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Well-managed irrigated pasture production can be optimized without nitrogen (N) fertilizer. The objective was to determine mixture and planting ratios of tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinacea Schreb.) (TF), meadow brome (Bromus riparius Rehm.) (MB), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) (OG), timothy (Phleum pratense L.) (TIM), and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) (PRG) with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) (ALF), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) (BFTF), or cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer L.) (CMV) that maximize productivity. Planting ratios were 0:100 (grass:legume), 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and three 100:0 grass monocultures fertilized at 0, 67, and 134 kg N ha-1. Seasonal production of TF-ALF was 12.69 Mg ha-1, equal to TF fertilized at 134 kg N ha-1. ALF mixtures with MB, OG, TIM, and PRG produced 12.57, 10.97, 11.77, and 10.74 Mg ha-1, respectively, and 8 to 40% more than grasses receiving 134 kg N ha-1. Production of BFTF mixtures with TF, MB, and OG were 11.69, 11.45, and 9.95 Mg ha-1, respectively, equal to their respective grass monoculture receiving 134 kg N ha-1. The BFTF-TIM and BFTF-PRG mixtures averaged 12% more forage than grass monocultures receiving 134 kg N ha-1. Production of CMV-grass was similar to that of grasses receiving 67 kg N ha-1. Seasonal forage distribution was more uniform in ALF- and BFTF-grass mixtures, averaging 30% more at the second and third harvests than fertilized grasses. The TF and MB legume mixtures averaged 7% more production in the 50:50 planting ratios than the other two grass-legume mixtures, while the 50:50 and 25:75 ratios of OG and TIM-legume mixtures averaged 12% more than the 75:25 and the 25:75 PRG-legume planting ratio averaged 9% more than the 50:50 and 75:25. Forage production of grass-legume mixtures can equal or exceed fertilized grass monocultures and with more uniform distribution over the growing season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhonda L. Miller is assistant professor in the agricultural systems technology and education department, ********** At 56, dairy farmer Richard Maurer of Newport, Penn., suffered two strokes that affected his right side and reduced his mobility. After 45 years of milking cows, he had [...]

Reports on the identification of the source and frequency of agricultural injuries in Utah. Determination of the injury rate for common agricultural activities with the utility of emergency room logs; Mode of treatment; Percentage of time spent in hazardous activities.

Investigates whether cytoplasmic effects exist in soybean. Evaluation of agronomic characters in parents, crosses and reciprocal crosses; Differences observed among cytoplasms; Factors that may have caused the significant differences observed.

Further evidence is presented on the reliability and validity of the Job Components Inventory (JCI), a recently developed job analysis technique. The JCI covers the use of tools and equipment, physical and perceptual requirements, mathematical requirements, communication requirements, decision-making and responsibility requirements. Results of a study of 75 postmen and postwomen and seven supervisors are reported. Inter-rater reliability, supervisor-job incumbent agreement and inter-office agreement were all found to be high. This study indicates that the JCI can be used to analyse jobs other than low skill youth jobs for which it was originally developed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insufficient dry matter intake (DMI) of pasture by dairy cattle is a major factor limiting growth and milk production; however, it has been hypothesized that some dairy breeds may be more efficient grazers than others. This study was conducted to determine whether dairy breed types differ in DMI and feed efficiency when grazing either grass monoculture or grass-legume mixed pastures. The experiment compared 4 different dairy breed types (Jersey, Holstein, Holstein-Jersey crossbreds, and Montbéliarde-Swedish Red-Holstein 3-breed crossbreds) and 2 levels of pasture type [grass monoculture (MONO) and grass-birdsfoot trefoil (BFT) mixture (MX)] for a total of 8 treatments. Pastures were rotationally stocked with groups of 4 prepubertal heifers for 105 d for 3 yr, and DMI was determined from herbage disappearance. Feed conversion efficiency (FCE) and residual feed intake (RFI) were then derived from DMI, and heifer body weights (BW) and normalized to animal units (AU) as 40% metabolic mature BW of the corresponding dairy breed type to account for inherent differences in size and growth rates. We observed differences in DMI and feed efficiency among breed types and between pasture types. On average, Holsteins had the greatest overall DMI (4.4 kg/AU), followed by intermediate DMI by the crossbreds (4.0 kg/AU), and Jerseys had the least DMI (3.6 kg/AU). Heifers grazing MX pastures had on average 22% greater DMI than those grazing MONO, but heifers on grass monocultures were more efficient in converting DMI to BW gain (i.e., RFI/AU of 0.27 and −0.27, respectively; more negative RFI numbers indicate less DMI to achieve the expected gains). Overall, Jerseys had the most favorable feed efficiency; however, ranking of Holsteins and crossbreds depended upon the feed efficiency metric. This study is one of the first to compare the interaction of dairy breed and pasture quality on grazing efficiency. However, the lack of a breed type × pasture type interaction for DMI, FCE, or RFI indicated that none of these dairy breed types were better adapted than another breed type to pastures with contrasting levels of nutritive value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transfer of information from research to producers is often a weak link in the research process. This study examined the methods used to transfer sustainable agriculture research technology to producers. Both principle investigators (researchers) and producers were interviewed to determine their preferences for technology transfer. Principle investigators prefer to transfer research information via workshops and periodicals. Producers prefer to receive information via on-farm trials and periodicals. Producers value workshops primarily for the dialog with the other producers. On-farm demonstrations are particularly important for technology that requires a drastic transition from the methods currently used in the farm/ranch operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy heifers developed in certified organic programs, especially those utilizing pasture-based management schemes, have lower rates of gain than heifers raised in nonorganic confinement production systems in temperate climates, such as in the Intermountain West region of the United States. This study investigates the effects that different forages in a rotational grazing system have on development of organically raised Jersey heifers. Over 3 years, 210 yearling Jersey heifers were randomly assigned to one of 9 treatments, including a conventional confinement control where animals were fed a total mixed ration or one of 8 pasture treatments: Cache Meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius Rehmann), QuickDraw orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.), Amazon perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), or Fawn tall fescue (Schendonorus arundinaceus [Schreb.] Dumort) and each individual grass interseeded with birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L., BFT). Each treatment had 3 blocks/yr over the 3-yr period, with each block having a 0.4 ha pasture of each treatment. Every 35 d, over a 105-d period, heifers were weighed and measured for hip height, and blood samples were collected to determine serum insulin-like growth factor-1 and blood urea nitrogen concentrations. Fecal egg counts were also assessed. Heifer body weight (BW), blood urea nitrogen, and insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations were affected by treatment when analyzed over time. Heifers on grass-BFT pastures had increased BW compared with heifers on monoculture grass pastures. Heifers receiving a total mixed ration or perennial ryegrass+BFT had increased BW gain over the 105-d period compared with heifers grazing tall fescue+BFT, orchard grass, perennial ryegrass, meadow bromegrass, or tall fescue. Individually for all grass species, heifers grazing +BFT pastures had greater ending BW and weight gain than heifers grazing the respective grass monocultures. Furthermore, weight gain for heifers on perennial ryegrass+BFT, meadow bromegrass+BFT, and orchard grass+BFT were not different from those on a total mixed ration. Heifers grazing grass-BFT pastures had increased blood urea nitrogen compared with heifers grazing monoculture grass pastures. Heifer hip height and fecal egg counts were not affected by treatment. These results show that the addition of BFT to organic pasture improves growth of grazing replacement heifers. Economic analyses also demonstrate that interseeding grass pastures with BFT results in an increased economic return compared with grazing monoculture grass pastures. Grass pastures interseeded with BFT may be a sustainable option to achieve adequate growth of Jersey heifers raised in an organic pasture scenario in a temperate climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low dietary energy and decreased intake of herbage have been attributed to the reduced performance of grazing dairy cattle. We hypothesized that grasses with inherently greater energy would interact in a complementary way with condensed tannins (CT) in birdsfoot trefoil to increase herbage intake by grazing dairy heifers. Eight pasture treatments comprising high-sugar perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius Rehmann), and tall fescue [ Schendonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort] were established in Lewiston, Utah as monocultures and binary mixtures with birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.; BFT). Pasture treatments were rotationally stocked by Jersey heifers for 105 d in 2017 and 2018, and herbage samples were collected pre- and postgrazing for each 7-d grazing period and analyzed for herbage mass, nutritive value, and apparent herbage intake. We observed differences among pasture treatments in herbage quantity and nutritive value, as well as differences in herbage intake by grazing Jersey heifers. On average, grass-BFT mixtures had greater herbage intake than grass monocultures, and every grass-BFT treatment individually had greater herbage intake than their respective grass monocultures. Using multivariate analyses, we determined that approximately 50% of the variation in herbage intake was due to nutritive and physical herbage characteristics, with the most explanatory being characteristics related to fiber and energy, followed by those related to the percent of BFT in the herbage. Grass monocultures exhibited a range of inherent dietary energy, but there was indication that an imbalance of energy to crude protein (e.g., protein deficient) reduced intake of grass monocultures. Moreover, there was some evidence of a complementary effect between increased dietary energy and CT; however, low CT levels made it impossible to determine the effect of CT on herbage intake per se. This study confirmed that chemical and physical characteristics inherent to different pasture species have a large effect on herbage intake by grazing cattle. Pastures planted to binary mixtures of nutritious grasses and birdsfoot trefoil increase herbage intake of temperate pastures by grazing Jersey heifers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]