A.E.S. Circular, No. 39

During 1979 and 1980, soil fertility research was conducted at two locations in the Delta Clearwater area. One of the test sites, Lee F ett’s Farm, was cleared in the mid-1950s and has been in production for about 25 years. The other test site is situated on a tract of newly cleared land owned by Dennis Green. The new lands site was cleared by the traditional berm-pile method during the winter of 1978-79. This method removes much of the moss layer, and in some cases, part o f the topsoil. Land cleared by this procedure is lower in natural fertility, but has the advantage of enabling the farmer to plant a crop the first summer after clearing. In this publication, progress reports are given for several research projects involving fertilizer use and rates of application.Introduction -- Weather Summary for the 1979 and 1980 Growing Season: Table 1: Climatic Data for Delta Junction During the 1979 and 1980 Growing Season -- Response of Barley to Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizer Applications on New Land: Table 2: Response of Barley to Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizers on New Land in the Delta-Clearwater Area of Alaska -- Variety-Fertilizer Interactions of Barley Grown on Newly Cleared Land: Table 3: Variety-Fertilizer Interactions of Barley Grown on New Land in the Delta-Clearwater Area of Alaska -- Response of Barley and Rapeseed to Sulfur Fertilization: Table 4: Response of Barley to Sulfur Fertilization When Grown Under Different Crop Rotations; Table 5: Response of Sulfur Fertilization When Grown Under Different Crop Rotation

Barley Production in the Delta-Clearwater Area of Interior Alaska

When oil from Prudhoe Bay on the northern coast of Alaska began to flow in the fall of 1977, it marked the beginning of another flow of perhaps equal significance. Eighty per cent of the revenue received by the State of Alaska in the foreseeable future will come from the oil industry. This prompts concern that long-term growth of the Alaskan economy is based on revenue from a single nonrenewable resource. Historically, nonrenewable resources have exhibited a boom-bust development pattern. Diversifying the economy of the state could contribute to economic stability. Of particular interest, when the development of renewable resources is considered, is the potential for agriculture. A half century ago, the Tanana Valley in interior Alaska produced a higher per-capita quantity of agricultural products for Fairbanks consumers than it does today. Now, more than 95 per cent of the food consumed in the area is imported from areas outside the state. Additionally, there is a growing worldwide concern abut increasing populations and the need for increased food production. This has created a new awareness of agriculture in Alaska as well as across the nation.The information presented in this bulletin is part of a report prepared for the ad hoc agriculture group of the State of Alaska. The group was formed at the request of Governor Jay S. Hammond and is headed by W. I. "Bob" Palmer, Special Projects Director of the Office of the Governor. The report on the feasibility of barley production in the Delta-Clearwater Area presented to Governor Hammond through the ad hoc group was prepared by the authors of this bulletin and Wayne C. Thomas, Associate Professor of Economics, Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Dominic Carney, Alaska Department of Commerce and Economic Development; and Edward Kern, Alaska Department of Agriculture-all of whom are acknowledged with gratitude

Conceptual frameworks and empirical approaches used to assess the impact of health research: an overview of reviews

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>How to assess the impact of research is of growing interest to funders, policy makers and researchers mainly to understand the value of investments and to increase accountability. Broadly speaking the term "research impact" refers to the contribution of research activities to achieve desired societal outcomes. The aim of this overview is to identify the most common approaches to research impact assessment, categories of impact and their respective indicators.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We systematically searched the relevant literature (PubMed, The Cochrane Library (1990-2009)) and funding agency websites. We included systematic reviews, theoretical and methodological papers, and empirical case-studies on how to evaluate research impact. We qualitatively summarised the included reports, as well the conceptual frameworks.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We identified twenty-two reports belonging to four systematic reviews and 14 primary studies. These publications reported several theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches (bibliometrics, econometrics, ad hoc case studies). The "payback model" emerged as the most frequently used. Five broad categories of impact were identified: a) advancing knowledge, b) capacity building, c) informing decision-making, d) health benefits, e) broad socio-economic benefits. For each proposed category of impact we summarized a set of indicators whose pros and cons are presented and briefly discussed.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This overview is a comprehensive, yet descriptive, contribution to summarize the conceptual framework and taxonomy of an heterogeneous and evolving area of research. A shared and comprehensive conceptual framework does not seem to be available yet and its single components (epidemiologic, economic, and social) are often valued differently in different models.</p

Weekly Intra-Amniotic IGF-1 Treatment Increases Growth of Growth-Restricted Ovine Fetuses and Up-Regulates Placental Amino Acid Transporters

Frequent treatment of the growth-restricted (IUGR) ovine fetus with intra-amniotic IGF-1 increases fetal growth. We aimed to determine whether increased growth was maintained with an extended dosing interval and to examine possible mechanisms. Pregnant ewes were allocated to three groups: Control, and two IUGR groups (induced by placental embolization) treated with weekly intra-amniotic injections of either saline (IUGR) or 360 µg IGF-1 (IGF1). IUGR fetuses were hypoxic, hyperuremic, hypoglycemic, and grew more slowly than controls. Placental glucose uptake and SLC2A1 (GLUT2) mRNA levels decreased in IUGR fetuses, but SLC2A3 (GLUT3) and SLC2A4 (GLUT4) levels were unaffected. IGF-1 treatment increased fetal growth rate, did not alter uterine blood flow or placental glucose uptake, and increased placental SLC2A1 and SLC2A4 (but not SLC2A3) mRNA levels compared with saline-treated IUGR animals. Following IGF-1 treatment, placental mRNA levels of isoforms of the system A, y+, and L amino acid transporters increased 1.3 to 5.0 fold, while the ratio of phosphorylated-mTOR to total mTOR also tended to increase. Weekly intra-amniotic IGF-1 treatment provides a promising avenue for intra-uterine treatment of IUGR babies, and may act via increased fetal substrate supply, up-regulating placental transporters for neutral, cationic, and branched-chain amino acids, possibly via increased activation of the mTOR pathway

Comparison of fertilizer nutrient needs for forage sorghum and grain sorghum

LD2668 .T4 1966 W891Master of Scienc