret A. Franzen, Henry V. Jakubowski, Walter R. P. Novak, Rebecca Roberts, Alberto I. Roca, Kristen Procko

Chemistry Faculty Publications

While visual literacy has been identified as a foundational skill in life science education, there are many challenges in teaching and assessing biomolecular visualization skills. Among these are the lack of consensus about what constitutes competence and limited understanding of student and instructor perceptions of visual literacy tasks. In this study, we administered a set of biomolecular visualization assessments, developed as part of the BioMolViz project, to both students and instructors at multiple institutions and compared their perceptions of task difficulty. We then analyzed our findings using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative analysis was used to answer the following research questions: …

Treatment Of Oil Refinery Wastewater Polluted By Heavy Metal Ions Via Adsorption Technique Using Non-Valuable Media: Cadmium Ions And Buckthorn Leaves As A Study Case, Salem Jawad Alhamd, Mohammed Nsaif Abbas, Mehrdad Manteghian, Thekra Atta Ibrahim, Karar Dawood Salman Jarmondi

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

This study focuses on the removal of cadmium ions generated by oil refinery wastewater, employing an agricultural by-product. Buckthorn leaves, sourced from Baghdad and Diyala provinces, underwent preparation, including washing, drying, crushing, and sieving before being utilized in experiments. Batch experiments were conducted using simulated solutions to assess the impact of six key adsorption design parameters: pH, cadmium concentration, agitation speed, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and temperature. The highest adsorption efficiency, reaching 94.4367%, was directly correlated with contact time, adsorbent dosage, pH value, and agitation speed, and inversely related to other variables. Morphological studies on the treated adsorbent, indicated structural …

Texcot22, Md Ahmed Al Muzaddid, William J. Beksi

Computer Science and Engineering Datasets

The TexCot22 dataset is a set of cotton crop video sequences for training and testing multi-object tracking methods. Each tracking sequence is 10 to 20 seconds in length. The dataset contains of a total of 30 sequences of which 17 are for training and the remaining 13 are for testing. Among the training sequences, 2 of them consist of roughly 5,000 annotated images, which can be used to train a cotton boll detection model. The video sequences were captured at 4K resolution and at distinct frame rates (e.g., 10, 15, 30). There are typically 2 to 10 cotton bolls per …

Innovative Cyanine-Based Fluorescent Dye For Targeted Mitochondrial Imaging And Its Utility In Whole-Brain Visualization, Xin Yan, Xinqian Chen, Zhiying Shan, Lanrong Bi

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Conducting in vivo brain imaging can be a challenging task due to the complexity of brain tissue and the strict requirements for safe and effective imaging agents. However, a new fluorescent dye called Cy5-PEG2 has been developed that selectively accumulates in mitochondria, enabling the visualization of these essential organelles in various cell lines. This dye is versatile and can be used for the real-time monitoring of mitochondrial dynamics in living cells. Moreover, it can cross the blood-brain barrier, making it a promising tool for noninvasive in vivo brain imaging. Based on the assessment of glial cell responses in the hippocampus …

Fauna, Flora, And Land Cover Changes Over The Last Two Decades In The Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, Gabriel De Oliveria, Steven R. Schultze, Guilherme Mataveli

Technical Reports

A technical report documenting ecosystem changes to the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta region due to urban expansion over approximately two decades (2001-2019).

Investigating The Roles Of Plants, Fungi, And Biocrusts In Nutrient Movement Within Dryland Ecosystems, Catherine E. Cort

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In dryland ecosystems, plant productivity and microbial decomposition are often separated in space and time due to the asynchronous availability of soil moisture and organic matter inputs. It has been proposed that fungi play a key functional role in connecting these cycles by facilitating movement of water, carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) through a network of shared hyphae between plant roots and biological soil crust (biocrust) communities at the soil surface. This connection, also known as the â??fungal loop,â?? effectively re-couples processes of nutrient release and uptake between primary producers and minimizes ecosystem N losses due to leaching, erosion, and …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. …

Can Phytoremediation-Induced Changes In The Microbiome Improve Saline/Sodic Soil And Plant Health?, Achal Neupane, Duncan Jukubowski, Douglas Fiedler, Liping Gu, Sharon A. Clay, David E. Clay, Shin-Yi Marzano

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Increasing soil salinity and/or sodicity is an expanding problem in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) of North America. This study investigated the impact of phytoremediation on the soil microbiome and if changes, in turn, had positive or negative effects on plant establishment. Amplicon sequencing and gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer analysis compared root metabolites and microbial composition of bulk vs. rhizosphere soils between two soil types (productive and saline/sodic). Beta-diversity analysis indicated that bacterial and fungal communities from both the bulk and rhizosphere soils from each soil type clustered separately, indicating dissimilar microbial composition. Plant species also influenced both root-associated bacterial and …

Perennializing Marginal Croplands: Going Back To The Future To Mitigate Climate Change With Resilient Biobased Feedstocks, Salvador Ramirez Ii, Marty R. Schmer, Virginia L. Jin, Robert B. Mitchell, Catherine E. Stewart, Jay Parsons, Daren D. Redfearn, John J. Quinn, Gary E. Varvel, Kenneth P. Vogel, Ronald F. Follett

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

Managing annual row crops on marginally productive croplands can be environmentally unsustainable and result in variable economic returns. Incorporating perennial bioenergy feedstocks into marginally productive cropland can engender ecosystem services and enhance climate resiliency while also diversifying farm incomes. We use one of the oldest bioenergy-specific field experiments in North America to evaluate economically and environmentally sustainable management practices for growing perennial grasses on marginal cropland. This long-term field trial called 9804 was established in 1998 in eastern Nebraska and compared the productivity and sustainability of corn (Zea mays L.)—both corn grain and corn stover—and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum …

Winona State University Alumni Blog: 2011-2022, Winona State University

Winona State University Blogs

The Winona State University (WSU) Alumni Blog includes articles and entries from May 2011- August 2022. Note: there may be format coding in the document.

The Behemoth Of The Last Ice Age: The Evolutionary Saga Of The Columbian Mammoth In North America, Nathaniel Valentine

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

The Columbian’s mammoth evolutionary history can be traced back to the origin of life and its evolutionary lineage can be tracked down by examining select species over geologic time. I conducted a literature review with multiple scientific journals to identify key transitional species that trace their lineage to the Columbian mammoth. Transitional species were selected from the Precambrian and the various periods of the Phanerozoic which exhibited vertebrate-like body structures and behaviors. Evidence suggests that early vertebrate-like animals were present by the Cambrian period. Mammal evolution would continue in the Mesozoic era and radiate in the Cenozoic era. The Columbian …

Kansas River Valley Experiment Field: Field Station Weather Reports: 2023 Growing Season, Eric Adee

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This report includes the annual summary of precipitation and temperatures from 2023 at the research locations represented in the 2024 Field Research Report and further details about the east central Kansas locations.