Effects of Field Pea Usage in Growing and Finishing Diets for Beef Cattle

The value of field peas (FP) as a feedstuff has not been thoroughly assessed and compared to other feeds, such as corn, to better establish an economic value. Field peas are characterized by a high CP content (23-26%), a large portion (80%) being rumen degradable protein (RDP), and containing almost a third less starch (31-40%) than corn. Three research trials were performed to better understand the value of FP as a grazing supplement, finishing diet component, and any effects on digestion. Experiment 1 assessed the value of FP as a grazing supplement compared to corn. Grazing was followed by a finishing period with or without FP inclusion at 20% (DM basis). Cattle supplemented FP on pasture had greater ending BW and ADG than those cattle that were not supplemented and lower gains than those cattle supplemented a mixture of DRC, solubles and urea. Finishing performance and carcass characteristics were similar across treatments other than those cattle that were not supplemented on pasture experienced compensatory gain during finishing through increased ADG and G:F. Two digestion trials were conducted to compare FP to corn in high forage diets and to assess rumen undegradable protein (RUP) of FP. In Exp. 1 cattle were fed either a high (HQ) or low quality (LQ) forage with no supplement (CON), supplemented with FP (PEAS), or supplemented with dry-rolled corn, solubles, urea mixture (CORN) at 0.43% of BW (DM basis). Field peas increased DMI, DM digestibility, OMI, OM digestibility, and NDF digestibility when measured at 24 hours in situ. Feeding FP resulted in VFA concentrations similar to the CON treatment. In Exp. 2, FP were ruminally and duodenally incubated to evaluate RUP content and digestibility. Results show that the specific field peas that were evaluated ranged in CP content from 22 – 26.5% with an RUP content that was significantly affected by rumen incubation duration. As rumen incubation time increased, RUP content decreased. Digestibility of RUP of FP ranged from 97.4 – 98.9%. These studies suggest that if appropriately priced, FP would be a viable option for grazing supplementation or inclusion in finishing diets. Advisors: Karla Jenkins and James MacDonal

Alternator and voltage regulator-exciter for a Brayton cycle space power system. Volume 2 - Unbalanced electromagnetic forces

Unbalanced electromagnetic forces in Brayton cycle turboalternator for space power syste

Examining Associations Between Infant Temperament, Parental Competence, and Family Resources and Their Effects on Parental Sensitivity

A sensitive parent-child relationship is essential in ensuring the healthy mental and physical development of an individual. Parental sensitivity can be affected by parent characteristics, such parental competence and resources as well as child characteristics, such as negative reactivity. The combination of how these parent and infant factors predict parental sensitivity has not been examined with both mothers and fathers. The current study involved 30, 4-month old infants and their mothers and fathers. Parents completed questionnaires measuring infant temperament and parental competence. They also participated in a demographic interview to measure family resources, as well as a dyadic parent-infant face-to-face play task to measure parental sensitivity. Results involving mothers indicated a moderating effect of infant temperament (e.g., negative reactivity) on the associations between parental competence (e.g., self-efficacy) and parental sensitivity. Whereas for fathers, results indicated significant main effects of infant temperament (e.g., orienting) and parental competence (e.g., self-efficacy) on parental sensitivity. The current study gives evidence and support that it is a combination of both parent characteristics and infant characteristics that affects parental sensitivity. However, this combination of characteristics is different for mothers and fathers, indicating that different factors play a part in parenting behaviors for mothers and fathers

Novel Approaches to Developing On-Farm Biomass Production Systems

Energy security and climate change are issues facing many countries today. Finding clean, renewable fuel sources has provided a challenge to look beyond the obvious and search for new ways to use old resources. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm season grass native to many parts of the United States. In 2007, the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture started a collaborative project with the UK Cooperative Extension, farmers in northern Kentucky, Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council and East Kentucky Power Cooperative to explore and demonstrate how switchgrass can be grown, harvested and utilized in an economical and environmentally friendly way (Greenwell 2012a,b). This pilot project was funded by the KY Agricultural Development Fund and successfully established 60 ha of switchgrass between 2007-2011 and produced \u3e 500 t of biomass that was combusted for electricity production. Switchgrass was chosen as the biomass crop of choice for this area for a variety of reasons. It can be grown on marginal soils that are not well suited to row crops. It produces high yields with relatively low inputs and can be harvested with equipment that is common on typical US farms. Because it is a native grass, there is little concern of it becoming invasive and it provides wildlife habitat for local animal species. Additionally, when harvested at a vegetative stage, it produces high quality forage

Effects of Field Pea Supplementation on Digestibility and Rumen Volatile Fatty Acid Concentration of Diets Containing High and Low Quality Forages

Five ruminally cannulated steers were used to evaluate the effects of supplementation (no supplement, field peas, or dry rolled corn; 0.43% BW) with high and low quality forages on diet digestibility and rumen volatile fatty acid concentrations. Th e inclusion of field peas increased dry matter intake and organic matter digestibility over dry rolled corn and unsupplemented steers. Propionate proportions were less for field peas and control treatments than dry rolled corn, while acetate proportions increased in field peas, and control treatments as compared to dry rolled corn. As a result, acetate to propionate ratio was reduced when dry rolled corn was supplemented. Inclusion of field peas alters the volatile fatty acid concentrations, increases dry matter intake, and improves organic matter digestibility when supplemented to forage fed steers

Heterogeneous ketonic decarboxylation of dodecanoic acid: studying reaction parameters

Ketonic decarboxylation has gained significant attention in recent years as a pathway to reduce the oxygen content within biomass-derived oils, and to produce sustainable ketones. The reaction is base catalysed, with MgO an economic, accessible and highly basic heterogeneous catalyst. Here we use MgO to catalyse the ketonic decarboxylation of dodecanoic acid to form 12-tricosanone at moderate temperatures (250 °C, 280 °C and 300 °C) with low catalyst loads of 1% (w/w), 3% (w/w) and 5% (w/w) with respect to the dodecanoic acid, with a reaction time of 1 hour under batch conditions. Three different particle sizes for the MgO were tested (50 nm, 100 nm and 44 μm). Ketone yield was found to increase with increasing reaction temperature, reaching approximately 75% yield for all the samples tested. Temperature was found to be the main control on reaction yield, rather than surface area or particle size