Accumulation and Release of Nutrients by Immersed Stalks Collected on Selected Dates Following Harvest

The concentrations of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in runoff from cropland areas may be influenced by accumulation and release of P and N by stalk residues. A laboratory study was conducted to measure the effects of time since harvest and immersion period on accumulation and release of P and N by corn, soybean, and wheat stalks. Experimental variables included type of stalk material (corn, soybean, and wheat), time since harvest (six residue collection dates over an approximate 1-year period), and stalk immersion period (25 s (0.42 min), 250 s (4.2 min), 2500 s (42 min), 25,000 s (6.9 h), and 86,400 s (24 h)). The initial concentration of each of the P and N constituents in a test solution was 6 μg mL−1. The soybean, wheat, and corn residue released PO4-P at mean rates of 40, 69, and 141 μg g−1 residue, respectively. The amount of PO4-P that was released consistently increased as immersion period became greater. Corn and wheat residue either accumulated or released NO3-N depending on residue collection date. Soybean residue accumulated an average of 20 μg NO3-N g−1 residue. Wheat residue obtained on five of the collection dates accumulated an average of 13 μgNO3-N g−1 residue. Residue collection date also influenced accumulation of NH4-N by soybean and wheat residue. Corn residue released an average of 77 μg NH4-N g−1 residue. The type of crop residue material, the amount of time the residue has remained in the field following harvest, and residue immersion period were found to influence nutrient concentrations of solution

Narrow Grass Hedge Effects on Nutrient Transport Following Compost Application

The placement of stiff‐stemmed grass hedges on the contour along a hillslope has been shown to decrease nutrient transport in runoff. This study was conducted to measure the effectiveness of a narrow grass hedge in reducing runoff nutrient transport from plots with a range of soil nutrient values. Composted beef cattle manure was applied at dry weights of 0, 68, 105, 142, and 178 Mg ha-1 to a silty clay loam soil and then incorporated by disking. Soil samples were collected 243 days later for analysis of water‐soluble phosphorus (WSP), Bray and Kurtz No. 1 phosphorus (Bray‐1 P), NO3-N, and NH4-N. Three 30 min simulated rainfall events, separated by 24 h intervals, were then applied. The transport of dissolved phosphorus (DP), total P (TP), NO3-N, NH4-N, total nitrogen (TN), runoff, and soil erosion were measured from 0.75 m wide × 4.0 m long plots. Compost application rate significantly affected soil measurements of WSP, Bray‐1 P, and NO3-N content. The transport of DP, TP, NO3-N, NH4-N, TN, runoff, and soil erosion was reduced significantly on the plots with a grass hedge. Mean runoff rates on the hedge and no‐hedge treatments were 17 and 29 mm, and erosion rates were 0.12 and 1.46 Mg ha-1, respectively. Compost application rate significantly affected the transport of DP, TP, and NO3-N in runoff. The experimental results indicate that stiff‐stemmed grass hedges, planted at selected downslope intervals, can significantly reduce the transport of nutrients in runoff from areas with a range of soil nutrient values

Temporal Changes in Nutrient Transport Following Land Application of Manure

Little information is currently available concerning temporal changes in nutrient transport following the addition of manure to cropland areas. This study was conducted to measure nutrient transport in runoff as affected by tillage and time following the application of beef cattle or swine manure to a site on which corn [Zea mays (L.)] was grown. Rainfall simulation tests were initiated 4, 32, 62, 123, and 354 days following land application. Three 30-min simulated rainfall events, separated by 24-hour intervals, were conducted at an intensity of approximately 70 mm hr-1. Dissolved phosphorus (DP), particulate phosphorus (PP), total phosphorus (TP), NO3-N, NH4-N, total nitrogen (TN), electrical conductivity (EC), and pH were measured from 0.75-m wide by 2-m long plots. Concentrations of DP, TP, and NH4-N, in general, declined throughout the year on both the no-till cattle and no-till swine manure treatments. Tillage did not significantly affect concentrations of DP, PP, TP, NH4-N or pH on the swine manure treatments, but significant variations in these variables were measured over time. Under no-till and tilled conditions on both the cattle and swine manure treatments, the smallest concentrations of DP, NO3-N, NH4-N, and TN occurred on the final test date. The increase in pH of runoff during the study is attributed to the addition of CaCO3 to the rations of beef cattle and swine. Tillage appeared to have less of an impact on runoff nutrient transport from cropland areas than length of time since manure application

Temporal Changes in Nutrient Transport Following Land Application of Manure

Little information is currently available concerning temporal changes in nutrient transport following the addition of manure to cropland areas. This study was conducted to measure nutrient transport in runoff as affected by tillage and time following the application of beef cattle or swine manure to a site on which corn [Zea mays (L.)] was grown. Rainfall simulation tests were initiated 4, 32, 62, 123, and 354 days following land application. Three 30-min simulated rainfall events, separated by 24-hour intervals, were conducted at an intensity of approximately 70 mm hr-1. Dissolved phosphorus (DP), particulate phosphorus (PP), total phosphorus (TP), NO3-N, NH4-N, total nitrogen (TN), electrical conductivity (EC), and pH were measured from 0.75-m wide by 2-m long plots. Concentrations of DP, TP, and NH4-N, in general, declined throughout the year on both the no-till cattle and no-till swine manure treatments. Tillage did not significantly affect concentrations of DP, PP, TP, NH4-N or pH on the swine manure treatments, but significant variations in these variables were measured over time. Under no-till and tilled conditions on both the cattle and swine manure treatments, the smallest concentrations of DP, NO3-N, NH4-N, and TN occurred on the final test date. The increase in pH of runoff during the study is attributed to the addition of CaCO3 to the rations of beef cattle and swine. Tillage appeared to have less of an impact on runoff nutrient transport from cropland areas than length of time since manure application

Music in Television Advertising

A catalog of information offering the advertising executive, marketing executive, and music supplier creative, psychological, and-practical insight as to the past, present, and future status of music in television advertising, and to its value and/or nonvalue in commercial productions. A survey of the literature, inventory of psychological findings, and a mail questionnaire survey of executives ;involved with commercial music offers a comprehensive view of the business of television advertising music. The major trend in contemporary advertising is creative marketing. Caught up in this trend is an increasing sophistication in the use of music in television advertising. The strengths or weaknesses of music in commercial productions depend almost entirely upon those people responsible for its creation and use. The typical person responsible for television-commercial music at the advertising agency level is the production executive. Although some larger agencies employ music directors, they are few and far between. Advertising agency music executives prefer the use of original as opposed to well-known, familiar music. They tend to have a disregard for the use of research to test the effectiveness of musical treatments, although the rising cost of musical talent may soon justify such research. The old stereotype envisioning the use of music solely for memory value is becoming a false generalization as today's advertising executive sees much more psychologically sophisticated uses for commercial music. He believes that music is successful in accomplishing the technical objectives and goals of its use. The advertising agency executive perceives dangers in the use of music that technically interferes with a commercial, is inappropriately conceived for a particular audience, or if it is used unnecessarily. The major problems encountered by agency music executives involve financial considerations, and human relations, respectively. Since most advertising agencies will not incorporate a music department in the foreseeable future, the role of the commercial music specialist will take on greater importance. The music specialist differs from the advertising agency music man in four respects--a more total involvement with musical aspects (obviously), �a tendency to overestimate the selling power of music, differing organizational objectives in the use of music, and a difference in the perceived day-to-day problems of the business. In spite of these differences, the spicialist and agency executive are fairly consistent in their feelings toward a preference for original music, a disregard for research on the effects of music, the degree to which music accomplishes its intended objectives, and the perceived dangers of using music in television advertising.Business Administratio

Adapting improvements to context: when, why and how?

There is evidence that practitioners applying quality improvements often adapt the improvement method or the change they are implementing, either unknowingly, or intentionally to fit their service or situation. This has been observed especially in programs seeking to spread or ‘scale up’ an improvement change to other services. Sometimes their adaptations result in improved outcomes, sometimes they do not, and sometimes they do not have data make this assessment or to describe the adaptation. The purpose of this paper is to summarize key points about adaptation and context discussed at the Salzburg Global Seminar in order to help improvers judge when and how to adapt an improvement change. It aims also to encourage more research into such adaptations to develop our understanding of the when, why and how of effective adaptation and to provide more research informed guidance to improvers. The paper gives examples to illustrate key issues in adaptation and to consider more systematic and purposeful adaptation of improvements so as to increase the chances of achieving improvements in different settings for different participants. We describe methods for assessing whether adaptation is necessary or likely to reduce the effectiveness of an improvement intervention, which adaptations might be required, and methods for collecting data to assess whether the adaptations are successful. We also note areas where research is most needed in order to enable more effective scale up of quality improvements changes and wider take up and use of the methods