The Value of Grazed Corn Residue for Crop and Cattle Producers

The Western Corn Belt has historically been corn and wheat cropping systems with cattle integrated on nearby grasslands. Recent agricultural production data ranked Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, and North Dakota in the top 10 states for both corn and beef cattle production in the United States. In 2017, these four states had about 20% of the beef cow inventory in the United States with Nebraska alone having 1.9 million beef cows (USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2018). Forage-based livestock production is a fundamental component of these agricultural economies. However, a large quantity of grasslands in this region were converted into annual crops during the mid-2000s (Wright and Wimberly, 2013). To maintain the efciencies of beef cattle production systems, synergistic use of forage resources in a sustainable manner is essential. In addition to grasslands, this includes the complementary use of corn residue for grazing during the winter months. In this article, we provide an economic assessment of current corn residue grazing in Nebraska as well as some comparisons to Kansas, South Dakota, and North Dakota

Ag Lenders Panel Provides Insight into Beef Systems Initiative

In 2017, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Agricultural and Natural Resources (IANR) and Nebraska Extension made a commitment to implement a multidisciplinary Beef Systems Initiative (BSI). The BSI is administered by the Center for Grassland Studies and is comprised of six projects designed to develop and support the implementation of beef production systems that optimize feed resource use, natural resource conservation, and producer success in Nebraska through improved management of perennial grasslands and systems of integrated crop-beef cattle production. In addition to the BSI, a parallel project funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) is studying the best practices for incorporating beef cattle into cropping systems while improving ecosystem services to ensure sustainability. Both of these efforts include components focused on producer and community outreach through Nebraska Extension. To this end, an agricultural lenders panel and five geographically identified producer panels have been formed to provide input and feedback on the project results as they become available. Recently, the lenders panel met for the first time to provide their perspectives about the important information that should be communicated to producers who are considering developing an integrated beef enterprise

Ecological intensification with soil health practices demonstrates positive impacts on multiple soil properties: A large-scale farmer-led experiment

Improving soil health is critical to reversing trends of soil degradation and is of increasing interest to a range of stakeholders including policymakers, agricultural industry leaders, food companies, and farmers. Crop and soil management practices focused on ecological functions can be effective in restoring fundamental biological, chemical and physical soil properties. The call for ecological intensification of agricultural systems has the potential to improve soil health and input-use efficiency. In this study, we developed a framework to classify spatial and temporal ecological intensification with soil health practices: tillage, crop rotation, cover crop, organic amendment, and crop-livestock integration. We applied this framework in a statewide soil health project featuring collaboratively designed on-farm research. We found that ecological intensification affected all properties commonly used in soil health assessments, but the sensitivity of different practices to impact changes varied among the soil physical, chemical and biological properties. The use of cover crops had the greatest impact on driving changes in soil properties, in particular those closely related to organic matter and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics. Soil-test biological activity and its association with soil-test predicted N release in cropping systems intensified with cover crop use was found to reduce predicted nutrient fertility needs substantially compared to less intensified systems. Evaluating the potential of existing agricultural systems to undergo ecological intensification at a farm scale provides insights about management options to enhance soil health, particularly in regards to nutrient cycling, biological activity, and input-use efficiency

Corn Residue Use by Livestock in the United States

Corn (Zea mays L.) residue grazing or harvest provides a simple and economical practice to integrate crops and livestock, but limited information is available on how widespread corn residue utilization is practiced by US producers. In 2010, the USDA Economic Research Service surveyed producers from 19 states on corn grain and residue management practices. Total corn residue grazed or harvested was 4.87 million ha. Approximately 4.06 million ha was grazed by 11.7 million livestock (primarily cattle) in 2010. The majority of grazed corn residue occurred in Nebraska (1.91 million ha), Iowa (385,000 ha), South Dakota (361,000 ha), and Kansas (344,000 ha). Average grazing days ranged from 10 to 73 d (mean = 40 d). Corn residue harvests predominantly occurred in the central and northern Corn Belt, with an estimated 2.9 Tg of corn residue harvested across the 19 states. This survey highlights the importance of corn residue for US livestock, particularly in the western Corn Belt

Electron Beam Irradiation Dose Dependently Damages the Bacillus Spore Coat and Spore Membrane

Effective control of spore-forming bacilli begs suitable physical or chemical methods. While many spore inactivation techniques have been proven effective, electron beam (EB) irradiation has been frequently chosen to eradicate Bacillus spores. Despite its widespread use, there are limited data evaluating the effects of EB irradiation on Bacillus spores. To study this, B. atrophaeus spores were purified, suspended in sterile, distilled water, and irradiated with EB (up to 20 kGy). Irradiated spores were found (1) to contain structural damage as observed by electron microscopy, (2) to have spilled cytoplasmic contents as measured by spectroscopy, (3) to have reduced membrane integrity as determined by fluorescence cytometry, and (4) to have fragmented genomic DNA as measured by gel electrophoresis, all in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, cytometry data reveal decreased spore size, increased surface alterations, and increased uptake of propidium iodide, with increasing EB dose, suggesting spore coat alterations with membrane damage, prior to loss of spore viability. The present study suggests that EB irradiation of spores in water results in substantial structural damage of the spore coat and inner membrane, and that, along with DNA fragmentation, results in dose-dependent spore inactivation

Interatrial block in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder that affects 5% of the adult North American population. It is associated with atrial arrhythmias and stroke. The mechanisms of this association remain unclear. The aim to the study was to identify the factors associated with interatrial block (IAB) among patients with OSA. Methods: Patients referred for polysomnography were studied. Sleep apnea severity (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI]) was measured in each subject. 12-lead ECGs were scanned and amplified (× 10); P-wave duration and dispersion were measured using a semi-automatic caliper. IAB was defined as a P-wave duration &#8805; 120 ms. Results: Data from 180 consecutive patients was examined. Moderate-severe OSA (mean AHI = 56.2 &#177; 27.9) was present in 144 (OSA group). The remaining 36 had mild or no OSA (mean AHI = 5.6 &#177; 3.6) and were used as controls. Age distribution between the groups did not differ and there were more males in the OSA group (69.4% vs 47.2%, p = 0.01). Obesity (78.5% vs 39.4%, p < 0.001) and hypertension (51.4% vs 27.8%, p < 0.01) were more prevalent in the OSA group. IAB was more prevalent in patients with moderate-severe OSA (34.7% OSA vs 0% controls, p 30 were independent predictors of maximum P-wave duration (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). P-wave dispersion was significantly higher in the severe OSA group (14.6 &#177; 7.5 for OSA, 8.9 &#177; 3.1 controls, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Older age and moderate-severe OSA are predictors of IAB. P-wave dispersion is increased in patients with moderate-severe OSA. This may partly explain the high prevalence of atrial arrhythmias in patients with OSA. (Cardiol J 2011; 18, 2: 171-175

'I-I' and 'I-me' : Transposing Buber's interpersonal attitudes to the intrapersonal plane

Hermans' polyphonic model of the self proposes that dialogical relationships can be established between multiple I-positions1 (e.g., Hermans, 2001a). There have been few attempts, however, to explicitly characterize the forms that these intrapersonal relationships may take. Drawing on Buber's (1958) distinction between the 'I-Thou' and 'I-It' attitude, it is proposed that intrapersonal relationships can take one of two forms: an 'I-I' form, in which one I-position encounters and confirms another I-position in its uniqueness and wholeness; and an 'I-Me' form, in which one I-position experiences another I-position in a detached and objectifying way. This article argues that this I-Me form of intrapersonal relating is associated with psychological distress, and that this is so for a number of reasons: Most notably, because an individual who objectifies and subjugates certain I-position cannot reconnect with more central I-positions when dominance reversal (Hermans, 2001a) takes place. On this basis, it is suggested that a key role of the therapeutic process is to help clients become more able to experience moments of I-I intrapersonal encounter, and it is argued that this requires the therapist to confirm the client both as a whole and in terms of each of his or her different voices