A Method to Evaluate Seeder Performance

Evaluating in field seeder performance is challenging and sometimes requires destructive methods. An alternative method for evaluating seeder performance based on nonlinear regression was developed. This method yields parameters that describe seeder performance, such as emergence rate, initial emergence data, and emergence percent. These parameters are easy to explain to the practitioner. The proposed method was compared to a widely used method to assess emergence rate. Results assessing emergence percent were comparable between the two methods. There were differences between the emergence rate index and emergence rate determined from the proposed method. These differences were expected since the emergence rate index encompasses more information than simply the rate of emergence

Conflict and Astroturfing in Niyamgiri: The Importance of National Advocacy Networks in Anti-Corporate Social Movements

Traditional models of transnational advocacy networks (TANs) and stakeholder management do not capture the nuance and dynamics of (counter-)organising processes around anti-corporate mobilisation. Based on the case of a resistance movement against a planned bauxite mine on tribal land in India, we develop a process theory of interactions between local, national and international actors within transnational advocacy networks. These encounters are not always friendly and are often characterised by conflict between actors with disparate goals and interests. We highlight the importance of national advocacy networks (NANs) in anti-corporate social movements and describe the conflicts and disruptions that result from ignoring them. Our findings also point to the role of corporate counter-mobilisation strategies in shaping resistance movements. Our narrative revolves around a particular focal actor in the anti-mining campaign: a young tribal man who emerged as a passionate spokesperson of the movement, but later became a supporter of the controversial mine. Our findings contribute to a richer understanding of the processes underlying transnational and national anti-corporate mobilisation

Editorial: African women's struggles in a gender perspective

International audienc

Creating Convivial Affordances: a Study of Virtual World Social Movements

The study of technology and societal challenges is a growing area in information systems research. This paper explores how social movements can use virtual worlds to raise awareness or create safe spaces for their members. As social movements move into virtual worlds, the technical environment becomes more important. This paper presents an interpretive field study using netnographic research and empirical data from a study of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movement in World of Warcraft. This paper takes the position that an understanding of affordances is required for users to be able to create convivial outcomes to shape the use of virtual worlds for their own goals and intentions. The paper presents the concept of convivial affordances, which brings together the theories of affordances and conviviality, and suggests that social users can shape IT artefacts through a creative combination of affordances for their specific goals, and with community involvement

Biomass production of herbaceous energy crops in the United States: field trial results and yield potential maps from the multiyear regional feedstock partnership

Current knowledge of yield potential and best agronomic management practices for perennial bioenergy grasses is primarily derived from small-scale and short-term studies, yet these studies inform policy at the national scale. In an effort to learn more about how bioenergy grasses perform across multiple locations and years, the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE)/Sun Grant Initiative Regional Feedstock Partnership was initiated in 2008. The objectives of the Feedstock Partnership were to (1) provide a wide range of information for feedstock selection (species choice) and management practice options for a variety of regions and (2) develop national maps of potential feedstock yield for each of the herbaceous species evaluated. The Feedstock Partnership expands our previous understanding of the bioenergy potential of switchgrass, Miscanthus, sorghum, energycane, and prairie mixtures on Conservation Reserve Program land by conducting long-term, replicated trials of each species at diverse environments in the U.S. Trials were initiated between 2008 and 2010 and completed between 2012 and 2015 depending on species. Field-scale plots were utilized for switchgrass and Conservation Reserve Program trials to use traditional agricultural machinery. This is important as we know that the smaller scale studies often overestimated yield potential of some of these species. Insufficient vegetative propagules of energycane and Miscanthus prohibited farm-scale trials of these species. The Feedstock Partnership studies also confirmed that environmental differences across years and across sites had a large impact on biomass production. Nitrogen application had variable effects across feedstocks, but some nitrogen fertilizer generally had a positive effect. National yield potential maps were developed using PRISM-ELM for each species in the Feedstock Partnership. This manuscript, with the accompanying supplemental data, will be useful in making decisions about feedstock selection as well as agronomic practices across a wide region of the country

Utilization of dry distillers grains and charcoal as nitrogen fertilizer in corn

Citation: Shroyer, K. J., S. A. Staggenborg, and J. L. Propheter. “Utilization of Dry Distillers Grains and Charcoal as Nitrogen Fertilizer in Corn.” Agronomy Journal 103, no. 5 (2011): 1321–28. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2010.0447.Increasing bio-energy production will result in increased by-products which will need proper disposal methods to prevent economic and/or ecological problems. Land application has potential for disposal and/or nutrient cycling if these by-products have crop nutritive value. Our objective was to compare the fertilizer effects of two by-products of bio-energy production, dry distillers grains with solubles (DDGs) and charcoal with urea in corn (Zea mays L.) and evaluate nutrient uptake. Treatments were DDGs under no-till and tilled at four location-years and charcoal under no-till and tilled at three location-years. No-till urea was used as a baseline at all location-years. Nitrogen rates ranged from 0 to 180 kg N ha[superscript]−1. All materials were spring applied before tillage and planting. Corn yields for DDGs and urea were similar across tillage treatments and locations. Corn yields over all charcoal rates and tillage treatments were the same as 0 kg N ha[superscript]−1. The charcoal, because of immobilization or lack of decomposition, did not contribute to the corn N nutrition. Neither material showed any negative effects on the corn yields. Stalk N, P, K, and grain N followed expected trends and had few effects compared with those from urea. Land application of DDGs and charcoal has merit for disposal/N cycling with DDGs being preferred for its N contribution

Energy and cost for pelleting and transportation of select cellulosic biomass feedstocks for ethanol production

The current forage handling equipment in the cellulosic ethanol industry is severely limited by the low bulk density of baled and ground biomass. Low bulk density contributes to flowability problems and lack of maximizing trailer capacities. Biomass pelleting process can improve the bulk density and flowability characteristics of forages. The objectives of this research were to evaluate: (1) the energy requirements of grinding sorghum stalks, corn stover, wheat straw, and big bluestem through two different screen size openings, (2) the energy requirements of pelleting forages from the two grind sizes, (3) the physical properties of pelleted biomass, and (4) the costs associated with biomass processing, transportation, and storage. The two mill screen size openings (3.2 and 6.5 mm) were found to have significantly different energy consumptions for grinding step from each other. All four forage types, except for big bluestem and corn stover, were also found to have significantly different energy consumptions for grinding. Production rate through the 6.5 mm screen was almost three times higher than that of the 3.2 mm screen (average of 181.4 vs. 68 kg/h). Hammermill screen size opening (i.e., grind size) was found to have significant effects on energy consumption for pelleting process. The four forage types were also found to have significantly different energy consumptions from each other, except for big bluestem versus wheat straw (P=0.1192). Particle length for the 3.2 mm grind ranged from 0.15 to 0.18 cm, while the 6.5-mm grind ranged from 0.20 to 0.31 cm. Pelleting increased bulk density from 99.96 to 160.02 kg/m³ for raw biomass grinds to 499.30 to 701.13 kg/m³ for pelleted biomass. Pellet durability ranged from 93% to 98%. A cost analysis indicated that it would take roughly $22 extra per metric ton for the transportation, pre-processing, and storage of pelleted cellulosic biomass than corn grain. This cost is still almost half that of the cost for baled biomass