1954 South Dakota Corn Performance Tests

As in previous years corn yield trial were conducted by the Agronomy Department of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. Results of these trials supply farmers and ranchers with current information on popular hybrids being grown extensively in the various agricultural areas of the state. The trials were replicated plots planted and harvested in an accepted procedure with an unbiased analysis of the data. Methods used in selection of entries, planting, harvesting, and analyzing will be presented under separate headings

South Dakota Corn Performance Tests, 1955

As in previous years corn yield trials were conducted by the Agronomy Department of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. Results of these trials supply farmers and ranchers with current information on popular hybrids being grown extensively in the various agricultural areas of the state. The trials were replicated plots planted and harvested in an accepted procedure with an unbiased analysis made of the data. Methods used in selection of entries, planting, harvesting, and analyzing will be presented under separate headings. Yields of hybrids within the trials of 1955 reflect the relative performing ability of the entries during a season which had below normal rainfall for all areas except Highmore and Watertown. Cottonwood had a total growing season precipitation slightly above normal, however all months except September were below normal. The heavy rains in September were too late to affect the already drought damaged com. Temperatures were all above normal, with a range of 1.2 degrees above normal for the growing season at Newell to a maximum of 3.8 degrees above normal at Tyndall. The extreme above normal temperatures occurred during July and August in most areas-a time when there was a deficiency in rainfall. Yields from all trials except those at the Highmore substation and on the Korth farm north of Watertown were below average. Frost occurred on September 11 at all areas except Newell, Cottonwood, Watertown, Sioux Falls, and Vermillion. This early frost date may have contributed, along with the drought and high temperatures, to the low yields and poor quality of most varieties in the tests. Harvesting of the plots in all areas was completed during October. Results of these trials are presented in the tables that follow

South Dakota Corn Performance Tests, 1957

Yield trials on those corn hybrids currently most popular among farmers are conducted each year by the Agronomy Department of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. The purpose is to supply farmers and ranchers with information on the relative performing ability of the various hybrids when they are subjected to similar environmental conditions such as rainfall, soil moisture, and fertility level. Such information, when used as a guide in selecting hybrids for planting, can aid the farmer in obtaining maximum yields under his field conditions. In 1957, 14 tests were planted throughout South Dakota. Each contained from 20 to 40 entries planted in replicated plots. Yields, moisture percentages at harvest, and in some cases lodging, were obtained and are presented in the tables in this publication. Most areas of the state entered the 1957 season with extremely low reserves of subsoil moisture. Above normal rainfall over most of the state during the months of April, May, and June supplied adequate moisture for abundant growth of corn. There were only two stations, Brookings and Vermillion, which were below normal moisture for the entire growing season. Highmore and Cottonwood were considerably above normal with a plus 8.67 and 7.42 inches for the growing season, respectively. Although adequate moisture was available, corn was retarded in germination and early growth by low temperatures. All areas in which test plots were grown had below normal temperatures for April, May, and June. This below normal temperature was greatest at Vale during May when this station reported an average departure from normal of a minus 4.6 degrees, while Brookings rep01ted an average minus departure of 4.5 degrees for June. July temperatures were near normal, or slightly below, over most of the state; however, the temperatures dropped in August and September so that all stations rep01ted minus departures from normal for both months. The greatest departures were minus 7.5 and 5.2 degrees at Vermillion and Menno, respectively, during September. The low temperatures during August, September, and October resulted in slow maturing of the corn crop over the entire state. Frost held off until into October in many areas. This lack of a killing frost coupled with the low temperatures caused the corn crop to dry slowly. Many fields of corn were picked too wet for cribbing, and considerable corn was still in the field in December at which time kernels on some of the ears of varieties that were of a long season maturity for the area were turning brown while still on the stalk. The moisture content of all test plots harvested was considerably above long time averages. Late maturing hybrids, though producing more weight at harvest time in each test, were carrying so much moisture it would have required ultimate artificial drying to have cribbed such varieties. This year\u27s results would seem to indicate farmers should use extreme care in selecting a hybrid which is adapted to their length of growing season, and refrain from using those hybrids which require excessive length of season to produce cribbable corn

South Dakota Corn Performance Tests, 1952

Corn yield trials were conducted in 1952 by the Agronomy Department of the South Dakota Experiment Station to supply farmers with up to date information on popular hybrids which are planted extensively in the various agricultural areas of the state. The information obtained from the 1952 yield trials reflects the relative performing ability of the hybrids in a season having a deficiency of moisture during the later part. Temperatures for the season averaged close to normal, or slightly above, throughout the state. However, in most areas there was a deficiency of moisture the later part of the growing season. This deficiency of moisture, plus a warm late fall, resulted in well matured corn of low moisture content for most areas. The results are presented in the tables which follow

South Dakota Corn Performance Tests, 1956

Yield trials on those corn hybrids currently most popular among farmers are conducted each year by the Agronomy Department of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. The purpose is to supply farmers and ranchers with information on the relative performing ability of the various hybrids when they are subjected to similar environmental conditions such as rainfall, soil moisture, and fertility level. Such information, when used as a guide in selecting hybrids for planting, can aid the farmer in obtaining maximum yields under his field conditions. In 1956, fourteen tests were planted throughout South Dakota. Each contained from 20 to 40 entries planted in replicated plots. Yields, moisture percentages at harvest, and in some cases lodging and dropped ears, were obtained and are presented in the tables in this publication. Most areas of the state entered the 1956 season with low reserves of subsoil moisture. Temperatures approached long time averages in May but June was exceedingly warm at all locations, averaging several degrees above normal. Rapid and succulent early growth of corn resulted. This, coupled with severe drought conditions throughout the season caused an extremely poor corn crop in the usually productive southeastern part of the state, even though July and August were unusual in that their temperatures were below those of June. Elsewhere in the state, such as at Brookings and Watertown, above average rainfall in July and August, coupled with the relatively cool temperatures, resulted in excellent yields of corn in spite of the low springtime soil reserves. An early frost on September 6 killed the corn prematurely in some areas, such as the test at Claremont. This, coupled with high winds during much of September and October, caused a great deal of stalk lodging and dropped ears by the time the trials were harvested

Photovoltaic module performance and durability following long-term field exposure

Our investigations of both new and field-aged photovoltaic modules have indicated that, in general, today's commercially available modules area highly reliable product. However, by using new test procedures, subtle failure mechanisms have also been identified that must be addressed in order to achieve 30-year module lifetimes. This paper summarizes diagnostic test procedures, results, and implications of in-depth investigations of the performance and durability characteristics of commercial modules after long-term field exposure. A collaborative effort with U.S. module manufacturers aimed at achieving 30-year module lifetimes is also described

Jerk, snap, and the cosmological equation of state

Taylor expanding the cosmological equation of state around the current epoch is the simplest model one can consider that does not make any a priori restrictions on the nature of the cosmological fluid. Most popular cosmological models attempt to be ``predictive'', in the sense that once somea priori equation of state is chosen the Friedmann equations are used to determine the evolution of the FRW scale factor a(t). In contrast, a retrodictive approach might usefully take observational dataconcerning the scale factor, and use the Friedmann equations to infer an observed cosmological equation of state. In particular, the value and derivatives of the scale factor determined at the current epoch place constraints on the value and derivatives of the cosmological equation of state at the current epoch. Determining the first three Taylor coefficients of the equation of state at the current epoch requires a measurement of the deceleration, jerk, and snap -- the second, third, and fourth derivatives of the scale factor with respect to time. Higher-order Taylor coefficients in the equation of state are related to higher-order time derivatives of the scale factor. Since the jerk and snap are rather difficult to measure, being related to the third and fourth terms in the Taylor series expansion of the Hubble law, it becomes clear why direct observational constraints on the cosmological equation of state are so relatively weak; and are likely to remain weak for the foreseeable future.Comment: V1: 10 pages; uses iopart.cls setstack.sty V2: six additional references, some clarifying comments and discussion, no physics changes. V3: significant additions based on community feedback; explicit calculations now carried out to fourth order in redshift. V4: Discussion of current observational situation added. This version accepted for publication in Classical and Quantum Gravity. Now 15 page

Testing the Cosmological Constant as a Candidate for Dark Energy

It may be difficult to single out the best model of dark energy on the basis of the existing and planned cosmological observations, because many different models can lead to similar observational consequences. However, each particular model can be studied and either found consistent with observations or ruled out. In this paper, we concentrate on the possibility to test and rule out the simplest and by far the most popular of the models of dark energy, the theory described by general relativity with positive vacuum energy (the cosmological constant). We evaluate the conditions under which this model could be ruled out by the future observations made by the Supernova/Acceleration Probe SNAP (both for supernovae and weak lensing) and by the Planck Surveyor cosmic microwave background satellite.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, revtex

The Holographic Model of Dark Energy and Thermodynamics of Non-Flat Accelerated Expanding Universe

Motivated by recent results on non-vanishing spatial curvature \cite{curve} we employ the holographic model of dark energy to investigate the validity of first and second laws of thermodynamics in non-flat (closed) universe enclosed by apparent horizon $R_A$ and the event horizon measured from the sphere of horizon named $L$. We show that for the apparent horizon the first law is roughly respected for different epochs while the second laws of thermodynamics is respected while for $L$ as the system's IR cut-off first law is broken down and second law is respected for special range of deceleration parameter. It is also shown that at late-time universe $L$ is equal to $R_A$ and the thermodynamic laws are hold, when the universe has non-vanishing curvature. Defining the fluid temperature to be proportional to horizon temperature the range for coefficient of proportionality is obtained provided that the generalized second law of thermodynamics is hold.Comment: 12 pages, no figure, abstract and text extended, references added, accepted for publication in JCA

Effects of atomoxetine on growth in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder following up to five years of treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects on growth of long-term pharmacological treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we present findings from an ongoing 5-year study of the efficacy and safety of treatment with atomoxetine. METHODS: North American patients, 6-17 years old at study entry (N = 1,312) and with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,4th edition (DSM-IV) ADHD, were studied under open-label atomoxetine treatment. Sixty-one were studied up to 5 years. RESULTS: After 1 month\u27s treatment, patients weighed less than expected from their starting percentiles relative to population norms, with a maximum shortfall at 15 months and a return to expected weight by 36 months. Patients were slightly shorter than expected after 12 months, reaching a maximum shortfall at 18 months and returning to expected height by 24 months. Patients in the top quartile for body mass index (BMI) or weight at baseline, and those in the third quartile for height, showed 5-year decreases from expected values. Those below median height at baseline showed increases relative to expected values. CONCLUSIONS: These interim results indicate that continuous atomoxetine treatment for up to 5 years has little or no long-term effect on juvenile growth and final stature for most patients, although persistent decreases from expected may occur in some patients who are larger than average before treatment