Chemical control of Poa trivialis on New Zealand racetracks : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science at Massey University

Poa trivialis is a perennial grass weed commonly found in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) racetrack swards throughout New Zealand. Its presence is undesirable as it does not tolerate high wear and is susceptible to dying out over the summer. Two pot trials at Massey University and one field trial carried out at the Awapuni racecourse were conducted during winter and spring 1995 to test the relative susceptibility of Poa trivialis and perennial ryegrass to a wide range of herbicides. A bioassay was also conducted to determine whether herbicide residues from the field trial could affect the germination of perennial ryegrass seed sown soon after treatment. Results showed that none of the chemicals at their chosen respective rates could completely remove Poa trivialis from a racetrack sward in the spring without some damage being caused to perennial ryegrass. Propyzamide and fenoxaprop at rates of 0.2 and 0.15 kg/ha respectively showed the most potential of the chemicals, severely damaging Poa trivialis (causing 50 to 75% reductions) with no adverse effect on perennial ryegrass 8 weeks after spraying. Propyzamide can also provide some control of Poa annua. Fenoxaprop was not improved by increasing the application rate or adding an oil. The performance of fenoxaprop was substantially reduced when applied with either MCPA or a picloram/triclopyr mix. Dalapon and asulam showed good potential to control Poa trivialis but at the high rates tested caused variable or harmful effects to perennial ryegrass. Ethofumesate and chlorpropham applied at rates of 2.0 and 2.5 kg/ha respectively gave inadequate control of Poa trivialis. None of the above herbicides, when used in the field trial resulted in residues which reduced the germination of perennial ryegrass seed sown 3 weeks after spraying. Herbicides tested in the pot trials which showed poor control of Poa trivialis were atrazine, dicamba, isoproturon/diflufenican, linuron, mecoprop, methabenzthiazuron, metsulfuron, pendimethalin, prometryne, thifensulfuron-methyl, triclopyr, and trinexapac-ethyl. Diuron applied at 2.6 kg/ha provided good control of Poa trivialis but caused significant damage to perennial ryegrass. It is concluded that an integrated management approach that incorporates both cultural and chemical techniques will be required to control Poa trivialis on New Zealand racetracks. Future trial work should be carried out on propyzamide applied at rates of 0.2-0.3 kg/ha in autumn to establish the most appropriate time of year to apply this herbicide

“Wire” Circuit Courts Split on Cable Piracy: The Fifth Circuit Examines Federal Telecommunications Law in \u3cem\u3eJ&J Sports Productions, Inc. v. Mandell Family Ventures\u3c/em\u3e

On May 2, 2014, in J&J Sports Productions, Inc. v. Mandell Family Ventures, LLC, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit overturned the lower court’s decision and held that section 605 of the Communications Act of 1934 does not apply to the unauthorized reception of cable wire transmissions originating as radio communications. The Fifth Circuit joined the Seventh and Third Circuits in maintaining that section 553 of the Communications Act of 1934 exclusively regulates this unauthorized reception after analyzing the legislative history and congressional intent behind the federal regulation. The Second Circuit, alternatively, has ruled that section 605 does regulate such transmissions. This Comment argues that the Fifth Circuit’s interpretation of the Communications Act of 1934 is correct. To rule otherwise would unreasonably impose the obligation on customers to take the additional step to verify that their cable provider has a license to provide the cable program. Furthermore, to apply section 605 would irrationally limit section 553 to only the regulation of local cable providers

The role of leadership in a law enforcement organization’s morale

This research project digs into the idea of what leadership styles are like in law enforcement and military organizations, and what can be done to improve morale. At the same time it looks at the connection between leadership style and communication, and the connection between those to morale. Academic literature has shown employee job satisfaction and morale is connected to leadership styles, and that the more communication there is from leadership, the more connected employees feel to their organization. Employees believe that the more involved a leader is in a policing organization, the more likely they are to trust in that leader’s ability and decision making. Learning more about leadership’s role in maintaining or improving morale should help future leaders maintain a positive workplace

Regulation of Political Signs in Private Homeowner Associations: A New Approach

The concept of the home as a zone of nearly unfettered individual liberty is one of the bedrock principles of American law and culture. Chief among the liberties safeguarded from governmental interference within this zone is freedom of speech, a liberty protected by the First Amendment. While the First Amendment prevents the government from infringing on an individual\u27s speech in many settings, its protection is especially strong in the home. As Justice Stevens wrote in City of Ladue v. Gilleo, any attempt by the government to prohibit certain forms of speech in the home is so antithetical to our common understanding of individual liberty that it is likely to arouse impassioned opposition. For millions of Americans, however, certain aspects of the protection that the First Amendment typically provides do not extend to their private residences because they live in a community governed by a homeowner association. In the name of property value and aesthetic coherence, many of these associations impose myriad restrictions on their member-homeowners. One common restriction prohibits the display of political signs on a homeowner\u27s private property. While such a regulation from a local municipality would clearly contravene the First Amendment, homeowner associations have not been held to this standard because of their legal status as private entities. Thus, by virtue of living in an association-governed community, millions of Americans have signed away their ability to display political signs on their property, one of the most significant acts of political speech commonly practiced across the nation. As communities governed by homeowner associations have proliferated in recent years, limitations on the display of political signs have alarmed scholars and homeowners alike and prompted a variety of responses from both groups. Some scholars argue that the status of homeowner associations as purely private entities is not so clear-cut. Given their expanding role in administering local communities and their prevalence in certain regions of the country, homeowner associations undeniably cast a shadow that extends beyond the private realm. Certain commentators characterize homeowner associations as quasi-governmental organization[s] and private governments. Courts, however, have been hesitant to label them as state actors and impose the full breadth of constitutional restrictions that normally attach to such actors

The impact of primary language support on the math skills of English language learners with learning disabilities

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of primary language support on the math skills of English learners with learning disabilities. Twelve EL learners with learning disabilities, ranging in age from 8-10, participated in this study. The experimental group received math instruction in Spanish for a five-week period, while the comparison group received their math instruction in English. Data indicated no significant difference between the groups at post-test. However, further analysis was completed that showed further research in the area of primary language support for math instruction for English learners with learning disabilities is needed

Revisiting the Temperature of the Diffuse ISM with CHESS Sounding Rocket Observations

Measuring the temperature and abundance patterns of clouds in the interstellar medium (ISM) provides an observational basis for models of the physical conditions within the clouds, which play an important role in studies of star and planet formation. The Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS) is a far ultraviolet rocket-borne instrument designed to study the atomic-to-molecular transitions within diffuse molecular and translucent cloud regions. The final two flights of the instrument observed $\beta^{1}$ Scorpii ($\beta$ Sco) and $\gamma$ Arae. We present flight results of interstellar molecular hydrogen (H$_{\rm 2}$) excitation on the sightlines, including measurements of the column densities and temperatures. These results are compared to previous values that were measured using the damping wings of low J$^{\prime \prime}$ H$_{\rm 2}$ absorption features (Savage et al. 1977). For $\beta$ Sco, we find that the derived column density of the J$^{\prime \prime}$ = 1 rotational level differs by a factor of 2-3 when compared to the previous observations. We discuss the discrepancies between the two measurements and show that the source of the difference is due to the opacity of higher rotational levels contributing to the J$^{\prime \prime}$ = 1 absorption wing, increasing the inferred column density in the previous work. We extend this analysis to 9 $Copernicus$ and 13 $FUSE$ spectra to explore the interdependence of the column densities of different rotational levels and how the H$_{\rm 2}$ kinetic temperature is influenced by these relationships. We find a revised average gas kinetic temperature of the diffuse molecular ISM of T$_{01}$ = 68 $\pm$ 13 K, 12% lower than the value found previously.Comment: 20 pages, 10 Figures, Accepted in Ap

Group Work Camp

The editorial to Vol. 26, No. 3 of Groupwork