Whole-Farm Nutrient Mass Balance Benchmarks for New York Dairies

This information was presented at the 2014 Cornell Nutrition Conference for Feed Manufacturers, organized by the Department of Animal Science In the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. Softcover copies of the entire conference proceedings may be purchased at http://ansci.cals.cornell.edu/extension-outreach/adult-extension/dairy-management/order-proceedings-resources or by calling (607)255-4285

State, Regional and Farm-Scale Nutrient Balances: Tools for Enhanced Efficiency of Whole-Farm Nutrient Use

This information was presented at the 2012 NEDPA Conference, organized by the PRO-DAIRY program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. The Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA) Conference is designed for producers and agriservice professionals to interact and relate to the latest thinking and issues in the dairy industry. Softcover copies of the entire conference proceedings may be purchased at http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/dm/proceedings_orders.html or by calling (607) 255-4285

Effects of earthworms on soil aggregate stability and carbon and nitrogen storage in a legume cover crop agroecosystem.

We investigated the effects of earthworms on soil aggregate size-distribution, water-stability, and the distribution of total C and N among aggregates of different sizes. Earthworm populations were experimentally manipulated (reduced, unaltered or increased) in field enclosures cropped to soybean (Glycine max). Soil samples were collected and sieved (10 mm) field-moist, then air-dried and re-sieved to obtain dry-sieved aggregates (DSA) of six size classes. The percentage water-stable aggregates (WSA) in each size class was determined by wet-sieving DSA. There was no effect of earthworm manipulations on the depth-distribution of total soil C and N or the distribution of DSA of different size classes. In the earthworm addition treatment, DSA in 1-2, 2-4 and 4-10 mm size classes contained more WSA than DSA of the same size class from the unaltered earthworm treatments. WSA had higher C and N contents than DSA of the same size class. Our results suggest that earthworm activity can increase soil structure stability and the storage of soil C and N in large WSA

Slash-and-burn as land clearing method for rubber smallholders in Sepunggur, Jambi Province, Sumatera, Indonesia : Results of a social/economic/agronomic/survey

The search for alternatives to slash-and-bum agriculture and slash-and-bum as a land clearing method requires an in-depth knowledge on and diagnosis of the problems that rise with the present management system. A social / economic / agronomic survey on slash-and-burn as a land clearing method (S&B-Survey) was conducted among 30 rubber smallholders in the Sepunggur area, Jainbi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Objectives of this survey are: 1) to characterize slash-and-burn techniques; 2) to characterize farmers' perspectives on the land clearing methods related to agronomic aspects (soil fertility, plant growth, production), and 3) to evaluate the importance of and alternatives for slash-and-burn as a land clearing system to smallholders and at community level at present and in the near future. In this paper we present the results of this survey. (Résumé d'auteur