14 research outputs found

    Animal Agriculture in a Changing Climate Online Course: An Effective Tool for Creating Extension Competency

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    There is a need to create competency among Extension professionals on the topic of climate change adaptation and mitigation in animal agriculture. The Animal Agriculture in a Changing Climate online course provides an easily accessible, user-friendly, free, and interactive experience for learning science-based information on a national and regional level. The web-based curriculum is proving to be a useful tool and valuable resource for Extension educators in gaining knowledge and being better equipped to inform and influence livestock and poultry producers regarding climate issues

    Building Capacity within Extension to Address Animal Agriculture in a Changing Climate

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    The Animal Agriculture in a Changing Climate project was formed to build capacity among Extension professionals and other livestock advisors to address climate change issues. We offer a case study of how a small team can build national capacity for new topics. We used a coordinated multiregional approach to leverage national efforts applied to locally relevant climatology, production systems, and climate issues. Key insights on overcoming challenges centered on (a) engaging audiences with local, historical trends and agricultural impacts, (b) beginning with adaptation, rather than mitigation of climate change, and (c) providing strategies for effectively communicating science during controversy. Program participants found the project valuable and substantially increased their ability and motivation to apply climate science

    Comparison of Raw Dairy Manure Slurry and Anaerobically Digested Slurry as N Sources for Grass Forage Production

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    We conducted a 3-year field study to determine how raw dairy slurry and anaerobically digested slurry (dairy slurry and food waste) applied via broadcast and subsurface deposition to reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) affected forage biomass, N uptake, apparent nitrogen recovery (ANR), and soil nitrate concentrations relative to urea. Annual N applications ranged from 600 kg N ha−1 in 2009 to 300 g N ha−1 in 2011. Forage yield and N uptake were similar across slurry treatments. Soil nitrate concentrations were greatest at the beginning of the fall leaching season, and did not differ among slurry treatments or application methods. Urea-fertilized plots had the highest soil nitrate concentrations but did not consistently have greatest forage biomass. ANR for the slurry treatments ranged from 35 to 70% when calculations were based on ammonium-N concentration, compared with 31 to 65% for urea. Slurry ANR calculated on a total N basis was lower (15 to 40%) due to lower availability of the organic N in the slurries. No consistent differences in soil microbial biomass or other biological indicators were observed. Anaerobically digested slurry supported equal forage production and similar N use efficiency when compared to raw dairy slurry

    Comparison of intramyocellular lipid metabolism in patients with diabetes and male athletes

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    Contributions D.D., A.H., S.G., S.P. and M.D. conceived the study and together with L.v.L., G.L., F.T. obtained the grant funding. AM executed the patient screening, recruitment, intervention planning, carried out all study investigations under respective specialist supervision (A.H./D.C./D.D. for magnetic resonance spectroscopy, F.T./G.L./D.D. for stable isotope investigation, S.G. for exercise intervention, S.P. for clinical supervision/management of diabetes as required, M.D. for all molecular laboratory analyses, A.M. analysed all data and performed statistical analysis under the supervision of G.H. L.v.L. provided expert advice in athletic physiology. Lipidomic analyses were carried out in P.W. laboratory. Blood/skeletal muscle enrichment analyses were carried out in B.F./F.T.-G.L. laboratories respectively, with practical input from R.G. A.R. and L.C. contributed as overall help to deliver study assessments in a technical role. M.K.H. analysed the food diaries. D.E.N. contributed to manuscript writing. D.D. and M.D. were the PhD supervisors for A.M. whose PhD thesis was based on this work. All authors contributed their respective specialist sections in drafting the manuscript.Peer reviewe

    Gaseous Nitrogen and Bacterial Responses to Raw and Digested Dairy Manure Applications in Incubated Soil

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    A study was conducted under laboratory conditions to compare rates of nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) and ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>) emissions when soil was amended with anaerobically digested dairy manure slurry containing <30% food byproducts, raw dairy manure slurry, or urea. Slurries were applied via surface and subsurface methods. A second objective was to correlate genes regulating nitrification and denitrification with rates of N<sub>2</sub>O production, slurry treatment, and application method. Ammonia volatilization from incubated soil ranged from 140 g kg<sup>–1</sup> of total N applied in digested slurry to 230 g kg<sup>–1</sup> in urea. Subsurface application of raw dairy manure slurry decreased ammonia volatilization compared with surface application. Anaerobic digestion increased N<sub>2</sub>O production. Cumulative N<sub>2</sub>O loss averaged 27 g kg<sup>–1</sup> of total N applied for digested slurry, compared with 5 g kg<sup>–1</sup> for raw dairy slurry. Genes of interest included a 16S rRNA gene selective for ÎČ-subgroup proteobacterial ammonia-oxidizers, <i>amoA</i>, <i>narG</i>, and <i>nosZ</i> quantified with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Application of anaerobically digested slurry increased nitrifier and denitrifier gene copies that correlated with N<sub>2</sub>O production. Expression of all genes measured via mRNA levels was affected by N applications to soil. This study provides new information linking genetic markers in denitrifier and nitrifier populations to N<sub>2</sub>O production

    Northwest U.S. Agriculture in a Changing Climate: Collaboratively Defined Research and Extension Priorities

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    In order for agricultural systems to successfully mitigate and adapt to climate change there is a need to coordinate and prioritize next steps for research and extension. This includes focusing on “win-win” management practices that simultaneously provide short-term benefits to farmers and improve the sustainability and resiliency of agricultural systems with respect to climate change. In the Northwest U.S., a collaborative process has been used to engage individuals spanning the research-practice continuum. This collaborative approach was utilized at a 2016 workshop titled “Agriculture in a Changing Climate,” that included a broad range of participants including university faculty and students, crop and livestock producers, and individuals representing state, tribal and federal government agencies, industry, nonprofit organizations, and conservation districts. The Northwest U.S. encompasses a range of agro-ecological systems and diverse geographic and climatic contexts. Regional research and science communication efforts for climate change and agriculture have a strong history of engaging diverse stakeholders. These features of the Northwest U.S. provide a foundation for the collaborative research and extension prioritization presented here. We focus on identifying research and extension actions that can be taken over the next 5 years in four areas identified as important areas by conference organizers and participants: (1) cropping systems, (2) livestock systems, (3) decision support systems to support consideration of climate change in agricultural management decisions; and (4) partnerships among researchers and stakeholders. We couple insights from the workshop and a review of current literature to articulate current scientific understanding, and priorities recommended by workshop participants that target existing knowledge gaps, challenges, and opportunities. Priorities defined at the Agriculture in a Changing Climate workshop highlight the need for ongoing investment in interdisciplinary research integrating social, economic, and biophysical sciences, strategic collaborations, and knowledge sharing to develop actionable science that can support informed decision-making in the agriculture sector as the climate changes

    Effect of bauxite residue calcination on rheological and hardened properties of suspension with Portland cement

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    Este estudo ilustra o impacto da calcinação de resĂ­duo de bauxita (RB) nas propriedades de suspensĂ”es formuladas com cimento Portland, tanto no estado fresco como no endurecido. As suspensĂ”es foram avaliadas contendo uma razĂŁo constante de ĂĄgua-cimento e teor de resĂ­duo variando de 5% a 20% em peso e em substituição ao cimento. As propriedades reolĂłgicas e a resistĂȘncia mecĂąnica foram alteradas em função do aumento do teor de RB, mas a calcinação nĂŁo teve influĂȘncia no resultado final obtido, seja no estado fresco ou no endurecido. Assim, pode-se afirmar que a utilização de resĂ­duo de bauxita, natural ou calcinada, em formulaçÔes com cimento Portland pode reduzir o consumo de cimento, sendo uma alternativa para a utilização de uma grande quantidade deste tipo de resĂ­duo.CAPESAlcoa AmĂ©rica Latin
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