Improvements in turfgrass color and density resulting from comprehensive soil diagnostics

There are roughly 220 golf courses in Arkansas, and as many as 50% of these courses were constructed using common bermudagrass fairways. Although resilient, common bermudagrass loses density and quality over time. In this experiment physical and chemical properties of the soil were analyzed to determine the causes of decline in turf quality observed on several fairways of a local golf course. Once a particular fairway was selected for study and preliminary soil sampling conducted, GS+, a geostatistical computer program, was used to map the location of certain chemical deficiencies. A moderate to severe Mg deficiency was detected throughout the fairway. Twelve different fertility treatments were designed to enhance the overall density, texture, and color of the turf. Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), Primo™ (a plant growth regulator), and Nitron (an organic nitrogen source) all showed significant improvements in turf quality. Extensive and comprehensive soil testing was found to be very beneficial; “hidden” nutrient deficiencies were discovered, which allowed site-specific treatments to be included in the test

Palatability of teff grass by horses

Most forages commonly used to feed horses have potential detriments including blister beetles or excessive fiber concentrations. Teff grass (T), a warm-season annual forage, has the potential to be a good alternative for horses because of its lack of observed disorders. Our objective was to compare preference by horses for T harvested under different conditions with that of bermudagrass (B) harvested at two maturities. Six different forages were evaluated: T harvested at the late vegetative stage (TLV), at late bloom but that incurred 33 mm of rainfall between mowing and baling (TLBR), with caryopsis visible (TES), or at soft dough (TSD), and B harvested at late vegetative (BLV) and mid-bloom (BMB) growth stages. Five mature horses were used in a balanced incomplete block design where each horse received a different combination of 4 forages each day for 6 d. The 4 different forages were suspended in hay nets in each corner of each stall, and each hay was offered at 50% of the average daily hay consumption measured during a 12-d adaptation period. Forage preference as measured by individual forage dry matter (DM) consumption (kg and % of total DM consumed across the 4 forages) was greatest (P \u3c 0.05) from TLV followed by BLV. Preference (kg and % of total DM consumed) of BMB was greater (P \u3c 0.05) than that of TMBR, TES, and TSD, which did not differ from each other (P ≥ 0.63). Therefore, within a specific growth stage, horses apparently preferred teff grass, but effects of maturity and rainfall had a more dramatic effect on preference by horses than forage species

Arkansas Animal Science Department Report 2002

The faculty and staff of the Animal Science Program are pleased to present the sixth edition of the Arkansas Animal Science Report. As with virtually all programs in the country, budget constraints presented serious challenges to teaching, research, and extension programming. However, the faculty and staff responded with innovation, good management, and hard work to maintain a productive program designed to benefit the students of the University and the citizens of the state. We are committed to remaining faithful to our Land-Grant mission. A sincere thank you is owed to Dr. Zelpha Johnson and Dr. Wayne Kellogg for editing this publication. We are proud that Meat and Poultry magazine ranked the animal and poultry programs at the University of Arkansas among the top four in the United States for 2003. This is a tribute to the dedicated and talented faculty in the Departments of Animal Science, Poultry Science, and Food Science and to their high level of cooperation

Cost to Produce Cellulosic Biomass Feedstock: Four Perennial Grass Species Compared

Switchgrass has been proposed as a dedicated energy crop to fulfill long-term policy goals. Production costs were determined for switchgrass and three alternative perennial grass species for four levels of nitrogen fertilizer and two harvest systems. For the alternatives evaluated, biomass production cost per ton was lowest for switchgrass.Crop Production/Industries,

Effect of Turf Fungicides on Earthworms

Numerous turf fungicides were tested under various conditions for possible deleterious effects upon the earthworm Eisenla foetida. Earthworms treated by immersion for one minute in 0.1% solutions of 10 different fungicides died insignificant numbers after benomyl and thiophanate methyl treatments. After 1% fungicide treatments, there was significant mortality from benomyl, ethazole, Kromad, and thiophanate methyl fungicides. With 2% fungicide solutions, significant numbers died after benomyl, cadmium succinate, ethazole, thiophanate methyl, and thiram treatments. Earthworms fed bermudagrass clippings treated with 10 different fungicides showed a significant decrease in longevity from clippings treated with benomyl, dinocap, ethazole, and thiophanate methyl. Earthworms reared for 84 days in soil treated with 15 different turf fungicides showed a significant decrease in longevity from soil treated with aniyaline, benomyl, chlorothalonil, Duoson, ethazole, fenaminosulf, Kromad, mancozeb, PCNB, thiabendazole, thiophanate methyl, and thiram. Cadmium succinate, dinocap, and RP 26019 did not cause a decrease in longevity. There was no reproduction by worms in soil treated with Duosan, PCNB, thiophanate methyl, and thiram, and only trace amounts in soil treated with chlorothalonil, ethazole, and Kromad. The toxicity of benomyl, thiabendazole, and thiophanate methyl to earthworms was confirmed in the present study, and additional fungicides used for turf disease control were also found to cause significant amounts of mortality

Economic Potential of Substituting Legumes for Synthetic Nitrogen in Warm Season Perennial Grasses used for Stocker Cattle Grazing

Stocker cattle grazing warm season perennial grasses is an important economic activity in the southern Great Plains. Substantial increases in the price of nitrogen fertilizer is negatively affecting forage producers’ profitability. Two alternative nitrogen management systems that use annual and perennial legumes have been developed for bermudagrass pastures. The goal of the study is to determine if the legumes systems are more profitable than the conventional practice of applying synthetic sources of nitrogen. Results of the two-year grazing study show that the legume systems could not compete economically with the common practice.economics, grazing, legumes, bermudagrass, nitrogen fertilizer, stocker cattle, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Production Economics,