Nutrient management on the Lincoln University dairy farm: "nutrient budgeting for efficient production"

Nutrient management plays an important role in any dairy farming system. Soil fertility status and fertiliser inputs are key drivers of pasture and animal production, whilst fertiliser represents a significant annual cost to the farm. At the same time, intensive agricultural systems also face the challenge of minimising or reducing nutrient loss in order to maintain environmental quality. Therefore 'best practice' may involve nutrient management in terms of balancing production, economic, environmental and efficiency goals. With ever increasing regulation and compliance requirements for the New Zealand farmer, best practice nutrient management will play an increasingly important role in achieving long term sustainability of the farming system. This paper gives an overview of the use of nutrient budgeting as a method of effective and efficient on-farm nutrient management. The paper will focus on nutrient management on the Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF), including soil fertility monitoring and targets, the decision making process and the use of the nutrient budget output. Aspects of environmental research on the LUDF will also be discussed, including the quantification of nitrogen (N) losses, and results from research into nitrogen loss mitigation technology (eco-n nitrification inhibitor)

A Prototype for the PASS Permanent All Sky Survey

A prototype system for the Permanent All Sky Survey (PASS) project is presented. PASS is a continuous photometric survey of the entire celestial sphere with a high temporal resolution. Its major objectives are the detection of all giant-planet transits (with periods up to some weeks) across stars up to mag 10.5, and to deliver continuously photometry that is useful for the study of any variable stars. The prototype is based on CCD cameras with short focal length optics on a fixed mount. A small dome to house it at Teide Observatory, Tenerife, is currently being constructed. A placement at the antarctic Dome C is also being considered. The prototype will be used for a feasibility study of PASS, to define the best observing strategies, and to perform a detailed characterization of the capabilities and scope of the survey. Afterwards, a first partial sky surveying will be started with it. That first survey may be able to detect transiting planets during its first few hundred hours of operation. It will also deliver a data set around which software modules dealing with the various scientific objectives of PASS will be developed. The PASS project is still in its early phase and teams interested in specific scientific objectives, in providing technical expertise, or in participating with own observations are invited to collaborate.Comment: Accepted for Astronomische Nachrichten (special issue for 3rd Potsdam Thinkshop 'Robotic Astronomy' in July 2004). 4 pages, 4 fig

Protein-polymer nano-machines. Towards synthetic control of biological processes

The exploitation of nature's machinery at length scales below the dimensions of a cell is an exciting challenge for biologists, chemists and physicists, while advances in our understanding of these biological motifs are now providing an opportunity to develop real single molecule devices for technological applications. Single molecule studies are already well advanced and biological molecular motors are being used to guide the design of nano-scale machines. However, controlling the specific functions of these devices in biological systems under changing conditions is difficult. In this review we describe the principles underlying the development of a molecular motor with numerous potential applications in nanotechnology and the use of specific synthetic polymers as prototypic molecular switches for control of the motor function. The molecular motor is a derivative of a TypeI Restriction-Modification (R-M) enzyme and the synthetic polymer is drawn from the class of materials that exhibit a temperature-dependent phase transition. The potential exploitation of single molecules as functional devices has been heralded as the dawn of new era in biotechnology and medicine. It is not surprising, therefore, that the efforts of numerous multidisciplinary teams [1,2]. have been focused in attempts to develop these systems. as machines capable of functioning at the low sub-micron and nanometre length-scales [3]. However, one of the obstacles for the practical application of single molecule devices is the lack of functional control methods in biological media, under changing conditions. In this review we describe the conceptual basis for a molecular motor (a derivative of a TypeI Restriction-Modification enzyme) with numerous potential applications in nanotechnology and the use of specific synthetic polymers as prototypic molecular switches for controlling the motor function [4]

Implicit moral evaluations: A multinomial modeling approach

Implicit moral evaluations-i.e., immediate, unintentional assessments of the wrongness of actions or persons-play a central role in supporting moral behavior in everyday life. Yet little research has employed methods that rigorously measure individual differences in implicit moral evaluations. In five experiments, we develop a new sequential priming measure-the Moral Categorization Task-and a multinomial model that decomposes judgment on this task into multiple component processes. These include implicit moral evaluations of moral transgression primes (Unintentional Judgment), accurate moral judgments about target actions (Intentional Judgment), and a directional tendency to judge actions as morally wrong (Response Bias). Speeded response deadlines reduced Intentional Judgment but not Unintentional Judgment (Experiment 1). Unintentional Judgment was stronger toward moral transgression primes than non-moral negative primes (Experiments 2-4). Intentional Judgment was associated with increased error-related negativity, a neurophysiological indicator of behavioral control (Experiment 4). Finally, people who voted for an anti-gay marriage amendment had stronger Unintentional Judgment toward gay marriage primes (Experiment 5). Across Experiments 1-4, implicit moral evaluations converged with moral personality: Unintentional Judgment about wrong primes, but not negative primes, was negatively associated with psychopathic tendencies and positively associated with moral identity and guilt proneness. Theoretical and practical applications of formal modeling for moral psychology are discussed

Engaging National Guard and Reserve Families in Research

This study’s goal was to identify how to increase National Guard and Reserve military family participation in research. Compared to Active Duty, families of National Guard and Reserve members are more geographically dispersed and less connected to a military base which can prove problematic for research recruitment and participation. We conducted a focus group study with Service Members and spouses (N = 14) to ascertain their perspectives on (a) whether National Guard and Reserve families would be interested in participating in research studies, (b) potential effective strategies for recruitment, (c) ideal data collection procedures, and (d) how to retain these families in longitudinal studies. Information provided in the focus groups was assessed using open and axial coding for themes. The majority of participants indicated that National Guard and Reserve families would be interested and willing to participate in research. Participants delineated several perceived participation barriers, however. The most-cited obstacles were time constraints and limited proximity to research study locations. Service Members and spouses were unanimous in their noted preference for internet surveys and indicated that researchers need to build relationships with potential participants, particularly if they intend to retain military families in longitudinal studies

SuperWASP: Wide Angle Search for Planets

SuperWASP is a fully robotic, ultra-wide angle survey for planetary transits. Currently under construction, it will consist of 5 cameras, each monitoring a 9.5 x 9.5 deg field of view. The Torus mount and enclosure will be fully automated and linked to a built-in weather station. We aim to begin observations at the beginning of 2003.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to be published in proceedings of "Scientific Frontiers in Research on Extrasolar Planets

Confirmation of co-denitrification in grazed grassland

Pasture-based livestock systems are often associated with losses of reactive forms of nitrogen (N) to the environment. Research has focused on losses to air and water due to the health, economic and environmental impacts of reactive N. Di-nitrogen (N₂) emissions are still poorly characterized, both in terms of the processes involved and their magnitude, due to financial and methodological constraints. Relatively few studies have focused on quantifying N₂ losses in vivo and fewer still have examined the relative contribution of the different N₂ emission processes, particularly in grazed pastures. We used a combination of a high ¹⁵N isotopic enrichment of applied N with a high precision of determination of ¹⁵N isotopic enrichment by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry to measure N₂ emissions in the field. We report that 55.8 g N m⁻² (95%, CI 38 to 77 g m⁻²) was emitted as N₂ by the process of co-denitrification in pastoral soils over 123 days following urine deposition (100 g N m⁻²), compared to only 1.1 g N m⁻² (0.4 to 2.8 g m⁻²) from denitrification. This study provides strong evidence for co-denitrification as a major N₂ production pathway, which has significant implications for understanding the N budgets of pastoral ecosystems

The efficacy of good practice to prevent long-term leaching losses of phosphorus from an irrigated dairy farm

Phosphorus (P) can be leached from intensive land uses, including grazed dairy farming. There is some evidence to suggest that P-leaching can enrich groundwater, especially where fertiliser or farm dairy effluent P (FDE) is applied to soils of low sorption capacity. We measured P fractions in leachate at 70 cm depth from two soils of low-P sorption capacity in an intensively grazed dairy farm, one a free-draining shallow soil and another a deep and moderately well-drained soil. As per industry good practice, the soils were maintained at an agronomic optimum and received P as either fertiliser or a lower rate of fertiliser plus FDE, applied according to regional rules and industry guidelines to avoid the FDE ponding on the soil surface and leaching to depth. Our hypothesis was that rules and guidelines were not sufficient to prevent P losses, especially in the free-draining soil. In response to annual applications of 40 kg P ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ as fertiliser or 30 kg P ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ as fertiliser and 10 kg P ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ as FDE, dissolved and particulate P concentrations increased annually 4 to 7%. Mean total P load over the 14-yr period of measurement (2001–2015) from the FDE-treated, free-draining shallow soil was 1.46 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, much greater than the same soil without FDE (0.25 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) or the moderately well-drained soil with or without FDE applied (0.12 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, for both treatments). Leaching losses were attributed to a combination of high hydraulic conductivity enhanced by the presence of macropores and the increasing P saturation of macropore walls. An enrichment in dissolved reactive P was also detected in a well intercepting groundwater at 10-m depth. However, the source of the enrichment was unclear. These data suggest that despite following industry good practice, regional rules and industry guidelines significant P losses may occur when FDE is applied to soil at rates designed to maintain soil Olsen P in an agronomically optimal concentration. It is unclear if applying less FDE at lower rate, would decrease P losses. Therefore, less P must be applied, made less available for loss, or P-rich FDE not applied to this freely draining shallow stony soil (or similar soils) under irrigation