Software Simulation and Emergency Response Training: a Case Study

Emergency response training has several shortcomings that affect its effectiveness. Full-scale exercises are effective, but expensive, cumbersome and time consuming to plan and conduct. Discussion based trainings are much more cost effective and easy to plan, but the retention rate is lower on covered material. It is important to get the most out of limited training budgets by finding a way to be both efficient and effective with time and money. In this case study, the problems of the 2002 New Mexico Public Health ICS training are analyzed. This training provides good examples of how traditional training tools, style and impact were not used for the best outcome on retention of how to manage response in the event of an emergency. Methods of addressing these issues by other industries are reviewed and considered for application in the field of emergency response training. This suggests that using software simulation, it would be possible to harness the experiential learning of a full scale exercise with a more individually tailored and efficient training system. This would result in the ability to train people with greater flexibility than current methods allow, with far better results

Organic Spring Wheat Variety Trial

In April of 2013, the University of Vermont Extension, in collaboration with the University of Maine, began the fourth year of extensive organic variety trials evaluating hard red spring wheat in order to determine which varieties thrive in our northern climate. The trials were established at the Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, Vermont and at Cornell University’s Willsboro Research Farm in Willsboro, New York. Several varieties that did not perform well in previous trial years were eliminated from the 2013 variety trials. This trial is one of several in a USDA Organic Research Education Initiative grant focused on the production of high quality organic bread wheat in New England

Oat Variety Trial Report

Oats (Avena sativa L.) have a long history of production in the Northeast. Although most oats are planted for a cover crop or hay, grain oats are a potential revenue source for farmers. According to the 2007 census, about 200 acres of land in Vermont is cultivated for oat grain production, with an average yield of 1747 lbs per acre. With the exception of hull-less varieties, oats need to be de-hulled before being used for human consumption and further processing is required to make oatmeal, steel cut oats or oat flour. Since 2009, the University of Vermont Extension has conducted oat variety trials to provide yield comparisons in Vermont’s climate. Varietal selection is one of the most important aspects of crop production and significantly influences yield potential. It is important to remember, however, that the data presented are from replicated research trials from only one location in Vermont and represent only one season. The goal of this project was to evaluate yields and protein of ten oat varieties

Vermont Organic Silage Corn Performance Trial Results

In 2013, the University of Vermont Extension conducted an organic silage corn variety trial. The purpose of the study was to provide unbiased performance comparisons of commercially available organic silage corn varieties. It is important to remember, however, that the data presented are from a replicated research trial from only one location in Vermont and represent only one season. The 2013 growing season was a challenging season for corn production and hence the results were less than favorable. However varieties that were able to thrive in these adverse conditions would likely be varieties that could produce well in a variety of conditions. Crop performance data from additional tests in different locations and over several years should be compared before making varietal selections

Enhancing Forages with Nutrient Dense Sprays 2013 Trials

The nutrient dense study was continued at two locations in Vermont during the 2013 growing season to evaluate the efficacy of amending forages with foliar sprays. The nutrient spray program was developed by Advancing Eco-Agriculture and consisted of five foliar sprays for the farms in this study. The recommended spray program included applications of Rejuvenate in the early spring and late fall, and a combination of PhotoMag, Phosphorus, Potassium and MicroPak applied in the spring and after each cut of hay or graze (Table 1). This study was conducted based on farmer interest in enhancing nutrient density of forages through foliar sprays and was funded by the Lattner Foundation. Any reference to commercial products, trade names or brand names is for information only, and no endorsement or approval is intended

Corn Interseeding Trial

Growing a cover crop can enhance nutrient cycling and soil health while reducing soil erosion. However, getting cover crops established in corn silage systems has historically been problematic for Northeast growers due to the length of the growing season. Commonly, corn silage is harvested mid-September through mid-October. This leaves little time to get a cover crop planted and adequately established before going into the winter. This late planting also limits the number of species of cover crops that can be grown. Interseeding cover crops into the corn crop just prior to canopy would allow for earlier establishment and potentially a broader diversity. This project evaluated interseeding 3 species of cover crops into corn silage at the V6 stage of development (just prior to canopy closure) with a specialized piece of equipment developed by Penn State University

Cover Crop Planting Date x Seeding Rate Trial

When corn silage is harvested in the fall, the entire plant is removed, leaving the soil exposed through the winter. Many farmers have started to plant cover crops following corn harvest because of the multitude of benefits cover cropping brings to soil health and fertility. The cover crop protects the soil from erosion, adds organic matter, and also scavenges excess soil nitrogen (N), releasing it again after cover crops are terminated in the spring. This keeps the nitrogen from potentially being lost through leaching, which, in addition to the soil benefits, provides a financial benefit to farmers – less nitrogen loss means less fertilizer needed in the spring. Farmers have asked about best practices for growing cover crops to maximize benefit to the soil, while protecting corn silage yield and quality. In particular, establishing a “last chance” planting date for cover crops is important in our region where the growing season is short and common adverse fall weather can delay planting. This study was intended to determine what planting dates and which seeding rates give the best cover crop performance

Summer Annual Variety Trial

Warm season grasses, such as sorghums, sudangrass, crosses, and millets are high-yielding summer annuals that can provide quality forage in the hot summer months, when cool season grasses are not as productive. The addition of summer annuals into a rotation can provide a harvest of high-quality forage for stored feed or grazing. Generally, summer annuals germinate quickly, grow rapidly, are drought resistant, and have high productivity and flexibility in utilization. However, it is important to know the challenges of growing summer annuals, including the high cost of annual establishment, increased risk of stand failure due to variable weather, and the risk of toxic levels of nitrates and prussic acid in sorghum and sudangrass crops. UVM Extension conducted this variety trial to evaluate the yield and quality of warm season annual grasses

Sunflower Variety Trial

Sunflowers are being grown in the Northeast for their potential to add value to a diversified operation as fuel, feed, fertilizer, and an important rotational crop. The major sunflower production areas are in the northern Great Plains, so seed production and agronomic management guidelines generally come from this region. Identifying varieties of sunflower that will perform well in Vermont’s particular climate is essential to viable crop production. With this in mind, UVM Extension’s Northwest Crops and Soils Program have been evaluating sunflower varieties for their performance in our microclimate

The Effects of Topdressing Nitrogen on Hard Red Winter Wheat

The demand for local organic food is steadily increasing throughout Vermont and New England. Consumers are asking for bread baked with locally grown wheat; however, bakers have been slow to incorporate local wheat flour because of the challenges associated with obtaining grains that consistently meet bread-baking standards. Addressing the quality issue is essential for expanding the bread flour market in the northeast. One of the major quality factors facing Vermont grain producers is protein content. Much of the winter wheat currently produced in Vermont has protein levels below what most commercial mills would consider suitable for flour production. Commercial mills prefer to buy wheat with crude protein (CP) concentrations of 12-15%. Higher protein levels generally improve baking characteristics. In 2012, the University of Vermont Extension established a trial at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT to evaluate if winter wheat yield and protein could be improved by topdressing with different split N applications at key developmental stages