Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Nitrate Accumulation In A Sorghum-Sudangrass Hybrid As Influenced By Nitrogen Fertilization, A. Elgersma, I. Y. Tecle, T. Provin

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The effect of nitrogen (N) fertilization and plant stage on nitrate accumulation was studied in a sorghum-Sudan grass hybrid. Grass cv. Dynagrazer was sown at the experimental site of Texas A & M University. Six N levels were applied (0, 112 … 672 Kg. N ha^-1). Nitrate concentrations were determined in three harvests, 5– 7 weeks after planting. Maximum levels were 2.1, 3.5 and 4.6 g nitrate-N kg^-1 DM, respectively, which is beyond the safe limits for animal consumption. The plots were cut at heading. Regrowth took place on residual N. Nitrate-N accumulation was lowest in the …

Effect Of Maceration On In Sacco Degradability And Energy Content Of Low-Moisture Round Bale Alfalfa Silage, K. Nonaka, S. Kume, T. Ohshita

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of maceration on in sacco degradability and energy content of low-moisture alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silage. The results of two treatments were compared: 1) maceration, in which the alfalfa was processed through a large- scale forage mat maker prior to wilting to approximately 50% DM content (FM treatment), and 2) conventional conditioning, in which the alfalfa was tedded and wilted to the same DM content as that in the FM treatment (CC treatment). Silage bales were chopped in 20-mm pieces for each experiment. In sacco degradabilities of DM, CP …

Efficiency Of Nitrogen Use In Dairy Cows Grazing Ryegrass With Different Water Soluble Carbohydrate Concentrations, L. A. Miller, D. H. Baker, M. K. Theodorou, J. C. Macrae, M. O. Humphreys, Nigel D. Scollan, J. M. Moorby

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

This experiment is one of a series designed to investigate the efficiency of nitrogen (N) use in Holstein-Friesian dairy cows grazing perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) which has been bred to express high water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentrations. Animals grazed either a High Sugar (HS) grass or a Control (C) variety chosen on the basis of heading date compatibility. Dry matter (DM) intakes were estimated using herbage mass. Milk yields, milk constituent concentrations and plasma concentrations of b-hydroxybutyrate, glucose, total protein, albumin and urea were also measured. Forage DM intakes were similar for the two grasses. However, because of …

Maris: Scalable Online Scenario Development Tool For Rangeland Conservancy Managers Using High Spatial-Temporal Resolution Carrying Capacity Maps And Livestock Market Data, L. G. J. Boerboom, R. O. Ohuru, A. G. Toxopeus, W. Nieuwenhuis, C. A. J. M. De Bie, P. K. Mwangi, M. L. Schouwenburg, R. L. G. Lemmens

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Although the management of livestock numbers within the bounds of carrying capacity of African rangelands is a way to manage risks, both scientists and practitioners, caution against a momentary and local use of carrying capacity as a management indicator. Carrying capacity should be seen in wider spatial and temporal/seasonal context as well as in a social and economic context. Given the large numbers of conservancies across Kenya, and its Maasai Mara region in particular, with many more landowner members, it is difficult for conservancies’ managers to contextualize phenomena such as carrying capacity and market price over space and time.

We …

Assessing The Impacts Of Different Initiatives On The Rehabilitation Of Pastoral And Silvopastoral Ecosystems: Big Data Oriented Approach, Said Moukrim, Said Lahssini, Mustapha Naggar, K. Menzou, H. Mharzi-Alaoui, A. Labbaci, L. Rhazi

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Moroccan forests, through the provision of goods and ecosystem services, underpins benefits to local communities and play a crucial role for rural area development. The legal framework recognizes to people, living near public forests, the right to graze their domestic livestock. Over the years, the grazing pressure is at levels far beyond the forestland’s carrying capacity throughout the country. Such pressure has been demonstrated as the main cause of forest cover loss and land degradation in Morocco and still threatening the sustainability of forests. To reduce the heavy grazing pressure on forest ecosystems and ensure their regeneration, several initiatives have …

Land Users – Land Watchers, J. H. Stefánsson, B. Marteinsdóttir

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

GróLind is a collaborative project with the aim of monitoring Icelandic vegetation and soil resources. It was founded in 2017 by the Icelandic National Associations of Sheep Farmers, the Farmers Association of Iceland, Ministry of Industries and Innovation, and the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland. GróLind is a collaborative project and cooperation with stakeholders, such as the science community, landowners, and others, is a fundamental concept in the project.

In this project, the state of vegetation and soils are evaluated. Currently, a citizen science project is being developed within GróLind, in which land-users will annually monitor, using a mobile app, …

The Role Of Indigenous Knowledge In The Effective Collective Management Of The Communal Rangelands, A. Finca, S. Linnane, D. Getty, J. H. Slinger

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Numerous scientific studies have highlighted the complexities associated with the collective management of communal rangelands. To date, policy interventions in rangelands have largely ignored people’s traditional ways of managing, with adverse effects on rangeland productivity. Thus, local knowledge has not been considered in spatial planning, despite the fact that local rural communities are often repositories of key indigenous knowledge. Hence this study set out to evaluate the role of indigenous knowledge in the management of the communal rangeland in Cata and Guquka, now and in the future. This was achieved through the use of Participatory GIS (PGIS), specifically participatory mapping …

Effects Of Agroforestry Practices On Soil Properties In The Drylands Of Eastern Kenya, Nicholas Syano Mutuku, Moses M. Nyangito, Geoffrey Kironchi, Oliver Vivian Wasonga

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Drylands, which are home to about 2 billion people face a myriad of problems among them low land productivity. Agroforestry is one of the land use practices that is perceived to be sustainable with beneficial effects on soil properties. However, the effects of agroforestry practices on soils especially in the drylands have rarely been quantified and studied in details. The study determined the effects of selected agroforestry practices on soil properties in Makueni County of Kenya where agroforestry has been promoted by various organizations. Four soil samples were collected at 0-15cm, 15-30cm, 30-45cm and 45-60cm depths in a zigzag pattern …

Adaptive, Multi-Paddock, Rotational Grazing Management: An Experimental, Ranch-Scale Assessment Of Effects On Multiple Ecosystem Services, D. J. Augustine, J. D. Derner, L. M. Porensky, H. Wilmer, María E. Fernández-Giménez, David D. Briske

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Decisions on how to move livestock in space and time are central to rangeland management. Despite decades of small-scale research, substantial uncertainty exists regarding the relative importance of cattle stocking rates per se, versus the movement of cattle in both space and time, in achieving desired vegetation and livestock outcomes at scales relevant to livestock producers. We report on a ranch-scale experiment comparing effects of collaborative, adaptive, multi-paddock, rotational management (CARM) versus more traditional, season-long, continuous rangeland management (TRM) on perennial grass density and production, cattle performance, and wildlife habitat, while holding the annual stocking rate the same in …

Revisiting The Concept Of The Planning Region In Settings With Dynamic Spatial-Temporal Conditions: Lessons From Land Use Planning In Pastoral Areas Of Kenya, Ethiopia And Tanzania, H. Musoga, L. W. Robinson

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Pastoralist rangeland systems often provide prime examples of scale mismatch—the challenge that arises when the scale and geographic extent of decision-making institutions do not correspond to the scale and geographic extent of problems that need to be addressed. Pastoralist resource use and traditional governance systems operate at multiple levels, and are often characterized by multiple, overlapping claims, rights, and management territories. Scholarship on pastoralist systems suggests that their fuzziness, flexibility, and overlap in territories and rights mean that there is no single scale or level that is optimal for effective resource governance. These characteristics stymie attempts to implement conventional …

Water Use Efficiency And Land Cover Variability On A Native Grassland Ranch On The Pampa Biome Of Uruguay, Diana L. Restrepo-Osorio, Gabriel De Oliveira, James Coll, Daniela Schossler

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Global efforts towards sustainable cattle ranching should be based on comprehensive approaches, targeting physical variables of the ranching process, as well as, the socioeconomic dimensions. Alianza del Pastizal is a non-profit conservation organization that works to preserve the temperate grasslands of the Southern Cone of South America by promoting conservation practices among ranching communities in Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil. Alianza has become a mediator for ranchers exchanging information, resources, and education. Ranchers associated with the Alliance take pride in their property management as they aim to improve the community wellbeing and natural resource sustainability. In a previous study, producers …

Ewe Daily-Weight Gain Grazing Leucaena Leucocephala-Megathyrsus Maximus Cv Mombasa Silvopastoral System And Tropical Native Unimproved Range, L. K. Trejo-Arista, Enrique Cortés-Díaz, P. A. Martínez-Hernández, J. A. Cadena-Meneses

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Silvopastoral systems are a viable option to increase livestock productivity, The silvopastoral arrangement of Leucaena leucocephala associated with Megathyrsus maximus CV Mombasa (LMS) is successfully cultivated in tropical environments.. The objective of the study was to determine ewe daily-weight gain grazing LMS and a tropical unimproved native range. Two LMS were tested: high and low leucaena densities, 4700 and 2383 plants/ha, respectively. Grazing was rotational, lasted 150 d (rainy season) at equivalent stocking rate of 59 ewes/ha/150 d. Experimental design was a completely random design with three replications, the experimental unit was a 192 m² plot. Variables measured on …

Status, Management, And Governance Of The Communal Grasslands Of Ethiopia’S Highlands: A Disappearing Asset For Mixed Crop-Livestock Livelihood Systems, Bedasa Eba, Fiona Flintan, Tesfa Getachew, Jason Sircely

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

There is little documentation about the status, management, and governance of the communal grasslands of Ethiopia’s highlands. However, research being carried out by ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute) in northern Shewa, Amhara region, is highlighting their importance as a critical resource for those farmers engaged in mixed crop-livestock livelihood systems across the highland areas. These grassland areas range from 2 to 200 hectares and can be used by up to four different villages or ‘kebele’ and providing on average 10-20% of livestock feed for local farmers. However, this important resource is rapidly disappearing with encroachment of farming and tree-planting with …

Removal Of The Northern Paleo-Teton Range Along The Yellowstone Hotspot Track, J. Ryan Thigpen, Summer J. Brown, Autumn L. Helfrich, Rachel Hoar, Michael M. Mcglue, Edward W. Woolery, William R. Guenthner, Meredith L. Swallom, Spencer Dixon, Sean Gallen

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Classically held mechanisms for removing mountain topography (e.g., erosion and gravitational collapse) require 10-100 Myr or more to completely remove tectonically generated relief. Here, we propose that mountain ranges can be completely and rapidly (< 2 Myr) removed by a migrating hotspot. In western North America, multiple mountain ranges, including the Teton Range, terminate at the boundary with the relatively low relief track of the Yellowstone hotspot. This abrupt transition leads to a previously untested hypothesis that preexisting mountainous topography along the track has been erased. We integrate thermochronologic data collected from the footwall of the Teton fault with flexural-kinematic modeling and length-displacement scaling to show that the paleo-Teton fault and associated Teton Range was much longer (min. original length 190-210 km) than the present topographic expression of the range front (~65 km) and extended across the modern-day Yellowstone hotspot track. These analyses also indicate that the majority of fault displacement (min. 11.4-12.6 km) and the associated footwall mountain range growth had accumulated prior to Yellowstone encroachment at ~2 Ma, leading us to interpret that eastward migration of the Yellowstone hotspot relative to stable North America led to removal of the paleo-Teton mountain topography via posteruptive collapse of the range following multiple supercaldera (VEI 8) eruptions from 2.0 Ma to 600 ka and/or an isostatic collapse response, similar to ranges north of the Snake River plain. While this extremely rapid removal of mountain ranges and adjoining basins is probably relatively infrequent in the geologic record, it has important implications for continental physiography and topography over very short time spans.

Proposals For Innovation And Improvement Of The Quality Of Life In Caprine Pastoralist Communities Of Subsistence In The Monte Desert, Argentina, E. M. Abraham, C. Rubio, D. Soria, L. Corso, A. Therburg, D. Bran, A. Maggi, P. Maccagno, C. Policastro, S. Verón, V. Pietragalla, M. Wilson

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

In a satisfactory alliance between the main environmental policy organizations and the academy, the National Observatory on Land Degradation and Desertification (ONDTyT) is created. The ONDTyD provides information regarding status and trends of land degradation/desertification in order to promote prevention and mitigation measures used for advising public and private decision-makers in Argentina. It is based in the development of 17 Pilot Sites that constitutes the local level network, providing bio-physical and socio-economic indicators of land degradation.

In this network the pilot site of the Monte, the largest dry region of Argentina (Lavalle desert, Mendoza), aims to improve the living conditions …

Made To Graze: Using Cattle To Regenerate Soil Health, Debby Dulworth

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Beyond being a cattle farm in extreme western Kentucky, Dogwood Farm is part of an ecosystem dominated by the nearby Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Northern Ballard County was still a wilderness of temperate rainforest in 1840, when settlers began clearing trees to convert it to farm land. Almost every year since, more land has been cleared, tilled and planted to crops.

Dogwood Farm pastures offer examples of several different ways to affordably and profitably convert long‐farmed row‐crop land‐‐most of which had previously grown annual monocultures of corn, winter wheat and soybeans for many decades‐‐back to perennials that will keep the …

Circle F Farms--Grazing Into The Future, David Fourqurean

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Circle F Farms is a family operation located in Gracey, Ky roughly consisting of 325 acres of farmland. 120 acres are rented out for row crop production, 130 acres of pasture that are rotationally grazed with the balance in woods. The family operation is a partnership of John, David and John David Fourqurean. John David’s 3 kids will be the 6th generation to operate this farm. We run around 60 pairs on 2 different farms, 10 minutes apart. Steer calves are marketed through CPH or private treating sales off the farm. Heifer calves are marketed through the Guthrie bred heifer …

Usda‐Nrcs Graze Model: An Update Of A Static Pasture Balance Tool For Grazing Planners, Jimmy C. Henninger, Ivelin Denev

Kentucky Grazing Conference

The USDA‐NRCS Graze Model is a spreadsheet‐based, pasture budgeting digital tool to assist landowners and grazing advisors assess the pasture balance of current and future forage livestock systems. The tool will assess current stocking rates and help to calculate optimal carrying capacity. The model allows the user to see the impact of changing the forage base and grazing efficiency on the ability of a system to be sustainable. The model will accommodate cattle, sheep, goats, and seasonal grazing livestock. Yield information is based on historic, attainable values for Kentucky and the mid‐South region. Livestock intake is calculated on a percent …

Flexible Fencing And Watering Systems For Rotational Grazing, Morgan Hayes

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Creating proper and watering systems is critical for managing livestock. Not only do farmers need fencing to contain their livestock on their property, but also to ensure the livestock eat down the forage intended rather than areas that are supposed to be rested. With temporary fencing there are many options for laying out flexible fencing which will be discussed below. In many rotational grazing setups access to water is the limiting factor. There are options and considerations that can make a watering system more flexible as well. When trying to develop or improve a rotational grazing strategy being able to …

Selecting The Proper Gps Guidance System For Your Operation, John M. Long

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Computers and other electronics have become commonplace on most newer agricultural equipment. Producers can now collect more information about their operation easier than ever before. Most of this information is commonly tied to the location where it was collected. GPS coordinates are the most common way producers determine this location, so selecting the proper GPS system for the job is critical. Whether a producer has not used a GPS systems and wants to find an affordable entry level guidance system or wants to upgrade to the latest model with all the bells and whistles, there are many different things that …

Precision Ag Isn’T Just For The Row Crop Guys, Christopher D. Teutsch

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Guidance utilizing the global positioning system (GPS) has long been used for various operations in row crop agriculture. However, the high price of these systems has limited use in low input forage‐livestock operations. Reduced prices and the availability of used guidance systems has the potential to increase the use of precision agriculture in ruminant operations. Currently, entry level guidance systems can be purchased for $1,000 to 2,500.

Participatory Observatories To Connect Multifunctional Landscapes, Link Smallholder Farmers, And Collectively Diversify Income, I. Espejel Carvajal, G. Romero, O. Pérez, R. Yaguez, Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald, N. Martínez Tagueña, C. L. Lauterio Martínez, V. M. Reyes Gómez, S. Lucatello

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Cattle ranching was introduced to Baja California, Mexico (semiarid and arid climates) by the Spaniards, who brought the animals and the techniques. One important activity was moving livestock from the mountains (forests and few kinds of grass) to the coast crossing poor shrublands known as chaparrals. Fire was a common practice to promote grass growth and pastoralists could move through the land freely. Pastoralism became a common practice when English workers built the Ensenada port and became ranching landowners. They followed the practice of livestock movement through the exorreic watersheds. Native Indians, as well as other Mexicans known as ejidatarios, …

Participatory Management Of Rangeland Hydrology – A New Socio-Ecological Technology To Effectively Adapt To And Mitigate Climate Change: Case From Morocco, Lhoussaine Bouchaou, El Hassane El Mahdad, El Hassan Beraaouz, Abdelfettah Sifeddine, Alessandro Rizzo, Mohamed Hssaisoune, Hanane Reddad, Abdelghani Chehbouni, Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Morocco’s drylands cover over 90% of the land area; low and irregular rainfall and high potential evaporation contribute to extremely high-water deficits. These phenomena have greatly impacted rangeland hydrology and nomadic and transhumant pastoralism. To adapt to this predominant water deficit, the inhabitants of these areas have developed two forms of lifestyles, which include household and livestock mobility: (i) a pendulum movement for seasonal transhumance between the mountains and their bordering plains; and (ii) random nomadic mobility regulated by the sporadic frequency of rains and thus water availability. In both cases, this mobility is controlled by the degree of development …

Bale Grazing: Feeding Hay The Rotational Grazing Way, Gregory S. Halich

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Imagine a hay feeding system where you did not have to use a tractor for months at a time and that allowed you to build up pasture fertility without applying commercial fertilizer. Would this be of interest to you? What if this same system also kept your cattle clean during the winter without coats caked in mud and manure, allowed you to creep graze fall‐born calves, and built up the organic matter levels in your pasture soils. Would you be even more interested? As far‐fetched as this may sound, all these benefits are possible with an innovative winter‐feeding technique called …

Right Rate, Timing, Source And Placement: More Bang For The Pasture Fertilizer Buck, John H. Grove, Christopher D. Teutsch

Kentucky Grazing Conference

As we write this paper for the conference, fall fertilizer prices continue to increase, albeit at a slower pace than earlier this fall for most materials. The latest DTN retail price survey https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/crops/article/2021/10/06/fertilizer‐price‐gains-losing‐steam has urea (46‐0‐0) at $620/ton, DAP (18‐46‐0) at $722/ton and potash (0‐ 0‐60) at $647/ton. This gives $0.675/lb N, $0.52/lb P₂O₅ (after the N value in DAP price was accounted for), and $0.54/lb K₂O. Compared to this time last year, urea, DAP and muriate of potash are 71, 64 and 92% higher, respectively. Other important materials used in Kentucky are also higher: …

An Integrated Approach To Weed Management In Pastures, Jonathan D. Green

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Weeds reduce the quantity and the stand life of desirable forage plants in pastures and diminish the palatability and quality of the forages available for livestock grazing. In some situations, certain weed species are potentially poisonous to grazing animals. The aesthetic value of a pasture is also impacted by weeds. Therefore, it is often desirable to implement weed management strategies that reduce the impact of weeds on pasture productivity.

Long‐Term Weather Trends And Implications For Grazing Operations In The Mid‐South, Matt Dixon

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Weather plays a large role in determining our agricultural production and management-related decisions throughout the growing season. In a couple examples, it controls when we can cut hay or when we are able/not able to graze (drought 2019). The short‐term shift in the weather pattern is always on the back of any farmers mind and how it’ll impact their own operation, but what about long‐term changes? These can be just as important. This can be tracked by looking at our climate, which is the average weather conditions over a specific period of time (usually 30 years). Unlike weather, which tells …

Introduction To Pasture Ecology, Ed Rayburn

Kentucky Grazing Conference

Pasture‐based livestock production is an integrated process. Plants intercept solar energy, take up soil water and minerals, making carbohydrates and proteins to feed themselves. Animals graze the pasture. Microbes in the animal’s rumen digest the forage and are then digested by the animal to provide energy, protein, and minerals for animal maintenance, growth, and milk production. Dead plant tops and roots along with manure and urine provide energy and protein to soil organisms. The soil organisms maintain soil pore space and structure, provide water infiltration and soil water holding capacity, and cycle nutrients into forms that can be taken up …

Foreword And Conference Information [2021], Christopher D. Teutsch, Jimmy C. Henning, S. Ray Smith

Kentucky Grazing Conference

No abstract provided.

Elastic Thickness And Crust-Mantle Interface Models Of Tharsis Bulge On Mars And Surrounding Areas, R. T. Ratheesh-Kumar, Dhananjay Ravat, Paul Morgan

Earth and Environmental Sciences Research Data

The datasets contain the final models of spatial variation of elastic thickness (Te) and the depth to Moho or the Crust-Mantle Interface (CMI) of the Tharsis Bulge and the surrounding regions derived from the software package LithoFLEX. The models are based on the crustal density of 2900 kg/m³, which was selected from analyzing results of a range of densities, and other standard lithospheric parameters. The models are useful for understanding the nature and evolution of the Tharsis Bulge and the surrounding regions.