NCCC_OLD31: Ecophysiological Aspects of Forage Management

(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)

Status: Inactive/Terminating

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SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[07/08/2005] [05/09/2006] [04/05/2007] [06/22/2009] [01/22/2010] [06/29/2010]

Date of Annual Report: 07/08/2005

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 04/07/2005 - 04/08/2005
Period the Report Covers: 04/01/2004 - 04/01/2005

Participants

(Members)
Albrecht, Ken (kaalbrec@wisc.edu), University of Wisconsin-Madison
Barnhart, Steve (sbarnhar@iastate.edu), Iowa State University (for Mary Wiedenhoeft)
Dong, Xuejun (xjdong@ndsuext.nodak.edu), North Dakota State University
Gallenberg, Dale (Dale.Gallenberg@sdstate.edu), Administrative Advisor
Grabber, John (jgrabber@wisc.edu), USDA-ARS
Leep, Rich (leep@msu.edu), Michigan State University
MacAdam, Jennifer (jenmac@cc.usu.edu), Utah State University
McGraw, Bob (McGrawR@missouri.edu), University of Missouri
Owens, Vance (vance.owens@sdstate.edu), South Dakota State University
Peterson, Paul (peter072@umn.edu), University of Minnesota
Srinivas, Rao (srao@grl.ars.usda.gov), USDA-ARS
Sulc, Mark (sulc.2@osu.edu), Ohio State University
Volenec, Jeff (jvolenec@purdue.edu), Purdue University
West, Chuck (cwest@uark.edu), University of Arkansas

(Guests)
Kevin Armstrong, Jennifer Ariss, Wayne Bailey, Geoff Brink, Tom Cox, Jimmy Haux, Robin Groose, Monte Johnson, Claire Mikolayunas, Lanny Rhodes

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes are available at the following link:

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/rc_serec/NCR31home.htm

Accomplishments

The objectives of NCCC-31 focus on information exchange among committee members, with other NC groups and forage research organizations, with granting agencies, with extension personnel, and with students. We invited NCDC-205 (formerly NC-226 Development of pest management strategies for forage alfalfa persistence) members, who met jointly with us for one day, to learn more about commons goals being pursued by these committees, and to explore the possibility of merger with NCCC-31. Results of research conducted by committee members on forage physiology, ecology, and management were disseminated in a timely manner through multiple outlets. Committee members published 22 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 33 abstracts of presentations at scientific meetings, 14 conference proceedings, and 17 extension bulletins. Several committee members participated in the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference by exchanging current information with an international audience: http://naaic.org/Meetings/National/2004NAAIC&TC/announce2004.htm A website was created at Purdue University that defines the role and management of potassium in crop production, including forages: http://www.agry.purdue.edu/kteam_index.asp One committee member was an invited speaker at the Alfalfa Intensive Training Seminar http://www.alfalfa.org/cascconf.html, a seminar sponsored by the National Alfalfa Alliance to familiarize consultants with current research findings. Several members participated in the 5th International Symposium on Neotyphodium/ Grass Interactions to share current information with others working in the relatively new area of grass endophytes and their impact on plants and livestock. A field trip, part of the 2004 NCCC-31 annual meeting, focused on local water and wildlife management issues in grazing lands in the Cache Valley of Utah. Jennifer MacAdam served on the USDA-NRI Prosperity of Small Farms and Rural Agricultural Communities review panel and shared information with NCCC-31 members about research that program and the Managed Ecosystem program are interested in funding. Interaction among committee members has led to shared protocols within the committee, including Jeff Volenec sharing protocols for sugar and starch analyses (to Vance Owens) and amylase assays (to Bill Lamp). Four graduate students participated in the annual meeting, providing them an opportunity for professional interaction with key forage researchers.

Publications

Affeldt, R.P., K.A. Albrecht, C.M. Boerboom, and E.J. Bures. 2004. Integrating herbicide-resistant corn technology in a kura clover living mulch system. Agron. J. 96:247-251. Al-Hadid, K.A.L., S.M. Cunningham, and J.J. Volenec. 2004. Identification and analysis of defoliation responsive genes in alfalfa. Agron. Abstr. No. 6412 (CD-ROM). Ariss, J. J., Rhodes, L. H., Sulc, R. M., and Lamb, J. F. S. 2004. Relationship of disease resistance and stand persistence in alfalfa cultivars from the 1940's to the 1990's. Phytopathology 94:S5. Publication no. P-2004-0029-AMA. Ariss, Jennifer J., Rhodes, L. H. Sulc, R. M. and Lamb J. F. S. 2004. The role of disease resistance in enhancing stand persistence in alfalfa cultivars released from the 1940s through the 1990s. Proceedings of the Joint Conference of the 39th North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference and the 18th Trifolium Conference, July 18-21, Quebec City, Canada. Available online at: http://www.naaic.org/Meetings/National/2004NAAIC&TC/2004abstracts/jariss.pdf Avice, J-C., F. Le-Dily, E. Goulas, C. Noquet, F. Meuriot, J.J. Volenec, S.M. Cunningham, T.G. Sors, C. Dhont, Y. Castonguay, P. Nadeau, G. Belanger, F-P. Chalifour, and A. Ourry. 2004. Vegetative storage proteins in overwintering storage organs of forage legumes: roles and regulation. Can. J. Bot. 81:1198-1212. Barker, D. J., Sulc, R. M., and Burgess, M. 2004. Effects of biodiversity on forage yield in wet and dry years. No. C06-barker5780-poster, Agronomy Abstracts [CD-ROM computer field]. ASA, Madison, WI. Barriere Y., J. Ralph, V. Mechin, S. Guillaumie, J.H. Grabber, O. Argillier, B. Chabbert, and C. Lapierre. 2004. Genetic and molecular basis of grass cell wall biosynthesis and degradability. II. Lessons from brown-midrib mutants. Comptes Rendus Biol. 327:847-860. Berg, W.K., S.M. Cunningham, B.C. Joern, S.M. Brouder, K.D. Johnson, and J.J. Volenec. 2004. Taproot N and C pools are altered by P and K nutrition, and impact alfalfa growth and persistence. Agron. Abstr. No. 6180 (CD-ROM). Berg, W.K., S.M. Cunningham, S.M. Brouder, B.C. Joern, K.D. Johnson, and J.J. Volenec. 2004. The impact of P and K nutrition on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) taproot carbon and nitrogen pools during cold acclimation and spring regrowth. ASPB Abstr. http://abstracts.aspb.org/pb2004/public/P37/7174.html Berg, W.K., S.M. Cunningham, S.M. Howard, S.M. Brouder, B.C. Joern, K.D. Johnson, and J.J. Volenec. 2004. The impact of root nitrogen and carbon pools on alfalfa growth and persistence as influenced by phosphorus and potassium nutrition. Agron. Abstr. No. 6229 (CD-ROM). Boring, T., R. H. Leep, D. H. Min, and T. Dietz. 2004. Effect of liquid dairy manure upon dry matter yield and quality of forage and potatoes in a potato rotation. Poster Presentation. American Society of Agronomy Annual Meeting. Seattle, Washington, October 31 November 4, 2004. Broderick, G.A., K.A. Albrecht, V.N. Owens, and R.R. Smith. 2004. Genetic variation in red clover for ruminal protein degradability. Anim. Feed Sci. Tech. 113:157-167. Brye, K.R., C.P. West, and E.E. Gbur. 2004. Soil quality differences under native tallgrass prairie across a climosequence in Arkansas. Amer. Midland Naturalist 152:214-230. Bumane, S., R. Leep, T. Dietz, and P.Berzins. 2004. The Effect of nitrogen use on perennial ryegrass yield and some quality parameters. Proceedings of the Latvia University of Agriculture. Nr. 10(305). Burgess, M. R., Barker, D. J., Zartman, D. L., Sulc, R. M., and Harrison, S. K. 2004. Forage species and spatial effects on the dietary intake of goats. p. 2. In Forage Progress Vol. 2, April 2004. American Forage & Grassland Council, Georgetown, TX. http://www.afgc.org/afgcforageprogressapril2004.pdf. Carson, R.D., C.P. West, B. de los Reyes, S. Rajguru, and C.A. Guerber. 2004. Endophyte effects on dehydrin protein expression and membrane leakage in tall fescue. In R.L. Kallenbach et al. (eds.). Paper # 202. Abstracts and Proc. of 5th International Symposium on Neotyphodium/Grass Interactions. Coblentz, W.K., K.P. Coffey, D.A. Scarbrough, T.F. Smith, K.F. Harrison, J.B. Hum¬phry, B.C. McGinley, D.S. Hubbell III, J.E. Turner, and C.P. West. 2004. Using orchard¬grass and endophyte-free fescue versus endophyte-infected fescue overseeded on bermuda¬grass for cow herds: Four-year summary. In R.L. Kallenbach et al. (eds.). Paper # 414. Abstracts and Proc. of 5th International Symposium on Neotyphodium/¬Grass Interactions. Contreras-Govea, F., K.A. Albrecht, and R.E. Muck. 2004. Yield and silage characteristics of kura clover, winter wheat, and binary mixtures in spring. In Annual meeting abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. Cunningham, S.M., W.K. Berg, and J.J. Volenec. 2004. Identification and characterization of genes differentially expressed in alfalfa taproots in response to P and/or K deficiency. Agron. Abstr. No. 4806 (CD-ROM). Cunningham, S.M., W.K. Berg, and J.J. Volenec. 2004. Identification and characterization of genes differentially expressed in alfalfa taproots in response to P and/or K deficiency. Agron. Abstr. No. 4806 (CD-ROM). Cunningham, S.M., W.K. Berg, and J.J. Volenec. 2004. Impact of P and K nutrition on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) taproot gene expression and plant growth and survival. ASPB Abstr. http://abstracts.aspb.org/pb2004/public/P64/7164.html DeYoung, J. D., D. H. Min, and R. H. Leep. 2004. Soil carbon sequestration and production of greenhouse gases under forage cropping rotations. Poster Presentation. American Society of Agronomy Annual Meeting. Seattle, Washington, October 31 November 4, 2004. Doerge, T., and Sulc, R. M. 2004. Economic thresholds in potato leafhopper resistant alfalfa varieties. Crop Insights 14:9. Pioneer Hi-Bred Int'l. Inc. Des Moines, IA. Available at http://www.pioneer.com/usa/abstracts/plh_economics.htm. Evans, J.N., W.K. Berg, B.C. Joern, S.M. Cunningham, S.M. Brouder, and J.J. Volenec. 2004. Impact of P and K nutrition on alfalfa root development. Agron. Abstr. No. 6388 (CD-ROM). Grabber J.H., J. Ralph, C. Lapierre, and Y. Barriere. 2004. Genetic and molecular basis of grass cell-wall degradability. I. Lignin-cell wall matrix interactions. Comptes Rendus Biol. 327:455-465. Gregoret, R.F., K.A. Albrecht, and D.K. Combs. 2004. Dairy cow grazing behavior and performance on binary mixtures of grass and kura clover. In Annual meeting abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. Griggs, T.C., J.W. MacAdam, H.F. Mayland, and J.C. Burns. 2004. Daily carbohydrate and digestibility patterns in orchardgrass sward horizons. In Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. Griggs, T.C., J.W. MacAdam, H.F. Mayland, and J.C. Burns. 2004. Integrating daily patterns of pasture soluble carbohydrate level and grazing behavior. Proc. Pacific Div., Amer. Assn. Advance. Sci., 23: 50. Gunter, S.A., P.A. Beck, K.S. Lusby, C.P. West, and D.S. Hubbell III. 2004. Comparison of three tall fescues containing novel endophytes for stocker cattle weight gain. In R.L. Kallenbach et al. (eds.). Paper #418. Abstracts and Proc. of 5th International Symposium on Neotyphodium/Grass Interactions. Halgerson J.L., C.C. Sheaffer, N.P. Martin, P.R. Peterson, and S.J. Weston. 2004. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy prediction of leaf and mineral concentrations in alfalfa. Agron. J. 96:344-351. Howard, S.M., J.J. Volenec, B.C. Joern, J.E. Alleman, and D.R. Whitaker. 2004. Biosolids dewatering of solid-phase thermophilic aerobic reactor (STAR) effluent using various plant species. Agron. Abstr. No. 6209 (CD-ROM). http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/cm/trials/ Jennings, J.A., C.P. West, A.S. Moubarak, C.R. Rosenkrans, Jr., D.E. Kratz, M.S. Gad¬berry, and T.R. Troxel. 2004. Endophyte status of stockpiled fescue demonstrations in Arkansas. In R.L. Kallenbach et al. (eds.). Paper # 516. Abstracts and Proc. of 5th International Symposium on Neotyphodi¬um/¬Grass Interactions. Jeranyama, P, R. H. Leep, T. Dietz, and D. H. Min. 2004. Forage mass, quality and composition of Kura clover and grass mixtures under grazing. American Society of Agronomy Annual Meeting. Seattle, Washington, October 31 November 4, 2004. Jeranyama, P., V. Owens, P. Peterson, M. Endres, D. Holen , V. Crary, C. Sheaffer, D. Undersander, M. Bertram, and P. Homan. 2004. Emergency and alternative forages. Forage Focus 1:2. Leblanc, H. and R.L. McGraw. 2004. Evaluation of Inga edulis and I. samanensis for firewood and mulch production in an organic corn alley-cropping practice in the humid tropics of Costa Rica. First World Congress of Agroforestry proceedings. 27 June - 2 July. Orlando, Fl. p. 131. Leblanc, H.A., R.L. McGraw and P. Nygren. 2004. Dinitrogen fixation of Inga edulis, a legume tree used in tropical agroforestry. Agronomy Abstracts (CD-ROM), ASA Madison, WI. Lee, D.K.. and V.N. Owens. 2004. Switchgrass yield, quality, and persistence in a biomass energy management system. In Agronomy Abstracts [CD-ROM computer file]. Leep, R. 2004. Summer annual grasses for emergency forage crops. http://www.ipm.msu.edu/CAT04_fld/FC05-27-04.htm#4 Leep, R. H. and T. R. Dietz. 2004. Michigan 2004 Alfalfa variety trials. Leep, R., Dietz, T., Boring, T. 2004. An evaluation of crops planted for annual emergency crops. http://www.ipm.msu.edu/CAT04_fld/FC05-27-04.htm#4 Leep, R., J. Andresen, D. Min, and A. Pollyea. 2004. Late summer and fall harvest management of alfalfa. Michigan Dairy Review. 3 pgs. At: http://www.msu.edu/user/mdr/archives/mdrvol9no4.pdf Leep, R., T. Dietz, D. Min, and C. Kapp. 2004. Forage varieties For Michigan in 2005. On line at http://www.msue.msu.edu/fis/ Leep, R.H. 2004. Management of forages for better yield and profit. Illinois Crop Protection Technology Conference Proceedings. Pgs. 42-44. University of Illinois Extension. MacAdam, J.W., T. C. Griggs, G. Mileski, and S. Buffler. 2004. Long-term changes in botanical composition of rotationally stocked irrigated grass-legume mixtures. In Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. MacAdam, J.W., T.C. Griggs, and G.J. Mileski. 2004. Productivity of grass and legume components in irrigated pastures under rotational stocking in the Intermountain West. p. 450 In K. Cassida (ed) Proceedings of the American Forage and Grassland Council, June 12-16, 2004, Roanoke, VA. McCordick, S. A., Kells, J., Leep, R. 2004. Evaluation of glyphosate-resistant alfalfa in forage production systems. North Central Weed Science Proceedings. 59:76. McCormick, J. S., Sulc, R. M., Barker, D. J., Beuerlein, J. E., and Rhodes, L. H. 2004. Forage yield and quality of winter hardy cereals and winter sensitive species for grazing. Proc. American Forage & Grassland Council 13:225-229. McGraw R.L., F.W. Shockley, J.F. Thompson, and C.A. Roberts. 2004. Evaluation of native legume species for forage yield, quality, and seed production. Native Plants J. 5:152-158. Meuriot F., C. Noquet, J.C. Avice, J.J. Volenec, S.M. Cunningham, T. Sors, S. Caillot, and A. Ourry. 2004. Methyl jasmonate alters N partitioning, N reserves accumulation and induces gene expression of a 32-kDa vegetative storage protein that possess chitinase activity in Medicago sativa L. taproots. Physiologia Plant. 120:113-123. Miller, R., MacAdam, J., and Koenig, R. 2004. Management intensive grazing systems and the environment: Nitrogen and phosphorus leaching. USU Extension, Logan, UT: Utah State University, AG/Pasture/2004-01. Milofsky, T.S. and K.A. Albrecht. 2004. Mechanical control of legume living mulch for corn production. In Annual meeting abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. Milofsky, T.S., E. Molina, F. Calispa, G. Mosquera, M. Rosemeyer, K. Albrecht. 2004. Lotus uliginosis increases milk production on kikuyugrass based pastures in Ecuadorian Andes. In Annual meeting abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. Min, D. and R. Leep. 2004. Carbon sequestration. What is it in dairy forage cropping systems? Michigan Dairy Review. 2 pgs. At: http://www.msu.edu/user/mdr/archives/mdrvol9no4.pdf Min, D. H., C. Kapp, R. Leep, and L. Vough. 2004. Legume-grass mixtures for pasture and hay production in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Poster Presentation. American Forage and Grassland Council Annual Meeting. Roanoke, Virginia, June 12 16, 2004. Niedermann, M.L. and R.L. McGraw. 2004. Alfalfa growth, quality, maturation, and root total nonstructural carbohydrate concentration as affected by three light intensities. In: Congress Abstracts, First World Congress of Agroforestry proceedings. 27 June - 2 July. Orlando, Fl. p. 138. Niedermann, M.L. and R.L. McGraw. 2004. Total nonstructural carbohydrate concentration of alfalfa roots grown under three light intensities. pp.208-214. In: S.H. Sharrow (ed.) Agroforestry and riparian buffers for land productivity and environmental stability, Proceedings of the 8th North American Agroforestry Conference, June 23-25, 2003, Corvallis Oregon. Nihsen, M., E.L. Piper, C.P. West, R.J. Crawford, T.M. Denard, Z.B. Johnson, C.A. Roberts, D.A. Spiers, and C.F. Rosenkrans. 2004. Growth rate and physiology of steers grazing tall fescue inoculated with novel endophytes. J. Anim. Sci. 82:878-883. Owens, V.N. and C. Lee. 2004. Alfalfa cultivar yield test for South Dakota: 2004 Report. Available at http://plantsci.sdstate.edu/forages/ (verified 12 January 2005). Owens, V.N. and M. Catangui. 2004. Long-term effect of alfalfa weevil on alfalfa persistence. Proc. North American Alfalfa Improvement Conf., Quebec City, Canada, 18-21 July 2004. Available online at: http://www.naaic.org/Meetings/National/2004NAAIC&TC/2004abstracts/vowens.pdf (verified 31 March 2005). Owens, V.N., A. Schultz, and R.J. Pruitt. 2004. Extending the grazing season using spring small grains planted in the summer in the northern Great Plains. In Agronomy Abstracts [CD-ROM computer file]. Peterson, P., Undersander D. , Leep R., Sheaffer, C., Sun, P., Velde, M., and Wagner, S. 2004. Hybrid alfalfa: harvest management effects on yield and quality. Proceedings of the 2004 Alfalfa Improvement Conference, Quebec, CA. Ralph J., S. Guillaumie, J.H. Grabber, C. Lapierre, and Y. Barriere. 2004. Genetic and molecular basis of grass cell-wall biosynthesis and degradability. III. Towards a forage grass ideotype. Comptes Rendus Biol. 327:467-479. Sanderson, M.A., D. J. Barker, G.R. Edwards, B. Tracy, R. H. Skinner, and D. Wedin. 2004. Plant species diversity and management of temperate forage and grazing land ecosystems. Crop Sci. 44:1132-1144. Sanderson, M.A., R.H. Skinner, D.J. Barker, G.R. Edwards, B.F. Tracy, and D.A. Wedin. 2004. Plant species diversity and management of temperate forage and grazing land ecosystems Crop Sci. 44:1132-1144. Sanderson, M.A., R.R. Schnabel, W. Curran, W.L. Stout, D. Genito, and B.F. Tracy. 2004. Burning and glyphosate differentially affect forage biomass and seed yields of switchgrass and big bluestem. Agron J. 96:1688-1692. Secks, M.E., M.D. Richardson, and C.P. West. 2004. Field performance of novel endo¬phyte/tall fescue combinations under water deficit. In R.L. Kallenbach et al. (eds.). Paper # 405. Abstracts and Proc. of 5th International Symposium on Neotyphodium/Grass Interactions. Secks, M.E., M.D. Richardson, C.P. West, and J.B. Murphy. 2004. Carbohydrate profiles of Neotyphodium coenophialum. In R.L. Kallenbach et al. (eds.). Paper #214. Abstracts and Proc. of 5th International Symposium on Neotypho¬dium/Grass Interactions. Shockley, F.W., R.L. McGraw, and H.E. Garrett. 2004. Effects of Rhizobium and arbuscular mycorrhiza on the growth and nutrient concentration of two native legumes. Agroforestry Systems. 60:137-132. Smart, A., P. Jeranyama, and V. Owens. 2004. The use of turnips for extending the grazing season. ExEx 2043. South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service. Smart, A.J., W.H. Schacht, L.E. Moser, and J.D. Volesky. 2004. Prediction of leaf/stem ratio using NIRS: a technical note. Agron. J. 96:316-318. Stamps, W.T., T.L. Woods, R.L. McGraw, and M.J. Linit. 2004. Arthropod communities in monocropped and black-walnut intercropped forages. Proceedings 6th walnut research symposium, 2004 July 25 - 28, Lafayette, IN. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-243. USDA and USFS. p. 186. Sulc, R. M. (information source). 2004. Leafhopper-resistant alfalfa shows gains. Hay and Forage Grower. 13 Aug. 2004. PRIMEDIA Business Magazines, Overland Park, KS. Available online at http://hayandforage.com/news/Leafhopper-Resistant-Alfalfa-081304/index.html. Sulc, R. M. 2004. New red clover varieties are more persistent. Amazing Graze News. April 2004. Available at http://forages.osu.edu/News/Archive/index.html. Sulc, R. M. 2004. Timing harvest of silage corn. 2004. p. 118-120 In Bittman and Kowalenko (ed.) Advanced Silage Corn Management. Pacific Field Corn Assoc., Agassiz, B.C. Sulc, R. M., K.d. Johnson, C.C. Sheaffer, D.J. Undersander, and E.V. Santen. 2004. Forage quality of potato leafhopper-resistant and susceptible alfalfa cultivars. Agron. J. 96:337-343. Sulc, R. M., J.S. McCormick, R.B. Hammond, and D. Miller. 2004. Economic thresholds in potato leafhopper resistant alfalfa cultivars. Proc. of Joint Conf. of 39th North Amer. Alfalfa Improvement Conf. and 18th Trifolium Conf. 18-21 July 2004. Quebec City, Canada. Available online at: http://www.naaic.org/Meetings/National/2004NAAIC&TC/2004abstracts/msulc.pdf. Sulc, R. M., J.S. McCormick, L.H. Rhodes, D.J. Barker, and R.B. Hammond. 2004. Ohio forage performance trials. Hort.& Crop Sci. Series 195. Agdex 141, Ohio State Univ. Available at http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~perf/. Sulc, R. M., A. Moraes, S.J. Alves, A. Pelissari, P.F. Carvalho, and J.C. Sa. 2004. How grazing improves competitiveness of soybean farmers in southern Brazil. Proc. American Forage & Grassland Council 13:255. Tracy, B.F. and M.A. Sanderson. 2004. Productivity and stability relationships in pasture communities of varying species composition. Crop Sci. 44: 2180-2186. Tracy, B.F., I.J. Renne, J. Gerrish, and M.A. Sanderson. 2004. Effects of plant diversity on invasion of weed species in experimental pasture communities. Basic and Applied Ecol. 5: 543-550. Undersander, D.J., R. Becker, D. Cosgrove, E. Cullen, J. Doll, C. Grau, K. Kelling, M. Rice, M. Schmitt, C. Sheaffer, G. Shewmaker, and R.M. Sulc. 2004. Alfalfa management guide. NCR547. ASA-CSSA-SSSA, Madison. Van Sambeek, J.W., H.E. Garrett, N.E. Navarrete-Tindall, C.H. Lin and R.L. McGraw. 2004. Percentile rank as an approach to evaluating shade tolerance of ground covers for agroforestry. In: Congress Abstracts, First World Congress of Agroforestry proceedings. 27 June - 2 July. Orlando, Fl. p. 258. Volesky, J.D., W.H. Schacht, and D.M. Richardson. 2004. Stocking rate and grazing frequency effects on Sandhills meadows. J. Range Manage. 57:553-560. Wen, L., J.E. Williams, R.L. Kallenbach, C.A. Roberts, P.R. Beuselinck, and R.L. McGraw. 2004. Cattle preferentially select birdsfoot trefoil from mixtures of tall fescue and birdsfoot trefoil. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2004-0924-01-RS. West, C.P., and S.A. Gunter. 2004. Persistence of HiMag tall fescue inoculated with nontoxic endophytes. In R.L. Kallenbach et al. (eds.). Paper #518. Abstracts and Proc. of 5th International Symposium on Neotyphodium/Grass Interactions.

Impact Statements

NCDC-205 will proceed, through administrative channels, to merge with NCCC-31. This merger will broaden the scope of our project to include biotic stresses.
Our discussions concerning critical shoot number and alfalfa forage yield led to preliminary planning for collaboration between IN and WI (and others?) to test several hypothesis in multiple environments.
Feedback from graduate students who participated in the annual meeting was very positive, and revealed that they benefited by attending.

Date of Annual Report: 05/09/2006

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 03/14/2006 - 03/16/2006
Period the Report Covers: 01/01/2005 - 12/01/2005

Participants

Albrecht, Ken (kaalbrec@wisc.edu), University of Wisconsin-Madison; Barker, Dave (barker.169@osu.edu), Ohio State University (for Mark Sulc); Barnhart, Steve (sbarnhar@iastate.edu), Iowa State University (for Mary Wiedenhoeft); Dong, Xuejun (xjdong@ndsuext.nodak.edu), North Dakota State University; MacAdam, Jennifer (jenmac@cc.usu.edu), Utah State University; McGraw, Bob (McGrawR@missouri.edu), University of Missouri; Moyer, Joe (jmoyer@oznet.k-state.edu) Kansas State University; Owens, Vance (vance.owens@sdstate.edu), South Dakota State University; Skinner, Howard (rhs7@psu.edu), USDA-ARS; Srinivas, Rao (srao@grl.ars.usda.gov), USDA-ARS; Tracy, Ben (bftracy@uiuc.edu), University of Illinois; Volenec, Jeff (jvolenec@purdue.edu), Purdue University; West, Chuck (cwest@uark.edu), University of Arkansas; Robin Groose (groose@uwyo.edu), University of Wyoming; Rik Smith (riksmith@uwyo.edu) University of Wyoming; Jimmy Haux; Keith Harmoney

Brief Summary of Minutes

(15 March)
The meeting was called to order by Chair Kenneth Albrecht at 8:00 AM in the Atrium of the Basin Park Hotel, Eureka Springs, AR. Introductions followed.

The following agenda was presented by Ken Albrecht:

Wednesday, 15 March

Call to order

Discuss Administrative Advisor and CSREES Advisor Status
Daryl Lund (NCRA) conference call

State Reports

Appointment of Committees

State Reports

Field Tour

Thursday, 16 March

Committee Reports, Other Business

Discussion of Outcomes, Impact Statements, and Annual Report

State Reports

Other Business

Pass Gavel

Adjourn

Jennifer Macadam requested addition of discussion of state reports to other business.

Amended agenda adopted.

Administrative advisor status: The group discussed need for new Administrative Advisor as Dr. Dale Gallenberg has accepted position at another university and will no longer serve as AA of NCCC31. Administrative Advisors come from list of AES Directors (Assistant and Associate) and Department Heads. The group was encouraged to give ideas to the Chair. We have had people with forage experience in the past but this is not necessary. We decided to ask Dr. Lund during telephone conference about appointment of a new administrative advisor.

Committee assignments were made by chairman Albrecht:

Location: Jennifer MacAdam and Robin Groose

Nominations: Jeff Volenec and Bob McGraw

Resolutions: Howard Skinner, Dave Barker, and Xuejun Dong

Group proposed that someone other than the chair or secretary be local host for upcoming meetings. Proposal adopted by group.

Call to Dr. Daryl Lund (NCRA)

Telephone conference call with Dr. Daryl Lund focused on three issues:

1. Annual report. Dr. Lund stressed the importance of submitting the annual report through NIMSS. The administrative advisor can designate people to enter this information online. Outcomes and impacts should be contributed by all on committee. One person, given access to NIMSS by Nikki Nelson, can then submit complete report online. The report (SAES-422) is due 60 days after meeting.

2. Impact statement: Dr. Lund noted that all committees should develop a 1-2 page impact statement. Examples are posted on the website from other committees. These are very important because directors look at them when determining use of federal funds and to demonstrate impact current and past research issues. Key characteristics of impact statements are that they should: be broader in scope and cover a longer period of time than the annual report, demonstrate wise allocation of resources, show measurable impact of multi-state committees to congressional delegations and CSREES, and provide concrete examples of how committees work has impacted science, stakeholders, and others. While there is no regular schedule for developing new impact statements, Dr. Lund suggested that we compose a new one every three to five years. Dr. Lund suggested that we can go back to initiation of committee (1966) do document impact.

3. Multi-state funding and Hatch funding in presidents budget: Presidents budget suggested phasing Hatch down to $0 in FY06 and switching to multi-state competitive grant process. Directors convinced congress that this was not practical and Hatch funding actually increased slightly. Directors at various universities distribute Hatch funds differently. Presidential proposal for FY07 is that 55% of Hatch would be competitive over next five years with balance being distributed as in the past. Challenge with this proposal is that multi-state funds would go into new competitive grant program at end of project. AES Directors are working with the administration to resolve some of these issues and manage long-term sustainable funding in partnership with the federal government, particularly since AES directors are generally very supportive of multi-state activities since they help minimize duplication of efforts. USDA-ARS does not seem to be facing similar issues.

State Reports: Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma ARS, Pennsylvania ARS, Wyoming

(16 March)

Business:

Our committee unanimously supported the recommendation of Dave Barker (Chair C-6, CSSA) to co-sponsor two forage symposia during the 2006 ASA annual meetings in Indianapolis: 1. Grasslands for the bioeconomy and 2. Modeling the grassland agroecosystem. It was also noted that we are already co-sponsoring a symposium on spatial statistics.

Committee reports:

Location: Drs. MacAdam and Groose suggested meeting in Ohio. Dr. Barker and Dr. Mark Sulc agreed to make local arrangements and will determine suitable date and location in Ohio. Meeting will most likely take place sometime during the week of 12-16 or 19-23 March 2007.

Nominations: Drs. Volenec and McGraw nominated Ben Tracey to serve as secretary for the 2007 meeting. He accepted and was elected unanimously.

Resolutions: Drs. Skinner, Barker, and Dong proposed the following resolution: Be it hereby resolved that: 1) In recognition of the effort needed to guide NCCC-31 during a time of change in membership, institutional oversight, and requirements for documenting impacts, we thank Ken Albrecht and Vance Owens for their service as chair and secretary during the past year; 2) In appreciation for his efforts to provide an interesting, unique, and attractive setting for this year's meeting, we thank Chuck West for organizing the venue and serving as host for the NCCC-31 annual meeting; and 3) In recognition of the 40th anniversary of the first meeting of NCR-31 (now NCCC-31), we officially recognize and thank those who were instrumental in forming the committee and bringing together researches interested in forage physiology and management, and request that this appreciation be formally conveyed to the following individuals, Dale Smith, Gerry Matches, Larry Smith, Ken Larsen, Gordon Martin, Bob Van Kueren, and Don Holt.
The resolution was unanimously approved.

Other business:

Vance Owens agreed to scan the red book containing notes and minutes from all meetings of NCR-31 and NCCC-31 since its inception in 1966 and provide file copies to all members at next meeting.

Jeff Volenec agreed to lead the effort in putting together an impact statement for NCCC-31. He will work with other members of the committee to demonstrate the impact on forages of past activities of NCCC-31 in several of the following areas:

1. cutting management/strategies
2. cold tolerance/winterhardiness
3. expanding cutting to include grazing (grazing tolerant alfalfa)
4. grazing management
5. forage quality analysis and prediction
6. Stand density, seeding rate, population dynamics, persistence, and endophyte effect on forage crops
7. symbiotic relationships in forage crops
8. carbohydrate and protein metabolism
9. biofuels

State Reports: Indiana, Wisconsin, Utah, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas

Other business:

Several suggestions were made for future meetings to help us better meet reporting needs. These ideas included changing the state report format to highlight outcomes and impacts, adjusting meeting format to allow greater discussion of committee objectives, eliminate field tours, plan symposia other professional meetings. None of these ideas was unanimously accepted as there are positives and negatives associated with each and the exchange of information among committee members is highly valued. However, future meetings will be planned to try to provide more input into accomplishment of objectives and highlighting of outcomes and impacts.

Vance Owens will visit with the new administrative advisor or Daryl Lund to discuss changing the format of our state reports.

Joe Moyer agreed to update the NCCC-31 website on NIMSS.

Gavel was passed to Vance Owens and meeting was adjourned at 12:10 PM Thursday, 16 March.

Minutes respectfully submitted by NCCC-31 secretary, Vance Owens

Accomplishments

Outcomes: Objectives of NCCC-31 focus on fostering opportunities among members and others from diverse states for funding, collaborative work, increased understanding of physiological basis of forage crop management, publication and dissemination of forage information, and interaction among members, professional staff, and students. Interaction among members of NCCC-31 and others has resulted in numerous collaborative efforts in the areas of research, information dissemination, grant funding, and teaching including: Scientists at Iowa State University have initiated forage research projects with scientists from the USDA-ARS and ISU departments of Ag and Biosystems Engineering, Economics, Natural Resources Ecology and Management, and Chemical Engineering. ISU is collaborating with forage scientists within the Midwest, Pennsylvania, and the ISU Crop Advisory Institute to develop forage teaching modules covering various aspects of forage management and production. Mark Sulc and Ben Tracey have developed collaborative research and participated in a symposium at the ASA annual meetings on integrated grain crop and livestock systems. This effort resulted in submission of a manuscript to Agronomy Journal. Xuejun Dong cooperated with Institute of Botany, the Chinese academy of Sciences, in grassland eco-physiological research including bringing two graduate students from China to North Dakota for six months. Discussion of phosphorous/potassium interactions on alfalfa persistence has resulted in preparation of collaborative multi-state research proposal to test theories in other environments (Wisconsin and Purdue). Dirk Phillip identified members of Division C-6, Forage and Grazinglands, at the Crop Science Society of America meeting in November 2005 who were interested in investigating mechanisms to identify or expand federal funding opportunities for grassland research. A conference call with this group (Jeff Volenec and Jennifer MacAdam from NCCC-31) took place to initiate explorations of funding opportunities for forage research through the NRI, NSF, NRCS and EPA. Jennifer MacAdam and Tom Griggs organized a symposium for Division C-6, Forage and Grazinglands, at the Crop Science Society of America meeting in November 2005 entitled Beyond the Plant: Biodiversity Impacts on the Grazing Animal that explored the emerging issue of the impact of plant diversity on ruminants. All speakers were non-members of the Society and included Fred Provenza, who studies herbivore behavior and diet selection; John Haskell, who studies the impact of diet on grazing animals at the landscape level; David Chapman, an Australian scientist who studies forage-ruminant interactions; and an animal scientist, Kathy Soder. Jennifer MacAdam and a graduate student attended a workshop at The Land Institute, where there is interest in moving annual grains to perennials and fertilization with biologically fixed nitrogen. Parallels with forage systems were discussed with the staff and workshop attendees. Several states (MN, WI, and SD) are conducting work on harvest management of alfalfa cultivars tolerant to grazing. Scientists from KS, MO, and AR implemented collaborative research related to tall fescue and the associated fungal endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophialum) and other cool-season grasses. Scientists from several states continue to evaluate new and alternative perennial and annual forage crops for their respective environments. Laboratory protocols (e.g., carbohydrate and protein analysis, carbon flux) have been shared among members of NCCC-31 allowing various scientists to improve research capabilities. Several members participated in the ASA, CSSA, SSSA annual meetings in Salt Lake City, UT in 2005. Results of research conducted by committee members were disseminated through multiple outlets. Committee members and collaborators were authors or co-authors of more than 40 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 25 abstracts of presentations at scientific meetings, 27 conference proceedings, 17 extension articles, and 6 book chapters. During 2006, members plan, among other things, to: continue collaborative research, seek grant funding, publish results of research in various outlets, teach and train undergraduate and graduate students, attend professional meetings, and attend annual meeting of NCCC-31.

Publications

West, C.P., R.D. Carson, C.A. Guerber, and B. de los Reyes. 2005. Endophyte effects on antioxidants and membrane leakage in tall fescue during drought. M. Humphreys (ed.) p. 217. Proc. 4th Conference on Molecular Breeding of Forage and Turf. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Tracy, B.F. and I.J. Renne. 2005. Re- infestation of endophtye-infected tall fescue (E+) in renovated endophyte-free (E) pastures under rotational stocking. Agronomy Journal 97:1473-1477. Skinner, R.H., M.A. Sanderson, B.F. Tracy, C.J. Dell. 2006. Above- and belowground productivity and soil carbon dynamics of pasture mixtures. Agronomy Journal 98:320-326. Renne, I.J., B.F. Tracy and I.A. Colonna. 2006. Grassland invisibility: environmentally driven opportunities, nutrient-induced reversals and its shifting mosaic structure. Ecology (In Press). Tracy, B.F. 2005. Soil compaction in cropland pastures used for winter grazing. p. 450. In XX International Grassland Congress. Wageningen Academic Publishers. The Netherlands. Tracy, B.F. 2005. Forage and livestock productivity on pastures of differing plant diversity. p. 640. In XX International Grassland Congress. Wageningen Academic Publishers. The Netherlands. Casler, M.D. and E.C. Brummer. 2005. Forage yield of smooth bromegrass collections from rural cemeteries. Crop Sci. 45:2510-2516. Delate, K., E. Holzmueller, D.D. Frederick, C. Mize, and C. Brummer. 2005. Tree establishment and growth using forage ground covers in an alley-cropped system in Midwestern USA. Agroforestry Systems 65:43-52. Florine, Sara E., Kenneth J. Moore, Steven L. Fales, Todd A. White, and C. Lee Burras. 2006. Yield and composition of herbaceous biomass harvested from naturalized grassland in southern Iowa. Biomass and Bioenergy oi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2005.12.007 Gibson, Lance R., Ezra Z. Aberle, Allen D. Knapp, Kenneth J. Moore, and Roger Hintz. 2005. Release of seed dormancy in field plantings of eastern gamagrass. Crop Science 45:494-502. Guretzky, John A., Kenneth J. Moore, E. Charles Brummer, and C. Lee Burras. 2005. Species diversity and functional composition of pastures that vary inlandscape position and grazing management. Crop Science 45:282-289. Ren, Haiyu, Tom L. Richard, Zhilin Chen, Monlin Kuo, Yilin Bian, Kenneth J. Moore, and Patricia Patrick. 2006. Ensiling corn stover: effect of feedstock preservation on particleboard performance. Biotechnology Progress 22:78-85. Tarr, Alison B., Kenneth J. Moore, and Philip M. Dixon. 2005. Spectral reflectance as a covariate for estimating pasture productivity and composition. Crop Science 45:996-1003. Tarr, Alison B., Kenneth J. Moore, Donald G. Bullock, Philip M. Dixon, and C. Lee Burras. 2005. Improving map accuracy of soil variables using soil electroconductivity as a covariate. Precision Agriculture 6:255-270. Weishaar, Mindy A., E. Charles Brummer, Jeffrey J. Volenec, Kenneth J. Moore and Suzanne Cunningham. 2005. Improving winter hardiness in nondormant alfalfa germplasm. Crop Science 45:60-65. Brummer, E.C. 2005. Thoughts on breeding for increased forage yield. p. 63. In F.P. O'Mara, R.J. Wilkins, L.'t Mannetje, D.K. Lovett, P.A.M. Rogers, and T.M. Boland (eds.) XX International Grassland Congress: Offered papers. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Moore, K. J. and J. R. Russell. 2005. Predicting intake from indigestible fibre. Proc. XX International Grassland Congr., p. 268. Picasso, V.D. and E.C. Brummer. 2005. Plant functional diversity increases biomass production in the establishment of perennial herbaceous polycultures. p. 643. In F.P. O'Mara, R.J. Wilkins, L.'t Mannetje, D.K. Lovett, P.A.M. Rogers, and T.M. Boland (eds.) XX International Grassland Congress: Offered papers. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Ren, H., T. L. Richard, K. Moore, and P. Patrick. 2005. Effects of chemical additives on corn stover biomass preservation and pretreatment. Paper No. 057045, In Proceedings 2005 ASAE Annual International Meeting, American Society of Agricultural Engineers. Ren, H., T. L. Richard, Z. Chen, M. Kuo, Y. Bian, K. J. Moore, and P. Patrick. 2005. Ensiling corn stover with enzyme addition as a feedstock preservation method for particleboard manufacturing. In Proc. Institute of Biological Engineering, Athens, GA., 4-7 March. Burch, Patrick, Robert Masters, Edward S. Hagood, Kevin Bradley, William Witt, Kenneth Moore, and James Breuninger. 2005. Aminopyralid: a new herbicide for integrated pasture renovation programs. Agron Abstr. [CD-ROM computer file], ASA, Madison, WI. Florine, S. E., K. J. Moore, S. L. Fales, and R. L. Hintz. 2005. The relationship between species diversity and productivity of cool-season grassland. Proc. XX International Grassland Congr., p. 642. Haiyu Ren, Tom L. Richard, Zhilin Chen, Monlin Kuo, Yilin Bian, Kenneth J. Moore, and Patricia Patrick. 2005. Ensiling corn stover with enzyme addition as a feedstock preservation method for particleboard manufacturing. Biobased Industry Outlook Conference, Research Posters, #24. August 29, 2005. Iowa State University, Ames, IA. Philipp, Dirk, Kenneth Moore, Tom Richard, and Patricia Patrick. 2005. Pretreatment strategies for preservation of lignocellulosic biomass. Agron Abstr. [CD-ROM computer file], ASA, Madison, WI. Stokke, Douglas D. and Kenneth J. Moore. 2005. Iowa-grown kenaf for natural-fiber composites. Biobased Industry Outlook Conference, Research Posters, #8. 29 Aug. 29 2005. Iowa State Univ, Ames, IA. Wiltshire, K. Delate, M. Wiedenhoeft, and J. Flora. 2005. Factors Contributing to Grassland Implementation and Multifunctionality at Field, Farm and Community Levels in Marion County, Iowa. K. Agron Abstr. [CD-ROM computer file], ASA, Madison, WI. Harmoney, K. R. 2005. Growth responses of perennial cool-season grasses grazed intermittently. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2005-0105-01-RS. Harmoney, K. R., and Thompson, C. A. 2005. Fertilizer rate and placement alters triticale forage yield and quality. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2005-0512-01-RS. Harmoney, K.R., and J. Brethour. Modified Intensive-early Stocking on Shortgrass Rangeland. Society for Range Management Abstracts 2005. Harmoney, K.R. Rangeland Management in Western Kansas. Proceedings of the 2005 Kansas Hay and Grazing Conference. Hutchinson, KS. 14 and 15 Dec 2005. Bock, B.J., J.R. Brethour, K.R. Harmoney, and S.R. Goodall. 2004. Influence of betaine on pasture, finishing, and carcass performance in steers. Prof. Anim. Scientist. 20:53-57. Harmoney, K.R., and K.R. Hickman. 2004. Comparative morphology of Caucasian old world bluestem and native grasses. Agron. J. 96:1540-1544. Harmoney, K.R., P.W. Stahlman, and K.R. Hickman. 2004. Herbicide effects on established yellow old world bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum). Weed Tech. 18:545-550. Harmoney, K.R., P.W. Stahlman, and K.R. Hickman. 2004. Yellow old world bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum) response to herbicides. Society for Range Management, Annual Meeting Abstracts. Abstract #128. Harmoney, K.R., P.W. Stahlman, and K.R. Hickman. 2004. Suppression of yellow old world bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum) with herbicides. Western Section of Weed Science Society of America, Annual Meeting Abstracts. Nicholson, R.A., P.I. Coyne, S.J. Casey, and K.R. Harmoney. 2004. A device for marking and mapping patches and individual plants with high resolution GPS. Society for Range Management, Annual Meeting Abstracts. Abstract #274. Sweeney, D. W. and J. L. Moyer. 2004. In-season nitrogen uptake by grain sorghum following legume green manures in conservation tillage systems. Agron. J. 96:510-515. Lomas, L. W., J. L. Moyer, G. L. Kilgore, and G. A. Milliken. 2004. Effects of grazing on legume persistence, forage production, and steer performance in endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures. Prof. Anim. Sci. 20:46-52. Moyer, J. L., J. O. Fritz, and J. J. Higgins. 2004. Trends in forage yield and nutritive value of hay-type Sorghum spp. Agron. J. 96:1453-1458. Moyer, J. L., and J. J. Higgins. 2005. Calculation of sample number to accurately measure available pasture forage. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2005-1123-01-BR. Lomas, L. W., J. L. Moyer, F. K. Brazle, G. L. Kilgore, and G. A. Milliken. 2006. Comparison of interseeding lespedeza with additional nitrogen fertilization on forage production and steer performance in a wheat-crabgrass grazing system. Prof. Anim. Sci. 22:1-7. Leep, R., and D. Min. 2005. Clovers Beat Commercial Fertilizer Nitrogen In Michigan Studies. Forge Leader. American Forage and Grasslands Council. Spring Edition. P. 11. Min, D. and R. Leep. 2005. Making The Most Of Manure, Putting Dairy Manure On Alfalfa Can Cut Fertilizer Costs And Provide Additional Land For Manure Disposal. Forage Leader. American Forage and Grasslands Council. Summer Edition. Pgs. 12-13. Leep, R., T. Dietz, D. Min, and C. Kapp. 2005. Forage Varieties For Michigan in 2006. On line at http://www.msue.msu.edu/fis/ Leep, R. H. and T. R. Dietz. 2005. Michigan 2005 Alfalfa Variety Trials. http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/cm/trials/ Min, D. H. and R. H. Leep. 2005. We Can Reduce Risk Of Alfalfa Winterkill. http://www.msu.edu/user/mdr/archives/mdrvol10no4.pdf Min, D.H. and R. H. Leep. 2005. Some Tips For Spring Forage Management. http://www.msu.edu/user/mdr/archives/mdrvol10no2.pdf Leep, R. H., P. Kaatz, and P. Taylor. 2005 Climatic and Management Effects on Forage Quality. Proceedings of Forage 2005 Extension Program. Michigan State University Boring, T., Leep, R. H. Leep, D.H. Min, and S. Snapp. 2005. Integration Of Potato Production, Dairy Forage And Manure Management Systems. Abstract. American Society of Agronomy Annual Meeting. Salt Lake City, Utah. Jeranyama, P. , R. Leep, T. Dietz, and D. Min. 2005. Sward composition, forage yield, and grazing effects in kura clover and grass mixtures. Abstract. American Society of Agronomy Annual Meeting. Salt Lake City, Utah. Beuselinck, P.R, R.L. McGraw, C.A. Roberts, and R.L. Kallenbach. 2005. Cool-season CRP management with fire and haying. ASA-CSSA annual meeting. Salt Lake City, UT. In Agronomy Abstracts. ASA, Madison, WI. Kallenbach R.L., and R.L. McGraw. 2005. The influence of nitrogen rate and pasture composition on the toxicity, quality and yield of stockpiled tall fescue. p.71-77. Missouri soil fertility and fertilizers research update 2003. Agron. Misc. Publ. 05-01. Univ. Missouri. Columbia, MO. Kallenbach, R. L., C.A. Roberts, T.R. Lock, T. R., D.H. Keisler, M.R. Ellersieck, M. R., and G.E. Rottinghaus. 2006. Performance of steers fed ammoniated straw from tall fescue seed fields. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2006-0113-01-RS. Leblanc H.A., P. Nygren, and R.L. McGraw. 2006. Evaluation of Inga edulis and Inga samanensis for Firewood and Green-Mulch Production in an Organic Corn Alley-Cropping Practice in the Humid Tropics. J. Tropical Agric. (In Press) Leblanc H.A., P. Nygren, and R.L. McGraw. 2006. Green Mulch Decomposition and Nitrogen Release from Leaves of Two Inga spp. in an Organic Alley-Cropping Practice in the Humid Tropics. Soil Biol. and Biochem. 38:349-358. Leblanc H.A., R.L. McGraw, P. Nygren, and C. LeRoux. 2005. Neotropical legume tree Inga edulis forms N2-fixing symbiosis with fast-growing Bradyrhizobium strains. Plant and Soil volume 275:123-133. McGraw, R.L., W.T. Stamps, and M. Linit. 2005. Alfalfa yield, forage quality, and maturation in a black walnut alley-cropping practice. Agronomy Abstracts (CD-ROM), ASA Madison, WI. McGraw, R.L., W.T. Stamps, and M. Linit. 2005. Yield and maturation of alfalfa in a black walnut alley-cropping practice. Proceedings of the 9th North American Agroforestry Conference, Rochester, MN. (CD-ROM) 5pp. Roberts, C.A., and J.A. Andrae. 2005. Public education in tall fescue toxicosis. p. 359-377. In C.A. Roberts, et al. (eds.) Neotyphodium in Cool-Season Grasses. Blackwell Publishing Professional, Ames, IA. Roberts, C.A., C.P. West, and D.A. Spiers (eds.) 2005. Neotyphodium in Cool-Season Grasses. Blackwell Publishing Professional, Ames, IA. Roberts, C.A., H.R. Benedict, N.S Hill, R.L. Kallenbach, and G.E. Rottinghaus. 2005. Determination of ergot alkaloid content in tall fescue by near-infrared spectroscopy. Crop Sci. 45:778-783. Stamps, W.T., T.L. Woods, R.L. McGraw, and M.J. Linit. 2005. Alfalfa weevil mortality in alley cropped and monocropped alfalfa. Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. (Poster). Stamps, W.T., T.L. Woods, R.L. McGraw, and M.J. Linit. 2005. Arthropod communities in temperate agroforestry: Theory and reality. Proceedings of the 9th North American Agroforestry Conference, Rochester, MN. (CD-ROM) 6pp. Dong, X., P. Nyren, B. Patton, G. Wang, B. Kreft, A. Nyren, R. Limb, D. Kirby and L. Cihacek. 2005. Basic plant and soil process measurements for range ecosystem modeling and management-updates for 2005. North Dakota State University Central Grasslands Research Extension Center 2005 Annual Report. P12-16. Wang, D., S. Wang, B. Patton, X. Dong, G. Wang, X. Pan, A. Nyren and P. Nyren. 2005. Plant responses to different grazing intensities in the Missouri Coteau of North Dakota. North Dakota State University Central Grasslands Research Extension Center 2005 Annual Report. P27-30. Pan, X., S. Wang, G. Wang, X. Dong, B. Patton, A. Nyren and P. Nyren. 2005. Evaluation of ecosystem services provide by the Coteau rangeland of North Dakota. North Dakota State University Central Grasslands Research Extension Center 2005 Annual Report. P9-11. Wang, G., S. Wang, B. Patton, P. Nyren, X. Dong and A. Nyren. 2005. Grazing effects on the mixed-grass prairie seedbank in the Coteau region of North Dakota. North Dakota State University Central Grasslands Research Extension Center 2005 Annual Report. P31-33. Rogers, W.M., D. R. Kirby, P. E. Nyren, B. D. Patton and E. S. Dekeyser. 2005. Grazing intensity effects on Northern Plains mixed-grass prairie. The Prairie Naturalist 37(2): 73-83. Bultemeier, T. L., Barker, D. J., Sulc, R. M., Harrison, S. K., and Regnier, E. E. 2005. Species interactions with quackgrass and their effects on forage production. Crop Sci. 45:290-296. Barker, D. J., Sulc, R. M., Bultemeier, T. L., McCormick, J. S., Little, R. C., Penrose, C. D., and Samples, D. H. 2005. Contrasting toxic-endophyte contamination between endophyte-free and nontoxic-endophyte tall fescue pastures. Crop Sci. 45:616-625. Lang, C. R., Pelissari, A., Moraes, A., Sulc, R. M., Oliveira, E. B., and Carvalho, P. C. 2005. 2004. Fitomassa Aérea Residual Da Pastagem De Inverno No Sistema Integração Lavoura-Pecuária. Science Agraria. 5:43-48. Univ. Federal do Parana. Lamb, J. S., Sheaffer, C. C., Rhodes, L. H., Sulc, R. M., Undersander, D. J., and Brummer, E. C. 2005. Five decades of alfalfa cultivar improvement: impact on forage yield, persistence, and nutritive value. Agron. J. 46:902-909. Wedderburn, M. E., D. J. Barker, D. F. Chapman, S. J. Orr, N. Dymock (2005) Genetic differentiation in white clover (Trifolium repens) populations during 8 years of contrasting phosphorus supply in New Zealand hill country. New Zealand journal of agricultural research 48:63-74. http://www.rsnz.org/publish/nzjar/2005/008.php Silveira, E. R., Pelissari, A., Moraes, A., Oliveira, E. B., Bonatto, S., Lang, C. R., and Sulc, R. M. 2005. Corn grain yield and quality when grown after winter pasture submitted to different grazing intensities and nitrogen rates. In 2005 Agronomy Abstracts, ASA-CSSA-SSSA, Madison, WI. [CD-ROM computer file], Available online at http://crops.confex.com/crops/2005am/techprogram/index.html. Silva, H. A., Koehler, H. S., Moraes, A., Guimarães, V. D., Carvalho, P. C., Iora, E., Bona, A., and Sulc, R. M. 2005. Economic analyses of milk production in integrated crop-livestock systems. In 2005 Agronomy Abstracts, ASA-CSSA-SSSA, Madison, WI. [CD-ROM computer file], Available online at http://crops.confex.com/crops/2005am/techprogram/index.html. Sulc, R. M., and Tracy, B. F. 2005. Integrated crop-livestock systems in humid, cool temperate environments of North America. In 2005 Agronomy Abstracts, ASA-CSSA-SSSA, Madison, WI. [CD-ROM computer file], Available online at http://crops.confex.com/crops/2005am/techprogram/index.html. Sulc, R. M., McCormick, J. S., Hammond, R. B., and Miller, D. 2005. Alfalfa resistance to potato leafhopper and its affect on the economic threshold. In American Forage & Grassland Council Proc. Vol. 14, Bloomington, IL. 11-15 June 2005. American Forage & Grassland Council, Georgetown, TX. McCormick, J. S., Sulc, R. M., Barker, D. J., and Beuerlein, J. E. 2005. Customizing rising plate meter calibration for annual species and environments. American Forage and Grasslands Congress Proceedings 14: 203. Bello, M., Moraes, A., Alves, S., Carvalho, P. C., Ricce, W. S., and Sulc, R. M. 2005. Management of oat-Lolium pasture in integrated crop-livestock systems. In 2005 Agronomy Abstracts, ASA-CSSA-SSSA, Madison, WI. [CD-ROM computer file], Available online at http://crops.confex.com/crops/2005am/techprogram/index.html. Sulc, R. M., Moraes, A., and Carvalho, P. F. 2005. Grazing operations in southern Brazil. p.1-4 In Proc. Heart of America Grazing Conf.19-20 Jan. 2005. Wilmington, OH. USDA Nat. Res. Cons. Serv., Lancaster, OH. Barker, D. J., Little, R. C., Samples, D. H., Penrose, C. D., Sulc, R. M., McCormick, J. S., and Bultemeier, T. L. 2005. Comparative lamb and heifer growth rates on non-toxic and endophyte-free tall fescue. American Forage and Grasslands Congress Proceedings 14: 72-75. Barker, D. J., Sulc, R. M., and Bultemeier, T. L. 2005. Species richness affects grassland yield and yield stability across seasons, sites and years. p 130. In J.A. Milne (ed.) Pastoral Systems in Marginal Environments. Wageningen Academic Publishers. Proceedings of a Satellite Workshop of the XXth International Grassland Congress. Glasgow Scotland. July 2005. Sulc, R. M., Moraes, A., Alves, S. J., Pelissari, A., Carvalho, P. C., and Lang, C. R. 2005. Production systems to integrate livestock grazing and grain production in southern Brazil and Midwestern USA. p. 388 In F.P. O'Mara et al. (ed.) Proc. XX International Grassland Congress, Dublin, Ireland. 26 June - 2 July 2005. Wageningen Acad. Publ., Wageningen, The Netherlands. Hume D.E. and Barker D.J. 2005. Growth and Management of Endophytic Grasses in Pastoral Agriculture. p. 199-225. In C.A. Roberts, C.P. West, and D.E. Spiers (eds.) Neotyphodium in cool-season grasses. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA. Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Neotyphodium/Grass Interactions, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. 23-26 May 2004. Barker, D.J. and R.M. Sulc. 2006. Forage crops and rangeland. Chapter 20 in Hartmann's Plant Science: Growth, Development, and Utilization of Cultivated Plants (4th Edition). ed. M. McMahon et al. Publ. Prentice Hall (in press). Sulc, R. M., McCormick, J. S., Rhodes, L. H., and Barker, D. J. 2005. Ohio forage performance trials. Hort.& Crop Sci. Series 195. The Ohio State Univ. (Available online at http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~perf/). Also published in Ohio's Country Journal Supplement, Dec. 2005. Sulc, R. M., and Barker, D. J. 2005. Forage production. p. 89-116 In Ohio Agronomy Guide, 14th ed. Bull. 472, Ohio State Univ. Extension, Columbus. Pp 89-116. Barker, D. J., and Sulc, R. M. 2005. Pasture and grazing management. p. 124-134 In Ohio Agronomy Guide, 14th ed. Bull. 472, Ohio State Univ. Extension, Columbus. Pp 124-134. X. Dong, B. Patton, P. Nyren, B. Kreft, A. Nyren, L. Cihacek and J. Richardson. Effects of long-term cattle grazing on leaf water relations of two cool-season grasses in the Missouri Coteau of North Dakota. Poster presentation at the Society of Range Management 58th Annual Meeting, Fort Worth, TX. Feb. 05-11, 2005. X. Dong, P. Nyren, B. Patton and A. Nyren. Photosynthesis-light curves of 3 seeded species in a Conservation Reserve Program study field. Oral presentation at the Society of Range Management 58th Annual Meeting, Fort Worth, TX. Feb. 05-11, 2005. Northup, B.K., Phillips, W.A., and Mayeux, H.S. Graze-out plus: filling forage gaps in the southern Great Plains, USA. Proceedings 20th International Grassland Congress: Offered Papers, p. 468. 2005. Northup, B.K., Phillips, W.A., and Mayeux, H.S. A modified forage system for stocker production in the southern Great Plains, USA. Proceedings 20th International Grassland Congress: Offered Papers, p. 469. 2005. S.C. Rao., H.S. Mayeux., and B.K. Northup. 2005. Performance of forage soybeans in the southern Great Plains. Crop Sci. 45:1973-1977. S.C. Rao., B.K. Northup., and H.S. Mayeux. 2005. Candidate cool-season legumes for filling forage deficit periods in the southern Great Plains. Crop Sci. 45:2068-2074. Berg, W.K., S.M. Cunningham, S.M. Brouder, K.D. Johnson, B.C. Joern, and J.J. Volenec. 2005. Influence of phosphorus and potassium fertilization on alfalfa yield and yield components. Crop Sci. 45: 297-304. Meuriot, F., M.-L. Decau, A. Morvan-Bertrand, M.-P. Prudhomme, F. Gastal, J.-C. Simon, J.J. Volenec, and J.-C. Avice. 2005. Contribution of initial C and N reserves in Medicago sativa recovering from defoliation: impact of cutting height and residual leaf area. Func. Plant Biol. 32:321-334. Abu Qamar, S.F., T.G. Sors, S.M. Cunningham, B.C. Joern, and J.J. Volenec. 2005. Phosphate nutrition effects on growth, phosphate transporter transcript levels and physiology of alfalfa cells. Plant Cell Tiss. Organ Cult. 82:131-140. Weishaar, M.A., E.C. Brummer, J.J. Volenec, K.J. Moore, and S.M. Cunningham. 2005. Improving winter hardiness in nondormant alfalfa germplasm. Crop Sci. 45:60-65. Abu Qamar, S.F., S.M. Cunningham, and J.J. Volenec. 2006. Phosphate nutrition and defoliation effects on growth and root physiology of alfalfa. J. Plant Nutr. (in press) Castonguay, Y., S. Laberge, E.C. Brummer, and J.J. Volenec. 2006. Alfalfa winter hardiness: A research retrospective and integrated perspective. Adv. Agron. (in press) Volenec, J.J., W.K. Berg, S.M. Cunningham, S.M. Brouder, and B.C. Joern. 2005. Critical shoot density and forage yield of alfalfa. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings, Salt Lake City, UT. Abstr. No. 67-5, CD-ROM. Evans, J.N., J.J. Volenec, S.M. Cunningham, S.M. Brouder, and B.C. Joern. 2005. Impact of P and K nutrition on alfalfa root development and taproot composition. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings, Salt Lake City, UT. CD-ROM. Lissbrant, S.I., S. Howard, S.M. Cunningham, S.M. Brouder, B.C. Joern, and J.J. Volenec. 2005. Impact of Long-Term P and K Fertilization on Soil Test P and K Levels, Tissue P and K Concentrations, and Alfalfa Growth. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings, Salt Lake City, UT. CD-ROM. Fernandez, F., S.M. Brouder, C. Beyrouty, J.J. Volenec, and R. Hoyum. 2005. Impact of Stratified Potassium and Water Content of No-till Soils on Soybean Growth and Yield. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings, Salt Lake City, UT. CD-ROM. Quaye, L.K., S.M. Cunningham, J.J. Volenec, and J.A. Gana. 2005. Expression of RootCAR1 in seedlings of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) exposed to exogenous ABA, cold, dehydration, and salinity. Amer. Soc. Plant Biol. Ann. Meeting, Seattle, WA. Abstr. No. 173. URL:http://abstracts.aspb.org/pb2005/public/P38/8077.html Singa, R.P.N., S.M. Cunningham, J.J. Volenec, and J.A. Gana. 2005. Analysis of RootCAR1 promoter in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) mesophyll and root tissue protoplasts. Amer. Soc. Plant Biol. Ann. Meeting, Seattle, WA. Abstr. No. 170. URL:http://abstracts.aspb.org/pb2005/public/P38/8033.html Milton, A.C., S.M. Cunningham, J.J. Volenec, and J.A. Gana. 2005. Determining if dual TATA elements in RootCAR1 promoter have functional alternative transcription start sites in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) abiotic-stressed plants. Amer. Soc. Plant Biol. Ann. Meeting, Seattle, WA. Abstr. No. 172. URL:http://abstracts.aspb.org/pb2005/public/P38/8071.html Boe, A., and M.D. Casler 2005. Hierarchical analysis of switchgrass morphology. Crop Sci. 45:2465-2472. Boe, A., K.H. Keeler, G.A. Norrmann, and S.L. Hatch. 2004. The indigenous bluestems of the Western Hemisphere and gambagrass. p. 873-908 In L.E. Moser et al. (ed.) Warm-season (C4) grasses. Agron. Monogr. 45. ASA, Madison, WI. Lee, D.K. and V.N. Owens. 2005. Biomass production potential of native warm-season grass monocultures and mixtures. In Agronomy Abstracts [CD-ROM computer file]. Lee, D.K. and A. Boe. 2005. Biomass Production of Switchgrass in Central South Dakota Crop Sci. 45: 2583-2590. Mulkey, V.R., V.N. Owens, and D.K. Lee. 2006. Management of switchgrass-dominated Conservation Reserve Program lands for biomass production in South Dakota. Crop Sci. 46:712-720. Owens, V.N. and C. Lee. 2005. Alfalfa cultivar yield test for South Dakota: 2005 Report. Available at http://plantsci.sdstate.edu/forages/ (verified 10 March 2006). Pruitt, R.J., W.B. Epperson, V.N. Owens, and A.J. Smart. 2005. Fenceline weaning on pasture and forage barley to extend the grazing season for replacement heifers a three-year summary. 2005 SD Beef Report p. 3-7. Dept. of Animal and Range Sciences. SDSU. Smart, A.J., V.N. Owens, and R.J. Pruitt. 2005. Sod suppression techniques for legume interseeding. 2005 SD Beef Report p. 102-108. Dept. of Animal and Range Sciences. SDSU. Corson, M.S., R.H. Skinner, and C.A. Rotz. 2006. Modification of the SPUR rangeland model to simulate species composition and pasture productivity in humid temperate regions. Agricultural Systems 87:169-191. Goslee, S.C., M.A. Sanderson and K.J. Soder. 2005. Species richness, species identity and ecosystem function in managed temperate grasslands. International Grassland Congress Proceedings Glasgow Satellite Workshop. Pastoral Systems in Marginal Environments p. 162. Goslee, S.C., and M.A. Sanderson. 2005. Ecosystem management in pasture communities: Tools from restoration ecology. International Grassland Congress Proceedings 20:767. Kiniry, J.R., K.A. Cassida, M.A. Hussey, J.P. Muir, W.R. Ocumpaugh, J.C. Read, R.L. Reed, M.A. Sanderson, B.C. Venuto, and J.R. Williams. 2005. Switchgrass simulation by the ALMANAC model at diverse sites in the southern U.S. Biomass and Bioenergy 29:419-425. Labreveux, M., M.A. Sanderson, and M.H. Hall. 2006. Forage chicory and plantain nutritive value of herbage at variable grazing frequencies and intensities. Agron. J. 98:231-237. Rotz, C.A., M. Russelle, F. Taube, M.A. Sanderson, and J. Oenema. 2005. Whole-farm perspectives of nutrient flows in grassland agriculture. Crop Sci. 45:2139-2159. Sanderson, M.A. 2005. Plant Species Diversity: Management Implications for Temperate Pasture Production. In Climate Change and Managed Ecosystems. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Sanderson, M.A. 2005. Plant diversity in pastures: management implications. Proceedings of the Appalachian Grazing Conference, 22-24 March 2005. Morgantown, WV. West Virginia Coop. Ext. Serv., Morgantown. Sanderson, M.A., Soder, K.J., Muller, L.D., Klement, K.D., Skinner, R.H., and Goslee, S.C. 2005. Forage mixture productivity and botanical composition in pastures grazed by dairy cattle. Agron J. 97:1465-1471. Sanderson, M.A., S.C. Goslee, and J.B. Cropper. 2005. Pasture assessment in the Northeast United States. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2005-1031-01-RS. Sanderson, M.A., K.J. Soder, N. Brzezinski, F. Taube, K. Klement, L. Muller, and M. Wachendorf. 2006. Sward Structure of Simple and Complex Mixtures of Temperate Forages. Agron. J. 98:238-244. Skinner, R.H. 2005. Cultivar and Environmental Effects on Freezing Tolerance of Narrow-Leaf Plantain. Crop. Sci. 45:2330-2336. Skinner, R.H. 2005. Emergence and survival of pasture species sown in monocultures or mixtures. Agron. J. 97: 799-805. Skinner, R.H. 2005. Dormant-season carbon fluxes in humid-temperate pastures. p. 592, In F.P. OMara, R.J. Wilkins, L. t Mannejte, D.K. Lovett, P.A. M. Rogers, and T.M. Boland (eds.) XX International Grassland Congress: Offered papers. Wageningen Academic Publishers, The Netherlands. Skinner, R.H. 2005. Management effects on carbon dioxide exchange over Northeastern pastures. In: Proc. USDA Symposium on Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture and Forestry: Refining Knowledge and Building Tools. Baltimore, Md. Mar. 21-24, 2005. Skinner, R.H., M.A. Sanderson, B.F. Tracy, and C.J. Dell. 2006. Above- and belowground productivity and soil carbon dynamics of pasture mixtures. Agron. J. 98:320-326. Soder, K.J. Technical Note: Influence of rumen inoculum source on in vitro dry matter digestibility of pasture. 2005. Professional Animal Scientist. 21:45-49. Soder, K.J., M. A. Sanderson, J.L. Stack, and L.D. Muller. 2005. Intake and milk production of lactating dairy cows grazing diverse forage mixtures over two grazing seasons. In Murphy, J. J. (ed.) Utilisation of grazed grass in temperate animal systems, Proceedings of a satellite workshop of the XXth International Grassland Congress, July 2005, Cork, Ireland, Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Page 164. Atwood, S.B., N. McCoy, D.L. Snyder, R.E. Banner, J. Pfister, and F.D. Provenza. 2005. Land Manager's GEM: A Flexible Framework for Comparative Analyses. UAES Research Report No. 193. Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University, Logan, UT. Burritt, E. A., H. F. Mayland, F. D. Provenza, R. L. Miller, and J. C. Burns. 2005. Effect of added sugar on preference and intake by sheep of hay cut in the morning versus the afternoon. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 94: 245-254. Drake, D.R., T.C. Griggs, and G.E. Cardon. 2005. Non-traditional soil amendments in western U.S. alfalfa production. Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. Griggs, T.C., C.E. Israelsen, K. Pack, D.R. Fillmore, and D.D. Knudsen. 2005. Silage corn performance, 2004; Cache County, Utah. Online, Utah State University Extension electronic publ. AG/Crop Trials/2005-01. Griggs, T.C., J.W. MacAdam, H.F. Mayland, and J.C. Burns. 2005. Nonstructural carbohydrate and digestibility patterns in orchardgrass swards during daily defoliation sequences initiated in evening and morning. Crop Science.45: 1295-1304. Griggs, T.C., K. Pack, D.R. Fillmore, M.M. Guenter, and R.D. Clawson. 2005. Forage productivity and nutritional value of winter cereals planted at three fall dates. Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. Holmgren, L., D.R. ZoBell, K. Chapman. 2005. Developing beef quality assurance materials for youth. Proc. West. Sec. Amer. Soc. Anim. Sci., 56: 203-206. MacAdam, J.W. and T. C. Griggs. 2005. Forage nutritive value of irrigated pasture species for the Intermountain West. In Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. MacAdam, J. W., T. C. Griggs and G. J. Mileski. 2005. The interaction of management with botanical composition of irrigated grass-legume pasture mixtures in the Intermountain West USA. p. 357 In O'Mara, F.P., R.J. Wilkins, L. t'Mannete, D.K. Lovett, P.A.M. Rogers and T. Boland (ed) Proceedings of the XX International Grassland Congress, Dublin, Ireland, 26 June-1 July 2005. Mayland, H., P. Gregorini, D. Mertens, B. Taylor, J. Burns, D. Fisher, T. Ciavarella, K. Smith, G. Shewmaker, and T. Griggs. 2005. Diurnal changes in forage quality and their effects on animal preference, intake, and performance. Proc. 2005 California Alfalfa Symposium, Visalia, CA, 12-14 December. Miller, R. L., V. Thacker, and L. Petersen. 2005. Nutrient leaching under management intensive grazing, Proceedings Western Nutrient Management, Salt Lake City, Utah. March 3-4, 2005. 6:20-24. Petersen, L.A., R.L. Miller, and V.J. Thacker. 2005. Phosphorus leaching under grazed forages. Agronomy Abstracts. Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy. Stonecipher, C.A., K.C. Olson, M.A. Buck, and J.C. Malechek. 2005. Digesta kinetics of steers fed forage kochia (Kochia prostrata) in a low quality forage diet. Proc. West. Sec. Amer. Soc. Anim. Sci., 56:442-444. peer-reviewed proceedings Stonecipher, C., K. Olson, M. Buck, and J. Malechek,. 2005. Digesta kinetics of steers fed forage kochia (Kochia prostrata) in a low quality forage diet. J. Anim. Sci. 83, Suppl. 2:130. Waldron, B.L., D.R. ZoBell, K.C. Olson, K.B. Jensen, and D.L. Snyder. 2005. Using stockpiled forage kochia and crested wheatgrass to maintain beef cows during winter. Agronomy Abstracts (CD-ROM), ASA, Madison, WI. Wayment, H., R. Wiedmeier, K. Olson, D. Snyder, and P. Schmidt. 2005. Long-term use of low-quality forages in beef cow nutritional management: Effects on productivity and economics. J. Anim. Sci. 83, Suppl. 2:106-107. Wiedmeier, R.D., D.R. ZoBell, D.L. Snyder, and K.C. Olson. 2005. Biological and economic aspects of an accelerated, value-added cow-calf production system utilizing improved irrigated farm land. Utah State University Extension Publication AG/beef/09http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/BiologicalEcono micAspects.pdf ZoBell, D.R., E.K. Okine, K.C. Olson, R.D. Wiedmeier, L.A. Goonewardene and C. Stonecipher. 2005. Effects of feeding wheat straw and middlings ensiled with whey on digestibility and growth of cattle. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 85: 69-74. Contreras-Govea, F.E. and K.A. Albrecht. 2005. Mixtures of kura clover with small grains for Italian ryegrass to extend the forage production season in the northern USA. Agron. J. 97:131-136. Eleki, K., R.M. Cruse, and K.A. Albrecht. 2005. Root segregation of C3 and C4 species using carbon isotope composition. Crop Sci. 45:879-882. Mikolayunas, C., D. Thomas, K. Albrecht. 2005. The effect of supplementation and stage of lactation on performance of grazing dairy ewes. p. 1-10. In D. Thomas (ed.) Proc. 51st Annual Spooner Sheep Day, Spooner, WI. 27 Aug. 2005. Milofsky, T., F. Calispa, K. Albrecht, E. Molina, S. Erazo, and A. Torres. 2005. Cultivo de maiz sobre cobertura de trebol lotus en Cosanga. p. 186-190. In K. Hernandez et al. (ed.) Contribuciones de lainvestigacion participativa al desarrollo sustentable de las comunidades de montana. NINA Communications, Quito, Ecuador. Hedtcke, J., J. Posner, and K. Albrecht. 2004. Using managed grazing to restore oak savanna structure: Impact on cattle. P. 66, In North American Prairie Conference abstracts. Kim, B.W., G.S. Kim, K.A. Albrecht, and K.I. Sung. 2005. Effects of lactic acid bacteria and formic acid on the silage quality of whole crop rice. J. Dairy Sci. 88:150, Suppl. 1. Kim, B. and K. Albrecht. 2005. Kura clover spreading ability with grass competition. J. Dairy Sci. 88:32, Suppl. 1. Armstrong, K.L., K. A. Albrecht, J. G. Lauer, and H. Riday. 2005. Nutritional improvement of corn for silage by intercropping with climbing beans. In Annual meeting abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. Armstrong, K.L., K.A. Albrecht, J.G. Lauer, H. Riday. 2005. Intercropping climbing beans with corn for silage. In Proc. American Forage and Grassland Conference [DC-ROM], Bloomington, IL. 12-15 June 2005. AFGC, Georgetown, TX.

Impact Statements

Novel (nontoxic to livestock) endophytes will be used increasingly to promote persistence of tall fescue, thereby reducing long-term risks of stand loss and increasing livestock productivity. New information on adaptability and management of traditional and novel legumes will extend the exploitation of biological nitrogen fixation into a wider range of production systems and climatic regimes, which will reduce costs of nitrogen inputs in forage systems.
Sharing information related to tall fescue and endophytes among three states with NCCC-31 members (MO, KS, and AR) plus adjoining states, has been critical since a major portion of the U.S. cowherd that depends on tall fescue is in this region. Incremental improvement in cattle performance from cattle grazing tall fescue results in major increases in productivity and profitability. Sharing of plans and results promotes and speeds the development and implementation of improved practices.
Undergraduate and graduate students taking forages and forage-related classes have benefited from the interaction of NCCC-31 members as research and teaching information and philosophies are shared. In particular, Jeff Volenec and Ben Tracey have discussed sharing materials in their respective Forage classes at Illinois and Purdue. This sharing relates especially to class projects involving farm management and forages.
Four members of the committee (Weidenhoeft, Volenec, Leep, Albrecht) collaborated on writing a USDA-CSREES Higher Education Challenge Grant Development of Interactive, Computer Based Teaching Modules for Undergraduate Forage Courses that is funded for 3 years.
USDA-ARS scientists at University Park used a whole-farm model to simulate costs and returns of pastures mixtures (two, three, six, or nine species) and orchardgrass+N. Pastures of grass-legume or grass-legume-chicory mixtures increased net returns per cow compared with the orchardgrass+N pasture, ranging from $127/cow for the two-species mixture to $234/cow for the six-species mixture. Greater yields of the mixture compared with orchardgrass+N reduced purchased feed inputs and in some instances increased income from forage sold.

Date of Annual Report: 04/05/2007

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 03/14/2007 - 03/15/2007
Period the Report Covers: 01/01/2006 - 12/01/2007

Participants

Albrecht, Ken (kaalbrec@wisc.edu ), University of Wisconsin-Madison; Barker, Dave (barker.169@osu.edu ), Ohio State University (for Mark Sulc); Buhler, Doug (buhler@msu.edu) Michigan State University; Dombrowolski, James (jdobrowolski@CSREES.USDA.GOV), USDA-CSREES; Dong, Xuejun (xjdong@ndsuext.nodak.edu), North Dakota State University; Keith Harmoney (kharmone@ksu.edu) Kansas State University; Lamp, Bill (lamp@umd.edu), University of Maryland; Jennings, John (jjennings@uaex.edu), University of Arkansas; Leep, Richard (leep@msu.edu), Michigan State University; Lissbrant, Sofia (lissbrant@purdue.edu), Moyer, Joe (jmoyer@oznet.k-state.edu ,) Kansas State University; Owens, Lloyd (lloyd.owens@ars.usda.gov), USDA-ARS; Owens,Vance (vance.owens@sdstate.edu ), South Dakota State University; Peterson, Paul (peter072@umn.edu), University of Minnesota; Skinner, Howard (rhs7@psu.edu ), USDA-ARS; Srinivas, Rao (srao@grl.ars.usda.gov ), USDA-ARS; Sulc, Mark (sulc.2@osu.edu) The Ohio State University; Tracy, Ben (bftracy@uiuc.edu ), University of Illinois; Volenec, Jeff (jvolenec@purdue.edu), Purdue University; Wiedenhoeft, Mary (mwiedenh@iastate.edu) Iowa State University.

Brief Summary of Minutes

March 14, 2007

Meeting was called to order by Vance Owens at 10 am at USDA Appalachian Experimental Watershed Experimental Station, Coshockton, OH. Introductions followed.

The following agenda was presented by Vance Owens:

March 14 7:30 a.m. Travel to Coshocton, OH
9:30 a.m. Call to Order (Chair, Vance Owens)
Introductions
Welcome: Dr. James V. Bonta, USDA Research Leader at the USDA
Appalachian Experimental Watershed

9:45 a.m. Comments from Doug Buhler, Administrative
Advisor

10:00 a.m. State Reports

Illinois
Iowa
Pennsylvania (ARS)
Michigan
Maryland
North Dakota

Noon Lunch

12:50 p.m. Appointment of Committees:

Locations Committee
Nominations Committee
Resolutions Committee

1:00 p.m. State Reports

Wisconsin
Wyoming
Utah
Indiana
South Dakota

2:40 p.m. Break

3:00 p.m. Presentation and tour of water quality research
in agricultural systems, by Dr. Lloyd Owens,
USDA-ARS Soil Scientist at Coshocton.

5:45 p.m. Depart Coshocton; Group dinner at restaurant on
return trip

March 15 8:00 a.m. Welcome: Dr. Bill Randle, Department Chair,
Horticulture and Crop Science, OSU

8:10 a.m Committee Reports, Other Business

8:20 a.m. Discussion of State Reports (Ben Tracy,
Secretary)

8:30 a.m. Discussion of Request from Jim Dobrowolski,
CSREES National Program Leader for Rangeland and
Natural Resources, regarding strategic
directions for this program

9:30 a.m. Break

10:00 a.m. State Reports

Kansas
Missouri
Ohio
Arkansas

11:30 a.m. Other business

Noon Pass the gavel to the new chair, Ben Tracy

Introductions

Dr. James V. Bonta, USDA Research Leader at the USDA Appalachian Experimental Watershed, welcomed the group to the Coshockton site.

Comments from Doug Buhler, Administrative Advisor:

Doug Buhler Administrative Advisor to NCC-31 address the group for a few minutes. Dr. Buhler remarked on review of NCC-31 and stated that it was generally very positive. He stressed that we try to focus more on quantification of impacts (e.g., dollars generated, producers adopting methods etc.) when producing annual reports rather than generalized results and information.

Additional Comments:

Jeff Volanec addressed the group and mentioned that Jerry Nelson is retiring and a symposium at ASA meetings honoring him is on the agenda. The symposium will focus on eco physiology of grasses related to Dr. Nelson research. International speakers along with various US research.

State Reports: IL, IA, MI, MD, ND

Committee Assignments were made by Chair Owens:

Locations -- Paul Peterson, Mary Wiedenhoft, Mark Sulc
Nominations -- Howard Skinner, Joe Moyer, Ken Albrecht
Resolutions -- Rich Leep, Xuejun Dong, John Jennings

Tour of USDA Appalachian Experimental Watershed research facilities

State Reports: IN, SD, KS

March 15, 2007

Committee Reports:

Locations - Drs. Peterson and Wiedenhoft suggested a desire to travel to a different site that is not necessarily a home state for one of the committee members. It was also posed to the committee about their potential willingness to hold the meeting at an International Site. Potential international sites included New Zealand, Sweden and France. Coordinating the NCC-31 meeting with an international grassland meeting was suggested as a potential route to pursue this. There was an amendment proposed that the locations chair discuss the possibility of the international site with Administrative Officer Doug Buhler for 2008 for a future date. As an alternative, it was suggested that we meet at the Nobel Foundation in Oklahoma in 2008. It was agreed that Dr Peterson will contact Andy Hopkins at the Nobel foundation and arrange the meeting likely to be held in mid- March 2008. The resolution was approved unanimously.

Nominations - Dr. Albrecht nominated Paul Peterson to serve as secretary for the 2008 meeting. He accepted and was elected unanimously.

Resolutions - Drs. Leep, Dong, and Jennings proposed the following resolution: Be it hereby resolved that: 1) We thank Vance Owens and Ben Tracey for their excellent service as chair and secretary to the NCCC-31 committee during the past year; 2) We thank Marc Sulc for the outstanding local organization of this conference and providing a fine dinner; 3) We thank Drs. James Bonta, Lloyd Owens, Martin Shipitalo, and David Barker for an extremely interesting and unique tour of the Coshocton research facility; and 4) We express gratitude to the staff at the Coshocton research station and to The Ohio State University for hosting and supporting the 2007 NCCC-31 conference.
The resolution was approved unanimously.

Other Business:

Vance Owens - scanned hard copy reports from previous NCR-31/NCC-31 meeting 1966 to 2006. Vance made a CD of the scanned reports and these were distributed to participants.

Jim Dombrowolski, CSREES National Program Leader for Rangeland and Natural Resources spoke to us about reporting requirements and stressed the importance of quantifying impacts and outcomes from committee reports in order to maintain funding for committees such as this one. He also discussed strategic directions for this program. During the discussion Dr. Albrecht brought up the issue of funding for training of graduate students with Dr. Dombrowolski. The issue was brought up by Dr. Lamp that this committee could potentially put together a competitive grant to USDA to help fund graduate assistantships.

State Reports: OH, AK, PA

Gavel was passed to Ben Tracy and meeting was adjourned at 12 PM March 15, 2007.

Minutes respectfully submitted by NCCC-31 secretary, Benjamin Tracy

Accomplishments

Outcomes for 2007-2008: Objectives of NCCC-31 focus on fostering opportunities among members and others from diverse states for funding, collaborative work, increased understanding of physiological basis of forage crop management, publication and dissemination of forage information, and interaction among members, professional staff, and students. Interaction among members of NCCC-31 and others has resulted in numerous collaborative efforts in the areas of research, information dissemination, grant funding, and teaching including: * Mark Sulc and Ben Tracy have developed collaborative research and have been invited to an international conference on Integrated Cropping Systems. The meeting will be held in Curitiba, Brazil August 2007. * Laboratory protocols (e.g., carbohydrate and protein analysis, carbon flux) have been shared among members of NCCC-31 allowing various scientists to improve research capabilities. * Arvid Boe and Vance Owens have begun a collaborative arrangement with the Noble Foundation to evaluate switchgrass germplasm in the northern Great Plains for suitability for biomass production. Depending on the future potential of perennial bioenergy crops, this research will provide producers with critical cultivar selection information for their area. * Research (Vance Owens, Arvid Boe, and DoKyoung Lee) and Extension (Peter Jeranyama) have one publication in press related to characteristics of biomass feedstocks in the northern Great Plains and are in the process of putting together a switchgrass management and production guide for the same region. * More eco-physiological studies are using automated measurements for gas exchange and environmental monitoring. Applications of the wavelet analysis develop at North Dakota State University facilitate a deeper understanding of the underlying data structure of ecological time series data. * A system was developed to grow corn in kura clover living mulch, eliminating the need to apply 150 pounds of nitrogen per acrea savings of $75 per acre at N price of $0.50 per poundwhile maintaining permanent ground cover. * Cupplant, a native prairie plant prized for its contribution to wildlife habit, was proven to be an alternative, long-lived, high yield silage crop capable of persisting in soils that are too wet for alfalfa. * Incorporating kura clover or birdsfoot trefoil in mixture with grasses replaces approximately 300 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer in a model that estimates milk production from forages. At N fertilizer cost of $0.50, this is a savings of greater than $150 per acre. * NCCC-31 member states (OH, WI, IL) have been evaluating strategies for incorporating forages into traditional grain cropping systems, which shows potential for improving soil quality (eg. higher soil organic carbon, less soil erosion potential) while maintaining or improving grain crop productivity and whole system profitability. * During 2007, members plan, among other things, to: continue collaborative research, seek grant funding, publish results of research in various outlets, teach and train undergraduate and graduate students, attend professional meetings, and attend annual meeting of NCCC-31. * Four members of the committee (Weidenhoeft, Volenec, Leep, Albrecht) collaborated on writing a USDA-CSREES Higher Education Challenge Grant Development of Interactive, Computer Based Teaching Modules for Undergraduate Forage Courses that is funded for 3 years. * Research from Utah State found that exposing replacement heifer calves to ammoniated wheat straw briefly while with their mothers improved performance when these calves were mature producing cows wintered on these forages. Compared with cows without this previous experience, returns were improved by over 25% ($93.85 versus $75.05/cow/year). * NCC-31 states IL and OH have cooperated on research that integrates forage crops and beef cattle with cash grain crops to diversify farming operations. Extension educators have reported that between 10 and 15 producers in Illinois since 2004 have adopted methods tested in our integrated cropping systems experiment.

Publications

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles Coblentz, W.K., K.P. Coffey, T.F. Smith, D.S. Hubbell, III, D.A. Scarbrough, J.B. Humphry, B.C. McGinley, J.E. Turner, J.A. Jennings, C.P. West, M.P. Popp, D.H. Hellwig, D.L. Kreider, and C.F. Rosenkrans, Jr. 2006. Using orchardgrass and endophyte-free fescue versus endophyte-infected fescue overseeded on bermudagrass for cow herds: four-year summary of forage characteristics. Crop Sci. 1919-1928. Coblentz, W.K, K.P. Coffey, T.F. Smith, D.S. Hubbell, III, D.A. Scarbrough, J.B. Humphry, B.C. McGinley, J.E. Turner, J.A. Jennings, C.P. West, M.P. Popp, D.H. Hellwig, D.L. Kreider, and C.F. Rosenkrans, Jr. 2006. Using orchardgrass and endophyte-free fescue versus endophyte- infected fescue overseeded on bermudagrass for cow herds: four-year summary of cow-calf performance. Crop Sci. 1929-1938. Renne, I.J., B.F. Tracy, and I.A. Colonna. 2006. Shifts in grassland invasibility: effects of soil resources, disturbance, composition, and invader size. Ecology 87:2264-2277. Tracy, B.F. and D.B. Faulkner. 2006. Pasture and cattle responses in rotationally stocked grazing systems sown with differing levels of species richness. Crop Sci. 46:2062-2068. Sulc, R.M. and B.F. Tracy. 2007. Integrated crop-livestock systems in the Midwestern USA. Agron. J. 99:335-345. Abu Qamar, S.F., S.M. Cunningham, and J.J. Volenec. 2006. Phosphate nutrition and defoliation effects on growth and root physiology of alfalfa. J. Plant Nutr. 29:1387-1403. Castonguay, Y., S. Laberge, E.C. Brummer, and J.J. Volenec. 2006. Alfalfa winter hardiness: A research retrospective and integrated perspective. Adv. Agron. 90:203-265. Florine, Sara E., Kenneth J. Moore, Steven L. Fales, Todd A. White, and C. Lee Burras. 2006. Yield and composition of herbaceous biomass harvested from naturalized grassland in southern Iowa. Biomass and Bioenergy 30:522-528. Ren, H., T.L. Richard, Z. Chen, M. Kuo, Y. Bian, K.J. Moore, and P. Patrick. 2006. Ensiling corn stover: Effect of feedstock preservation on particleboard performance. Biotechnology Progress 22:78-85. Vogel, K.P. , A.A. Hopkins, K.J. Moore, K. Johnson, and I.T. Carlson. 2006. Genetic variation among Canada wildrye accessions from Midwest USA remnant prairies for biomass yield and other traits. Crop Sci. 46:2348-2353. Sweeney, D. W. and J. L. Moyer. 2007. Nitrogen management affects sorghum grown for grain and forage. Crop Manage. [online] CM-RS-06-0172. Moyer, J. L., and M. D. Schrock. 2007. Automating measurement of forage mass in pasture. [online] Forage and Grazingl. FG-RS-06-0177. Lamp, W.O., L.C. Alexander, and M. Nguyen. 2007. Physiological response of glandular-haired alfalfa to potato leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) injury. Environmental Entomology 36:195-203. Al-Ghumaiz, N. S., Leep, R. H., and Dietz, T. S. 2006. Influence of cutting time on alfalfa (Medicago sativa) sugar content and silage fermentation. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG- 2006-0718-01-RS. DeHann, L.R., N.J. Ehlke, C.C. Sheaffer, D.L. Wyse, and R.L. DeHaan. 2006. Evaluation of diversity among North American accessions of false indigo (Amorpha fruticosa L.) for forage and biomass. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 1573-5109. Fischbach, J.A., N.J. Ehlke, P.R. Peterson, D.L. Wyse, D.R. Swanson, and C.C. Sheaffer. 2006. Seeding rate affects establishment of native perennial legumes in the upper Midwestern US. Native Plants J. 7(1): 61-68. Grossman, J.M., C. C. Sheaffer, D. Wyse, B. Bucciarelli, C. Vance, P.H. Graham. 2006. An assessment of nodulation and nitrogen fixation in inoculated Inga oerstediana, a nitrogen-fixing tree shading organic grown in Chiapas, Mexico. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 38: 769-784. Lamb, J.F.S., C.C. Sheaffer, L.H. Rhodes, R.M. Sulc, D.J. Undersander, and E.C. Brummer. 2006. Five decades of alfalfa cultivar improvement: impact on forage yield, persistence, and nutritive value. Crop Sci. 46:902-909. Sheaffer, C.C., J.L. Halgerson, and H.G. Jung. 2006. Hybrid and N fertilization affect corn silage yield and quality. J. Agron. & Crop Sci. 192:1-6. Chapman, D.F., A. J. Parsons, G. P. Cosgrove, D. J. Barker, D. M. Marotti, K. J. Venning, S. M. Rutter, J. Hill, and A. N. Thompson. 2007. Impacts of spatial patterns in pasture on animal grazing behavior, intake, and performance. Crop Sci. 47: 399-415. McCormick, J. S., Sulc, R. M., Barker, D. J., and Beuerlein, J. E. 2006. Yield and nutritive value of autumn-seeded winter-hardy and winter-sensitive annual forages. Crop Sci. 46:1981-1989. Adler, P.R., M.A. Sanderson, A.A.Boateng, P.J. Weimer, and H.G. Jung. 2006. Biomass yield and biofuel quality of switchgrass harvested in fall or spring. Agronomy Journal 98:1518-1525. Corson, M.S., C.A. Rotz, and R.H. Skinner. 2007. Evaluating warm-season grass production in temperate-region pastures: a simulation approach. Agricultural Systems 93: 252-268. Butler, T.J., W.R. Ocumpaugh, M.A. Sanderson, R.L. Reed, and J.P. Muir. 2006. Evaluation of rhizome peanut genotypes for adaptation in Texas. Agronomy Journal 98:1589-1593. Corson, M.S., R.H. Skinner, and C.A. Rotz. 2006. Modification of the SPUR rangeland model to simulate species composition and pasture productivity in humid temperate regions. Agricultural Systems 87:169-191. Foster, J.G., W.M. Clapham, D.P. Belesky, M. Labreveux, M.H. Hall, and M.A. Sanderson. 2006. Influence of cultivation site on sesquiterpene lactone composition of forage chicory. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 54:1772-1778. Goslee, S.C. 2006. Behavior of vegetation sampling methods in the presence of spatial autocorrelation. Plant Ecol. 187: 203-212. Labreveux, M., M.A. Sanderson, and M.H. Hall. 2006. Forage chicory and plantain: nutritive value of herbage at variable grazing frequencies and intensities. Agronomy Journal 98:231-237. Rotz, C.A., M.S. Corson, and M.A. Sanderson. 2006. Conversion from corn to grassland provides economic and environmental benefits to a Maryland beef farm. Forage and Grazing Lands Online. www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/doi:10.1094/FG-2007-0119-RS. Sanderson, M.A., P.R. Adler, A.A. Boateng, M.D. Casler, and G. Sarath. 2007. Switchgrass as a biofuels crop in the USA. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 86: 1315-1325. Sanderson, M.A., M.S. Corson, C.A. Rotz, and K. J. Soder. Economic analysis of forage mixture productivity in pastures grazed by dairy cattle. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2006-0929-01-RS. Sanderson, M.A., K.J. Soder, N. Brzezinski, F. Taube, K. Klement, L.D. Muller, and M. Wachendorf. 2006. Sward structure of simple and complex mixtures of temperate forages. Agronomy Journal 98:238-244. Skinner, R.H., M.A. Sanderson, B.F. Tracy, and C.J. Dell. 2006. Above- and belowground productivity and soil carbon dynamics of pasture mixtures. Agron. J. 98:320-326. Soder, K.J., M.A. Sanderson, J.L. Stack, and L.D. Muller. 2006 Intake and performance of lactating cows grazing diverse forage mixtures. J. Dairy Sci. 89:2158-2167. Soder, K.J, L.S. Saporito, W.L. Stout. 2007. Effect of gypsum application level to grass pasture, grass hay, and corn silage on fermentation by rumen microorganisms in continuous culture. Animal Feed Science and Technology. 132:331-340. Soder, K.J., A.J. Rook, M.A. Sanderson, and S.C. Goslee. 2007. Interaction of plant species diversity on grazing behavior and performance of livestock grazing temperate region pastures. Crop Science. 47:416-425. Lee, D.K., V.N. Owens, and J.J. Doolittle. 2007. Switchgrass and soil carbon sequestration response to ammonium nitrate, manure, and harvest frequency on Conservation Reserve Program Land. Agron. J. 99:462-468. Mulkey, V.R., V.N. Owens, and D.K. Lee. 2006. Management of switchgrass-dominated Conservation Reserve Program lands for biomass production in South Dakota. Crop Sci. 46:712-720. Lee, D.K, J.J. Doolittle, and V.N. Owens. 2006. Soil carbon dioxide fluxes in established switchgrass land managed for biomass production. Soil Biol. and Biochem. 39:178-186. Contreras-Govea, F.E., K.A. Albrecht, and R.E. Muck. 2006. Spring yield and silage characteristics of kura clover, winter wheat, and in mixtures. Agron. J. 98:781-787. Contreras-Govea, F.E. and K.A. Albrecht. 2006. Forage production and nutritive value of oat in autumn and early summer. Crop Sci. 46:2382-2386. Albrecht, K.A. and A. Sabalzagaray. 2006. Maize silage production in kura clover living mulch. Grassland Science in Europe 11:67-69. Books Barnes, Robert F, C. Jerry Nelson, Kenneth J. Moore, and Michael Collins. 2007. Forages: Volume II- The Science of Grassland Agriculture, 6th ed. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA. Book Chapters West, C.P., and J.C. Waller. 2007. Humid transition zone. p. 313-321. In R. F Barnes et al. (eds.) Forages: The science of grassland agriculture Vol. II. 6th edition. Blackwell Publishing, Ames,IA. Clark, E.A., H. Karsten, W.M. Murphy, B.F. Tracy. 2006. Ecology of plant communities in forage- livestock systems. In Forage Production for Pasture-Based Livestock Production. Rayburn, E.B. (ed.). Natural Resource, Agriculture and Engineering Service Publishers. Ithaca, NY. Volenec, J.J. 2007. Ecology and physiology of forage crops. pp. 12 to 17. In Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects. W.O. Lamp, R. Berberet, L. Higley, and C. Baird (eds). Entom. Soc. Amer., Lanham, MD. Clifford S. Snyder and Richard H. Leep. 2007. Fertilization. In: R.F. Barnes et al. (ed.) Forages, the science of grassland agriculture. Vol. II, 6th ed. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA. Blevins, D., and Barker, D. J. 2006. Plant nutrient and water interactions. In. Forages: Volume II. The Science of Grassland Agriculture. R.F Barnes, C.J. Nelson, M. Collins and K.J. Moore, Editors. Iowa State Press/Blackwell Publishing Company, Ames, Iowa. 6th Edition. Barker, D. J., and Sulc, R. M. 2007. Forage crops and rangeland. p. 335-347. In M.J. McMahon et al.(ed.) Hartmann's plant science: Growth, development, and utilization of cultivated plants.4th ed.Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Sulc, R. M., M.H. Hall, and L.R. Vough. 2006. Hay Marketing. p. 101-111. In: E. B. Rayburn (ed.) Managing and Marketing for Pasture-Based Livestock Production. NRAES-174, Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service, Ithaca. Sulc, M., and W.O. Lamp. 2007. Insect pest management. In Forages: The Science of Grassland Agriculture, R.F. Barnes, D.A. Miller, and C.J. Nelson (eds.), 6th ed., Vol. II, p. 411-424. Iowa State Univ. Press. Keeney, D.R., and M.A. Sanderson. 2007. Forages and the environment. P. 167-176. In: Forages, The science of grassland agriculture. Iowa State University Press. Sanderson, M.A. 2006. Plant species diversity: management implications for temperate pasture production. P. 149-162. In: Climate change and managed ecosystems. CRC Press. Skinner, R.H. and K. Moore. 2007. Growth and Development of Forage Plants. p. 53-66. In R.F. Barnes et al. (ed.) Forages: The Science of Grassland Agriculture Vol. II. Blackwell Publishing Professional, Ames, IA. Sanderson, M.A., N.P. Martin, and P.R. Adler. 2007. Biomass energy and industrial uses of forages. P. 635-647. In: Forages: The science of grassland agriculture. Iowa State Univ. Press. Lamp, W.O. 2007. Injurious arthropods. In Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects, W. Lamp, R. Berberet, L. Higley, and C. Baird (eds.), p. 41-43. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. Lamp, W.O. 2007. Leafhoppers and planthoppers. In Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects, W. Lamp, R. Berberet, L. Higley, and C. Baird (eds.), p. 76-79. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. Lamp, W.O. 2007. Natural enemies of insects. In Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects, W. Lamp, R. Berberet, L. Higley, and C. Baird (eds.), p. 129-130. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. Lamp, W.O., R. Berberet, L. Higley, and C. Baird (eds.). 2007. Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. Lamp, W.O., G. Dively, and R. Ochoa. 2007. Mites. In Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects, W. Lamp, R. Berberet, L. Higley, and C. Baird (eds.), p. 81-83. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. Lamp, W.O. and L. Higley. 2007. Integrated pest management. In Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects, W. Lamp, R. Berberet, L. Higley, and C. Baird (eds.), p. 28-33. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. Proceedings Moyer, J. L., J. O. Fritz, and S. L. Fogleman. 2006. Using KansasGrazer© to aid in pasture management decisions. Proc. Amer. Forage Grassl. Counc. Conf. 15:112-116. Peterson, P.R., J.B. Cropper, E.B. Rayburn, and W.L. Stout, Jr. 2006. Nutrient management in forage-livestock systems. pp.51-63. In E.B. Rayburn (ed.) Forage production for pasture-based livestock production. NRAES-172. Peterson, Paul, Dan Undersander, Richard Leep, Craig Sheaffer, Paul Sun, Mike Velde, and Steve Wegner. 2006. Hybrid alfalfa: Harvest management effects on yield and quality. In Proc. 40th NAAIC. Bloomington, MN. 16-19 July 2006. Sulc, R. M., E.C. Brummer, and D.J. Undersander. 2006. Developing a yield tolerance index for potato leafhopper damage in alfalfa [Online]. In Proc. 40th North American Alfalfa Improvement Conf.& 19th Trifolium Conf., Bloomington, MN. 16-19 July 2006. Available at http://www.naaic.org/Meetings/National/2006meeting/procedings/proceedings.htm. Rhodes, L. H., R. M. Sulc, J.J. Ariss, P.E. Pierson, and J.S. McCormick. 2006. Field testing of alfalfa cultivars for resistance to Sclerotinia crown and stem rot: Problems and progress [Online]. In Proc. 40th North American Alfalfa Improvement Conf. & 19th Trifolium Conf., Bloomington, MN. 16-19 July 2006. Available at http://www.naaic.org/Meetings/National/2006meeting/procedings/proceedings.htm. Carvalho, P. F., A. Moraes, I. Anghinoni, C.R. Lang, J. Silva, R.M. Sulc, and B.F. Tracy. 2006. Manejo da Integração Lavoura-Pecuária para a região de clima subtropical. (In Portuguese) p.177-184 In Proc. Encontro Nacional de Plantio Direto na Palha. FEBRAPD, Uberaba - MG. Carvalho, P. C., I. Anghinoni, A. Moraes, C.R. Trein, J.P. Flores, C.C. Cepik, R. Levien, M.T. Lopes, C. Baggio, C.R. Lang, R.M. Sulc, and A. Pelissari. 2006. O estado da arte em integração lavoura-pecuária. (In Portuguese) p. 7-44. In C.S. Gottschall et al. (ed.) Produção animal: Mitos, pesquisa e adoção de tecnologia. Canoas, RS. Owens, V.N., D.K. Lee, and A. Boe. 2006. Potential of native warm-season grass monocultures and mixtures for bioenergy in the northern Great Plains. Proc. the Fifth Eastern Native Grass Symposium. Harrisburg, PA, 10-13 Oct. 2006. Owens, V.N., D.K. Lee, and A. Boe. 2006. Effect of manure and harvest timing on switchgrass and big bluestem biomass and seed production across landscape position. Proc. the Fifth Eastern Native Grass Symposium. Harrisburg, PA, 10-13 Oct. 2006. Owens, V.N. 2006. Row spacing effect on alfalfa yield and persistence. Proc. 40th North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference. Bloomington, MN, 16-19 July 2006. Lee, D.K., D.K. Hoe, V.N. Owens, J.J. Doolittle, A. Boe, D.Y. Chung. 2006. Potential Carbon Sequestration and Soil Aggregation in Reestablished Grassland. 18th World Congress of Soil Science Conference, 9-15 July 2006. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Owens, V.N., Lee, D.K., and A. Boe. 2006. Manure and Harvest Timing Effects on Biomass and Seed Yield of Three Perennial Grasses in South Dakota. The 3rd World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing Conference, 11-14 July 2006. Toronto, Canada. Mikolayunas, C., S. Eckerman, D. Thomas, K. Albrecht. 2006. Estimating pasture forage availability. p. 26-27. In Proc. 52nd Biennial Spooner Sheep Day, 26 Aug. 2006, Spooner, WI. Albrecht, K.A. 2006. Clover opportunities and potential in the North. In Proc. 40th NAAIC and 19th Trifolum Conference, 16-19 July, 2006, Bloomington, MN. Mikolayunas, C.M., D.L. Thomas, K.A. Albrecht, Y.M. Berger. 2006. Effect of supplementation and stage of lactation on performance of grazing dairy ewes. SARE National Conference. 15-17 Aug. 2006, Oconomowoc, WI. On line: http://www.sare2006.org/posters.html Bulletins Leep, R., T. Dietz, D. Min, and C. Kapp. 2006. Forage Varieties For Michigan in 2007. On line at http://www.msue.msu.edu/fis/ Leep, R. H. and T. R. Dietz. 2006. Michigan 2006 Alfalfa Variety Trials. http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/cm/trials/ Martinson, K., M. Hathaway, J.H. Wilson, B. Gilkerson, P.R. Peterson, and R. Del Vecchio. 2006. University of Minnesota horse owner survey: Building an equine extension program. Journal of Extension 44(6): 6RIB4 (on-line). Martinson, Krishona, and Paul Peterson. 2007. Managing established horse pastures. Univ. of Minnesota Extension Service Pub #8460. Martinson, Krishona, and Paul Peterson. 2007. Selecting and storing horse hay. Univ. of Minnesota Extension Service Pub #8463. Sulc, R. M., McCormick, J. S., Rhodes, L. H., Barker, D. J., and Diedrick, K. A. 2006. Ohio Forage Performance Trials. Horticulture & Crop Science Dept. Series 195, Agdex 141. The Ohio State Univ. 19 pp. (Available online at http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~perf/). Owens, V.N., P. Jeranyama, and C. Lee. 2006. Alfalfa cultivar yield test for South Dakota: 2004 Report. Available at http://plantsci.sdstate.edu/forages/ (verified 4 Jan. 2007). Jeranyama, P. and V.N. Owens. 2006. 2006 South Dakota forage grass variety performance trials. ExEx8157. South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service. Technical Notes Wiedenhoeft, M.H., A. Mackay, G. Sparling, and G. Shepard. 2006. Managing the impacts of livestock treading: both compaction and pugging. Technical Note. AgResearch Ltd., New Zealand Mikolayunas, C.M., D.L. Thomas, K.A. Albrecht, Y.M. Berger. 2006. Effect of supplementation and stage of lactation on performance of grazing dairy ewes. p. 267-268. J. Anim. Sci. 84 (Suppl.1)/J.Dairy Sci. 89(Suppl. 1). Jammes, K., G Heemink, K. Albrecht, D. Combs. 2006. Utilization of krua clover-reed canarygrass silage vs. alfalfa silage by lactating dairy cows. p. 68. J. Dairy Sci. 89 (Suppl. 1). Ramos, M.H., J.W. Lehmkuhler, S.C. Arp, and K.A. Albrecht. 2006. Investigating Silphium perfoliatum (cupplant) silage for growing cattle. p. 261-262. Anim. Sci. Vol. 84 (Suppl. 1)/J. Dairy Sci. Vol.89 (Suppl. 1). Abstracts Olivera-Melgar, M., C. West, R. Robbins, T. Kirkpatrick, and D. Fishel. 2006. Endophyte strain effects on soil-borne nematode populations and tall fescue host suitability. In Annual meetings abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. West, C.P., C.A. Guerber, R. Carson, and D. Brauer. 2006. Dehydrin expression in drought-stressed tall fescue can be modulated by endophyte presence. In Annual meetings abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. Tracy, B. F. 2006. Integration of warm-season and cool-season pastures in a rotationally stocked grazing system. Agron. Abstr. #265-3. CD-ROM. Cunningham, S.M., and J.J. Volenec. 2006. Impact of P and K fertilization on oxidative stress metabolism and persistence of alfalfa. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings, Indianapolis IN. Poster 1723a. Hall, M.H., R.B. Radhakrishna, K.J. Moore, A.J. Ciha, J.J. Volenec, C.C. Sheaffer, R.H. Leep, M.H. Weidenhoeft, K.A. Albrecht, and S.K. Barnhart. 2006. Models to complement grasslands curriculum. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings, Indianapolis IN. Poster 174-1. Lissbrant, S., S.M. Brouder, B.C. Joern, S.M. Cunningham, and J.J. Volenec. 2006. Cluster analysis as a tool for identification of fertility regimes that enhance long-term productivity of alfalfa. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings, Indianapolis IN. Poster 315. http://crops.confex.com/crops/2006am/techprogram/P24638.HTM Lissbrant, S., S Stratton, S.M. Cunningham, and J.J. Volenec. 2006. Impact of long-term P and K fertilization on alfalfa forage quality. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings, Indianapolis IN. Oral presentation 72- http://crops.confex.com/crops/2006am/techprogram/P24604.HTM Hall, Marvin H., R.B. Radhakrishna, Kenneth J. Moore, Allan J. Ciha, Jeffrey J. Volenec, Craig C. Sheaffer, Richard H. Leep, Mary H. Wiedenhoeft, Kenneth A. Albrecht, and Steve K. Barnhart. 2006. Models to complement grasslands curriculum. In Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD- ROM]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI. Masters, Robert, Edward S. Hagood, William W. Witt, Kenneth Moore, Walter Schacht, and Kevin W. Bradley. 2006. A comparison of re-seeding intervals following weed control in pastures. In Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, SSA, Madison, WI. Philipp, Dirk, Kenneth Moore, Tom Richard, and Patricia Patrick. 2006. Pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass with acidic and enzymatic additives. In Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA,CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI. Leiker, J., R. Nicholson, and K. Harmoney. 2007. Artificial lawns as an attractant to steer foraging behavior. Society for Range Management Annual Abstracts #255. R. H. Leep, D. H. Min, T. R. Dietz, and C.J. Kaap. 2006. Cool Season Perennial Grass Response To Increasing Nitrogen Rates in Michigan. AFGC Conference. Nasser. S. Al-Ghumaiz and Richard H. Leep. 2006. Assessment of Cool Season Grass and Legume Growing in Monoculture and Binary Mixtures Under Rotational Grazing in The Great Lakes Region. American Society of Agronomy. David E. Hillger, S. Ann McCordick, Richard H. Leep, and James J. Kells. 2006 Effect of Glyphosate Resistant Alfalfa Seeding Density on Forage Production and Composition. North Central Weed Science Society. Paul Peterson, Dan Undersander, Richard Leep, Craig Sheaffer, Paul Sun, Mike Velde, and Steve Wagner. 2006. Hybrid Alfalfa: Harvest Management Effects on Yield and Quality. NAAIC. M.H. Hall*, D.J. Undersander, T. Wood, P. Holman, D. Min, R.H. Leep, G. Lacefield, H.T. Kunelius, P.R. Peterson, N. Ehlke. 2006. The Role of Ecological and Geographical Factors in the Maturation of Cool-Season Forage Grasses. American Society of Agronomy. Okoboi, A., and Barker, D. J. 2006. Leaf Carbon, Oxygen Isotope Ratios and Water Relations in two NAD-ME and two NADP-ME C4 Grasses. [CD-ROM Computer File] Agronomy Abstracts #72-7 ASA, Madison, WI. Ariss, J., Rhodes, L. H., and Sulc, R. M. 2006. The role of disease resistance in alfalfa persistence. Phytopathology: 96:S6. Sulc, R. M., Brummer, E. C., and Undersander, D. J. 2006. A yield index to describe alfalfa cultivar resistance to potato leafhopper. In Agronomy abstracts [CD-ROM computer file]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA, Madison, WI. Sulc, R. M., McCormick, J. S., and Miller, D. 2006. Economic action thresholds for potato leafhopper resistance. In Agronomy abstracts [CD-ROM computer file]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA, Madison, WI. Doolittle, J.J., D.K. Lee, P. Jeranyama, V.N. Owens, and A. Boe. 2006. Composition of lignocellulosic feedstock for biofuels and bioproducts. In annual meeting abstracts. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI. Albrecht, K.A., F.E. Contreras-Govea, and R.E. Muck. 2006. Nutritive value and silage characteristics of kura clover-reed canarygrass mixtures and alfalfa. In Annual meeting abstracts [CD- ROM].ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. Contreras-Govea, F.E., R.E. Muck, and K.A. Albrecht. 2006. Silage quality of corn-climbing bean mixtures. In Annual meeting abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. Albrecht, K.A. and E.J. Bures. 2006. Kura clover rhizomes compensate for sparse initial stands. 2006. In Annual meeting abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI.

Impact Statements

NCC-31 members have developed a system for estimating pre-harvest feeding value of alfalfa predictive equations for alfalfa quality or PEAQ. These equations were used to develop alfalfa quality sticks which are used as a tool for harvest management decisions on over 30,000 farms in the USA, Central Asia and Mexico.
NCC-31 members recently identified pasture management strategies that can produce 1000 pounds of beef per acre. This level of productivity on pasture has never been reached in the North Central Region. This work shows producers that beef production pasture can be profitable compared with soil depleting row crop production.
NCCC-31 members showed the stocker steers grained 62% more on non-toxic tall fescue compared with the standard, toxic fescue. This gain improvement could generate an additional $15,000 per year income if a stocker producer converted 40 ha of their most productive toxic tall fescue to a non-toxic type.
NCC-31 members found that an increase of 5 percentage units in fiber digestibility of alfalfa hay fed to dairy cattle could return an additional 150 lb of milk per ton of hay. This increase cannot be predicted from traditional forage tests that ignore forage digestibility. Measuring digestibility represents previously unrecognized value than can be passed on to the hay purchaser or profit to the hay seller.
NCC-31 members have reported that potato leafhopper still remains a significant biotic stress on legume production in the eastern half of the US. The release of resistant legume cultivars with glandular trichomes reduces leaf hopper impact, but losses remain. Eco physiological research that identifies the mechanism of leaf hopper injury will help guide breeding programs to improve plant protection through genetic resistance.

Date of Annual Report: 06/22/2009

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 03/12/2008 - 03/14/2008
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2007 - 09/01/2008

Participants

Buhler, Douglas - Michigan State University; MacAdam, Jennifer - Utah; Barnhart, Steve - Iowa; Volesky, Jerry - Nebraska; Volenec, Jeff - Indiana; Skinner, Howard - Pennsylvania; Dong, Xuejun - North Dakota; Lamp, Bill - Maryland; West, Chuck - Arkansas; Albrecht, Ken - Wisconsin; Leep, Richard - Michigan State University; Sule, Mark - Ohio; Peterson, Paul - Minnesota; Moyer, Joe - Kansas; Tracey, Ben - Illinois/Virginia; Bouton, Joe

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes Attachment:

Attachment

Accomplishments

" Analysis of Utah alfalfa hay samples shows that digestibility of the fiber fraction typically ranges between 45-55 percent. An example of the potential economic impact of knowing the extent of fiber digestibility for a particular forage source is that an increase of 5 percentage units in fiber digestibility of alfalfa hay fed to dairy cattle can be expected to return an additional daily increment of approximately 150 lb of milk per ton of hay. This value of approximately $20 in milk per ton of hay is not predicted from traditional forage tests that ignore fiber digestibility, and represents previously unrecognized value to the hay purchaser or profit to the hay seller. Given the range of approximately 300 lb of milk production potential per ton of dry matter associated with commonly-observed levels of fiber digestibility in Utah alfalfa hay, analysis of fiber digestibility can improve economic returns in forage markets. " Total ownership costs for cows utilizing a pasture-based forage system have been estimated to be approximately $600/head when pasture comprises at least 45% of the forage year, substantially less than the total cost of $750/head under traditional systems. Milk costs can be reduced by 20% utilizing intensively managed irrigatedf pastures and by providing approximately 16 pounds/day of concentrate. Improved pastures can potentially reduce feed costs by $12.5 million for Utah's dairy producers. Over $42 million in feed costs could be saved in the process of raising dairy heifers. Irrigated pastures can potentially reduce cattle feed costs by $21 to $30 million. " It is estimated that total feed cost for normally weaned calves (including the feed for the mother cow) was approximately $411/hd. Adding non-feed costs (less than $300/hd) results in total ownership costs of less than $700/hd. Cow/calf pairs wintered on a low quality forage (i.e., ammoniated straw, grass hay, standing corn stalks) resulted in earnings in excess of $100/hd relative to traditional alfalfa hay operations (less than $25/hd). Milk costs (on a per cwt basis) could be reduced by approximately 20% by utilizing intensively managed, rotational pastures along with traditional confined feeding using a total mixed ration (TMR). " Annual and perennial warm-season grasses can be successfully integrated into cool-season grazing systems. From a long-term perspective, perennial warm-season grasses will be more sustainable and provide greater ecosystem services (e.g., wild life habitat, carbon sequestration, erosion protection) than annual species. " Continued research interactions with NCC-31 member Mark Sulc on integrated crop-livestock systems. We both presented papers at the International Symposium on Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems. Universidade Federal do Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil, 13-15 August 2007. " Results from on-going, irrigated forages studies have been used in numerous extension programs. The impact of this information is producers making better-informed decisions regarding forage selection and production management. Greater profitability will be realized through higher forage yield and reduced input costs. Stockpiling of irrigated cool-season grasses was found to be a viable management option in this area. Specific management guidelines were developed and the variables affecting cost-effectiveness of this practice were identified as part of the study. Research on stubble height management identified optimal levels which resulted in more than a 40% increase in total annual dry matter yield. This increase could result in an extra 225 to 325 kg of animal gain per ha for most irrigated pastures. " A life cycle analysis ob bioenergy crops compared with gasoline and diesel, suggested that although ethanol and biodiesel from corn rotations reduced greenhouse gas emissions by about 40%, reductions from perennial systems such as reed canarygrass, switchgrass and hybrid poplar, could reduce emissions by 85 to 115%.. " Simulations of dairy systems suggest that for the first 25 years or more after conversion to a perennial grassland system, greenhouse gas emissions can be substantially reduced through soil sequestration, providing net farm emissions from a grass-based system that are substantially less than that of crop-based systems. " Our study on wavelet application may encourage many other eco-physiologists, and biologists in general, to use this novel analytic tool. " Our analysis of rangeland forage production and its environmental and management responses, with several exciting findings, demonstrates the value of long-term ecological studies. " We have done a completely reproducible and repeatable study of rangeland plant root physiology using statistical resampling (with publishing the original data and computer programs), which may provide a positive impact for similar studies. " The database for efficiently handling biological literature and the computer programs for statistical resampling with linear regressions from our studies are potentially useful for other biologists to enhance their scientific research. " The potato leafhopper remains a significant biotic stress on legume production in the eastern half of the US. Our studies highlight the physiological impact of injury on forage legumes in combination with drought stress. In addition, our studies suggest legumes are capable of tolerating leafhopper injury. Identification of the mechanism of injury may lead to improved plant protection through genetic resistance. " The viability of falcata use as a forage crop will be determined by the comparisons of means of yield, forage quality, and persistence. If falcata produces biomass similar in quantity and quality to that of sativa in fewer cuttings, and the growth is upright so that it is harvestable, efforts will be placed on encouraging Michigan producers to incorporate it as a species where appropriate. A reduction in cost of 30% for labor and fuel is expected as well as a reduction in insecticide applications where falcata is utilized. The use falcata in a reduced or delayed harvest system would increase cover for nesting songbirds, upland game birds, and waterfowl. " The greenhouse screening of new endophytes for effects on tall fescue water relations and drought survival indicated that strains do vary in their effects on host water relations, but that analysis of SOD and dehydrins was a time-consuming process that did not facilitate the screening process. * First-year results show that incompletely summer-dormant tall fescues exhibit excellent drought survival traits, even in the absence of endophyte, likely as result of greatly reduce metabolic activity. The endophyte is important in enhancing drought survival of summer-active types. If this result continues in the second year, it means that summer-dormant fescues have potential for extending the adaptation zone of tall fescue into drier regions. Another possibility is that this trait may aid in maintaining tall fescue stands if climate warming exacerbates drought frequency or intensity in the tall fescue zone. * Trials were initiated that will identify legume genotypes and seeding strategies which promote success in legume persistence and enhance the nitrogen status of pastures as low cost.

Publications

B. Patton, X. Dong, P. Nyren and A. Nyren, 2007. Effect of grazing intensity, precipitation, and temperature on forage production. Rangeland Ecology and Management. 60: 656-665. X. Dong, P. Nyren, B. Patton, A. Nyren, J. Richardson and T. Maresca, 2007. Wavelets for agriculture and biology: A tutorial with application and outlook. BioScience (The American Institute of Biological Sciences). In press. X. Dong, P. Nyren, B. Patton, B. Kreft and A. Nyren. Specific leaf area, leaf thickness and density of two range plant species influenced by long-term cattle grazing. The 2007 Joint Congress of American fern Society, American Society of Plant Biologists, American Society of Plant Taxonomists, and Botanical Society of America. Chicago, IL. Abstract ID:90 (CD-ROM). X. Dong, P. Nyren, B. Patton, A. Nyren, J. Richardson and T. Maresca, Wavelet analysis: a toolbox for agricultural sciences. The 2007 Joint Congress of American fern Society, American Society of Plant Biologists, American Society of Plant Taxonomists, and Botanical Society of America. Chicago, IL. Abstract ID:1906 (CD-ROM). X. Dong, J. Wang, G. Wang, D. Wang, J. Wang, X. Zhao, B. Patton, S. Wang and P. Nyren. Plant root biomass and respiration on rangelands of south-central North Dakota: Impact from 18 years of cattle grazing. The 2008 Joint Annual Meetings of The American Forage and Grassland Council and The Society for Range Management. Louisville, KY. Jan. 26-31, 2008. Abstract ID:2198. (CD-ROM). X. Dong. Rangeland soil carbon sequestration: The contribution of plant roots. NDSU Central Grasslands Research Extension Center 2007 Annual Report. Pages 9-11. Also available electronically at : www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/streeter/. Griggs, T.C. 2007. Introduction to the CSSA symposium - Beyond the plant: Biodiversity impacts on the grazing animal. Crop Sci. 47:380-381. Griggs, T.C., J.W. MacAdam, H.F. Mayland, and J.C. Burns. 2007. Temporal and vertical distribution of nonstructural carbohydrate, fiber, protein, and digestibility levels in orchardgrass swards. Agron. J. 99:755-763. Jensen, K.B., B.L. Waldron, M.D. Peel, and R.W. Hill. 2007. Irrigation of Agricultural Crops pp. 363-394 In Forages.. Agronomy Monograph no. 30, Second Edition. MacAdam, J. W. and A. L. Barta. 2007. Irrigation and water management, In pp. 379-394 R. F. Barnes, C. J. Nelson, M. Collins and K. J. Moore (ed.) Forages. An Introduction to Grassland Agriculture, Vol II, 6th Ed, Iowa State Press, Ames. Provenza, F.D., J.J. Villalba, J. Haskell, J.W. MacAdam, T.C. Griggs, and R.D. Wiedmeier. 2007. The value to herbivores of plant physical and chemical diversity in time and space. Crop Sci. 47:382-398. Ralphs, M.H., R.D. Wiedmeier, and J.E. Banks. 2007. Decreasing forage allowance can force cattle to graze broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae) as a potential biological control. Rangelend Ecology and Management 60: 487-497. Robins J.G., G.R. Bauchan, and E.C. Brummer. 2007. Genetic mapping forage yield, plant height, and regrowth at multiple harvests in tetraploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Crop Science 47: 11-18. Robins, J.G., D. Luth, I.A. Campbell, G.R. Bauchan, C.L. He, D.R. Viands, J.L. Hansen, E.C. Brummer. 2007 Genetic mapping of biomass production in tetraploid alfalfa. Crop Science 47: 1-10. Robins, J.G., B.L. Waldron, K.P. Vogel, J.D. Berdahl, M.R. Haferkamp, K.B. Jensen, T.A. Jones, R. Mitchell, and B.K. Kindiger. 2007. Characterization of testing locations for developing cool-season grass species. Crop Science 47: 1004-1012. Robins, J.G., B.L. Waldron, and P.G. Johnson. 2007. Potential for the improvement of turf quality in crested wheatgrass for low-maintenance conditions. HortScience 42: 1526-1529. Winward. T.W. and R.W. Hill. 2007. Catch-can performance under a line-source sprinkler. Transactions of the ASABE 50: 1167-1175. Renne, I.J. and B.F. Tracy. 2007. Disturbance persistence in managed grasslands: shifts in aboveground community structure and the weed seed bank. Plant Ecol.190:71-80. Tracy, B. F., and Sanderson, M. A. 2007. Decomposition of forage species mixtures in pasture has inconsistent effects on soil nitrogen. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2007-0625-02-RS. Sanderson, M.A., S.C. Goslee, K.J. Soder, R.H. Skinner, B.F. Tracy, and A. Deak. 2007. Plant species diversity, ecosystem function, and pasture management. Can. J. Plant Sci. 87:479-487. Sulc, R.M. and B.F. Tracy. 2007. Integrated crop-livestock systems in the Midwestern USA. Agron. J. 99(2): 335-345. Tracy, B.F. and Y Zhang. 2008. Soil compaction, corn yield response and soil nutrient pool dynamics within an integrated crop-livestock system in Illinois. Crop Science (In Press) Tracy, B.F. 2008. The Ecology of Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems. In: Proceedings of International Symposium on Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems. Universidade Federal do Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil, 13-15 August 2007. (In Press) Reece, P.E., W.H. Schacht, and J.D. Volesky. 2007. Skillful grazing management on semiarid rangelands. University of Nebraska Extension Circular EC-162. Volesky, J.D. and B.E. Anderson. 2007. Defoliation effects on production and nutritive value of four irrigated cool-season perennial grasses. Agronomy Journal. 99:494-500. Volesky, J.D., B.E. Anderson, and M.C. Stockton. 2008. Species and stockpile initiation date effects on yield and nutritive value of irrigated cool-season grasses. Agronomy Journal. (in press). Volesky, J.D. and B.E. Anderson. 2008. Nebraska 2005 - 2006 Orchardgrass Variety Trial Results - North Platte. Forage and Grazinglands. available at: http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/fg/trials/ Volesky, J.D. and B.E. Anderson. 2008. Nebraska 2005 - 2006 Cool-season Grass Variety Trial Results - North Platte. Forage and Grazinglands. available at: http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/fg/trials/ Volesky, J.D., W.H. Schacht, P.E. Reece, and A.M. Petersen. 2008. Grazing and Hay Records: Spreadsheet Template. University of Nebraska Extension Circular EC-165. Adler, P.R., S.J. Del Grosso, and W.J. Parton. 2007. Life-cycle assessment of net greenhouse-gas flux for bioenergy cropping systems. Ecol. Appl. 17:675691. Corson, M.S., C.A. Rotz, R.H. Skinner, and M.A. Sanderson. 2007. Adaptation and evaluation of the integrated farm system model to simulate temperate multiple-species pastures. Agricultural Systems 94:502-508. Corson, M.S., C.A. Rotz, and R.H. Skinner. 2007. Evaluating warm-season grass production in temperate-region pastures: a simulation approach. Agricultural Systems 93: 252-268. Deak, A., M.H. Hall, M.A. Sanderson, and D.A. Archibald. 2007. Production and nutritive value of grazed simple and complex forage mixtures. Agron. J. 99:814-821. Goslee, S.C., and D.L. Urban. 2007. The ecodist Package for Dissimilarity-based Analysis of Ecological Data. J. Statistical Software Vol. 22, Issue 7, Sep 2007. McFarland, M.J., M.A. Sanderson, and A.M.S. McFarland. 2007. Wastewater and reclaimed irrigation water. p. 754-798. In: Design and operation of farm irrigation systems 2nd ed. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. Penn, C.J., Bryant, R.B., Needleman, B., and Kleinman, P. 2007. Spatial distribution of soil phosphorus across selected New York dairy farm pastures and hay fields. Soil Science. 172:797-810. Rayburn, E.B., J.D. Lozier, M.A. Sanderson, B.D. Smith, W.L. Shockey, D.A. Seymour, and S.W. Fultz. 2007. Alternative methods of estimating forage height and mass in pastures can be cross calibrated. Forage and Grazinglands (online) www.plantmanagmentnetwork.org doi: 10.1094/FG-2007-0614-01-RS. Rayburn, E.B. A.O. Abaye, B.F. Tracy, and M.A. Sanderson. 2007. Assessing species composition and forage quality. P. 1-19. In: Forage utilization for pasture-based livestock production. Natural Resources and Agric. Eng. Service (NRAES) publ. 173. Sanderson, M.A. L. Holden, E.B. Rayburn, K.J. Soder, and W.B. Bryan. Assessing forage mass and forage budgeting. p. 20-42. In: Forage utilization for pasture-based livestock production. Natural Resources and Agric. Eng. Service (NRAES) publ. 173. Sanderson, M.A., S.C. Goslee, R.H. Skinner, K.J. Soder, B.F. Tracy, and A. Deak. 2007. Plant species diversity, ecosystem function, and pasture managementA perspective. Can. J. Plant Sci. 87:479-487. Sanderson, M.A. 2007. Yield and persistence of forage and root-type chicory cultivars. Forage and Grazinglands. (Online) www.plantmanagementnetwork.org doi:10.1094/FG-2007-1119-01-RS. Sanderson, M.A., S.C. Goslee, K.D. Klement, and K.J. Soder. 2007. Soil seed bank composition in pastures of diverse mixtures of temperate forages. Agron. J. 99:1514-1520. Skinner, R.H. 2007. Winter carbon dioxide fluxes in humid-temperate pastures. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 144:32-43. Skinner, R.H. 2008. Yield, root growth and soil water content in drought-stressed pasture mixtures containing chicory. Crop Sci. 48:380-388. Tracy, B.F., and M.A. Sanderson. 2007. Decomposition of forage species mixtures in pasture has inconsistent effects on soil nitrogen. Forage and Grazinglands (Online) www.plantmanagmentnetwork.org doi: 10.1094/FG-2007-0625-02-RS. Lamp, W.O., L.C. Alexander, and M. Nguyen. 2007. Physiological response of glandular-haired alfalfa to potato leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) injury. Environmental Entomology 36: 195-203. Sulc, M., and W.O. Lamp. 2007. Insect pest management. In Forages: The Science of Grassland Agriculture, R.F. Barnes, D.A. Miller, and C.J. Nelson (eds.), 6th ed., Vol. II, p. 411-424. Iowa State Univ. Press. Lamp, W.O. 2007. Injurious arthropods. In Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects, W. Lamp, R. Berberet, L. Higley, and C. Baird (eds.), p. 41-43. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. Lamp, W.O. 2007. Leafhoppers and planthoppers. In Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects, W. Lamp, R. Berberet, L. Higley, and C. Baird (eds.), p. 76-79. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD Lamp, W.O. 2007. Natural enemies of insects. In Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects, W. Lamp, R. Berberet, L. Higley, and C. Baird (eds.), p. 129-130. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. Lamp, W.O., R. Berberet, L. Higley, and C. Baird (eds.). 2007. Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. Lamp, W.O., G. Dively, and R. Ochoa. 2007. Mites. In Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects, W. Lamp, R. Berberet, L. Higley, and C. Baird (eds.), p. 81-83. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. Lamp, W.O. and L. Higley. 2007. Integrated pest management. In Handbook of Forage and Rangeland Insects, W. Lamp, R. Berberet, L. Higley, and C. Baird (eds.), p. 28-33. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. D. E. Hillger, A. McCordick, R. H. Leep, J. J. Kells. 2007. Establishment Systems for Glyphosate-Resistant Alfalfa. Weed Technology. In Press.Weed Science Society of America. Dietz, T., R.H. Leep. Evaluation of Medicago Falcata in Reduced Hay Harvest Systems. Abstracts. American Forage and Grasslands Meeting. St. Louis, MO. 2008. Hillger, D. E., A. McCordick, R. H. Leep, J. J. Kells. 2007. Establishment Systems for Glyphosate-Resistant Alfalfa. Weed Science Society of America. P.2. Sulc, R. M., and Lamp, W. 2007. Insect Management. p.411-424 In: R.F. Barnes et al. (ed.)Forages, the science of grassland agriculture.Vol. II, 6th ed. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA. Barker, D. J., and Sulc, R. M. 2007. Forage crops and rangeland. p. 335-347 In M.J. McMahon et al. (ed.) Hartmann's plant science: Growth, development, and utilization of cultivated plants.4th ed.Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Sulc, R. M., McCormick, J. S., Barker, D. J., and Diedrick, K. A. 2007. Ohio Forage Performance Trials Report for 2007. Horticulture & Crop Science Dept. Series 195, Agdex 141. The Ohio State Univ. 19 pp. (Online at http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~perf/). Ariss, J., Rhodes, L. H., Sulc, R. M., and Hammond, R. B. 2007. Potato Leafhopper Injury and Fusarium Crown Rot Effects on Three Alfalfa Populations. Crop Sci. 47:1661-1671. Sulc, R. M., and Tracy, B. F. 2007. Integrated crop-livestock systems in the U.S. Corn Belt. Agron. J. 99:335-345. Chapman, D.F., A.J. Parsons, G.P. Cosgrove, D.J. Barker, D.M. Marotti, K.J. Venning, S.M. Rutter, J. Hill, and A.N. Thompson. 2007. Impacts of spatial patterns in pasture on animal grazing behaviour, intake and performance. Crop Sci. 47:399-415. Zahreddine, H.G., D. J. Barker, M. F. Quigley, K. Sleem and D. K. Struve. 2007. Patterns of woody species diversity in Lebanon as affected by climatic and soil properties. Lebanese Science Journal 8: pp (accepted) Fae, G. S., Sulc, R. M., Barker, D. J., Dick, R. P., and Eastridge, M. L. 2007. Changes in soil carbon and soil physical properties in an integrated crop-livestock system. In Intl. Symp. Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems Proc. 13-15 Aug. 2007. Curitiba, Brazil. [CD-ROM]. Hensler, A., Barker, D. J., Sulc, R. M., Loerch, S. C., and Owens, L. 2007. Comparison of management intensive and continuous grazing in beef cattle pasture. Proc. American Forage and Grassland Council 16:48-50. Diedrick, K. A., Sulc, R. M., Barker, D. J., and McCormick, J. S. 2007. Field performance of alfalfa cultivars selected for resistance to lodging and fast recovery after harvest. Proc. American Forage and Grassland Council 16:100-103. Brown, C.L.; D.J. Barker, and B.K. Slater. 2007. Spatial variation of endophyte distribution in beef and dairy cattle pasture. Proc. American Forage and Grasslands Congress 16: 34-37. Sulc, R. M. 2007. Integrated crop-livestock systems in North American. In Intl. Symp. Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems Proc. 13-15 Aug. 2007. Curitiba, Brazil. [CD-ROM]. Evans, L.S., Z. Kahn-Jetter, C. Marks, and K.R. Harmoney. 2007. Mechanical Properties and Anatomical Components of Stems of 42 Grass Species. J. of the Torrey Botanical Soc. 134:458-467. Harmoney, K.R. 2007. Persistence of Heavily-Grazed Cool-Season Grasses in the Central Great Plains. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2007-0625-01-RS. Harmoney, K.R. 2007. Grazing and Burning Japanese Brome (Bromus Japonicus) on Mixed Grass Rangelands. Rangeland Ecology and Management. 60:479-486. Harmoney, K.R., P.W. Stahlman, and K.R. Hickman. 2007. Suppression of Caucasian Old World Bluestem with Split Application of Herbicides. Weed Technology 21:573-577. Harmoney, K., and J. Jaeger. 2008. Modified Intensive-Early Stocking on Shortgrass Rangeland. Society for Range Management Annual Abstracts # 1661. Harmoney, K., F. Lamm, and S. Johnson. 2008. Alfalfa Yield and Quality Above Subsurface Drip Irrigation Lines. Society for Range Management Annual Abstracts # 1667. Leiker, J., R. Nicholson, and K. Harmoney. 2007. Artificial lawns as an attractant to steer foraging behavior. Society for Range Management Annual Abstracts #255. Moyer, J. L., M. D. Schrock, R. R. Price, D. W. Sweeney, and K. W. Kelley. 2007. An apparatus for measuring pasture forage mass. 270-1. In ASA-CSSA-SSSA-CSSS Abstracts 2007 [CD-ROM] ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI. Schmidt, C.D., K.R. Hickman, R. Channell, K. Harmoney, and W. Stark. 2007. Competitive abilities of native grasses and non-native ( Bothriochloa spp.) grasses. Plant Ecology doi: 10.1007/s11258-007-9361-2. Stevenson, Leanne, Walter H. Fick, and Gary Kilgore. 2008. Impact of fertilization on smooth brome production and crude protein concentration. In Abstracts, No. 2378., Building Bridges: Grasslands to Rangelands. AFGC/SRM, Louisville, KY, Jan. 26-31. Sweeney, D. W. and J. L. Moyer. 2007. Nitrogen management affects sorghum grown for grain and forage. Crop Manage. [online] CM-RS-06-0172. Casler, M.D., K.P. Vogel, C.M. Taliaferro, N.J. Ehlke, J.D. Berdahl, E.C. Brummer, R.L. Kallenbach, C.P. West, and R.B. Mitchell. 2007. Latitudinal and longitudinal adaptation of switchgrass populations. Crop Sci. 47:2249-2260. Norman, R.C. W.K. Coblentz, D.S. Hubbell, III, R.K. Ogden, K.P. Coffey, R.T. Rhein, C.P. West, and C.F. Rosenkrans, Jr. 2007. Effects of bale diameter, storage location, and sampling depth on the nutritive value, ruminal in situ disappearance kinetics of dry matter, and concentrations of ergovaline within endophyte-infected tall fescue hay packaged in large round bales. Crop Sci. 47:1635-1646. Flores, R., W.K. Coblentz, R.K. Ogden, K.P. Coffey, M.L. Looper, C.P. West, and C.F. Rosenkrans, Jr. 2007. Effects of fescue type, sampling date, and strip-grazing on the nutritive value and in situ ruminal disappearance kinetics of DM and NDF for autumn-stockpiled tall fescue forages. J. Dairy Sci. 90:2883-2896. Jennings, J.A., P. Beck, and C. West. 2007. Tall fescue for forage. Univ. Arkansas Div. Agric., Coop. Ext. Service, FSA2133. 4 pp. Schardl, C.L., K.D. Craven, K.K. Schwer, W. Hollin, S.L. Clement, J. Schmid, C.P. West, and T.D. Phillips. 2007. Endophytes of the tall fescue ploidy series in Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean. p. 456. In A.J. Popay and E.R. Thom (ed.) Proc. 6th Int. Symp. Endophyte-Grass Interactions. Grassland Research and Practice Series no. 13, NZ Grassland Association, Christchurch, NZ. West, C.P. 2007. Plant influences on endophyte expression. p. 117-121. In A.J. Popay and E.R. Thom (ed.) Proc. 6th Int. Symp. Endophyte-Grass Interactions. Grassland Research and Practice Series no. 13, NZ Grassland Association, Christchurch, NZ. West, C.P., F. Volaire, and F. Lelievre. 2007. Tiller survival after drought of 'Grasslands Flecha' tall fescue as influenced by endophyte. p. 267-269. In A.J. Popay and E.R. Thom (ed.) Proc. 6th Int. Symp. Endophyte-Grass Interactions. Grassland Research and Practice Series no. 13, NZ Grassland Association, Christchurch, NZ.

Impact Statements

See "Accomplishments"

Date of Annual Report: 01/22/2010

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 06/24/2009 - 06/24/2009
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2008 - 09/01/2009

Participants

Wesley Everman, Michigan State University;
Jenifer MacAdam, Utah State University;
Dave Barker, The Ohio State University;
Richard Leep, Michigan State University;
Fernanda Ferraro, The Ohio State University;
Kenala Nove, The Ohio State University;
Anowar Islam, University of Wyoming;
Paul Peterson, University of Minnesota;
Tim Dietz, Michigan State University;
Zuejun Dong, North Dakota State University;
Ben Tracy, Virginia Tech;
Joseph Moyer, Kansas State;
Elysia Berry, Michigan State University;
Jim Kells, Michigan State University;

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes Attachment:

Attachment

Accomplishments

Committee representatives met in Grand Rapids, MN, on 24 June 2009 and shared research progress from their states. Abundant discussion provided useful feedback and highlighted opportunities for greater regional impact. A new multi-state project entitled Sustaining legumes in grasslands to reduce nitrogen fertilization was developed and discussed for implementation in 2009-2010. In Arkansas, results from 2 years and 2 locations show that incompletely summer-dormant tall fescues exhibit excellent drought survival traits, even in the absence of endophyte, likely as a result of greatly reduced metabolic activity. Also, legume genotypes and seeding strategies that promote legume persistence underwent the first year of testing in Arkansas; with red, white, and arrowleaf clovers showing the best potential; and hairy vetch, crimson clover, and alfalfa showing less performance. Poor winter growth of legumes limited their contribution to grazing during winter months. In North Dakota, a significant reduction in pasture plant rhizomes was found under heavy grazing as compared with moderate grazing. Although rhizomes only account for a small fraction of total below-ground plant biomass, these studies suggests that the high rhizome density found in moderately grazed pastures might be partly responsible for the greater potential of plant regrowth in moderately grazed pastures than in heavily grazed pastures on mixed-grass prairie. Work in Ohio showed that integration of forage cover crops into no-till corn silage production can provide supplemental forage for animal feed without detrimental effects on subsequent corn silage productivity, with the added benefit of increasing labile soil C. In Utah, a birdsfoot trefoil study with a dairy cooperator was initiated to collect data from mixtures of moderate- and high-tannin birdsfoot trefoil with orchardgrass or festulolium to determine forage productivity and forage nutritive value. Results of this study will determine if tannin content of birdsfoot trefoil is important in influencing fatty acid profile of dairy milk. In the first 28-day grazing cycle, feedlot-level gains of 5 lb per day were achieved on the high-tannin birdsfoot trefoil. In the second 28-day grazing cycle, BFT produced 3.5 lb per day gain. During the first 8 days of grazing on birdsfoot trefoil, milk urea nitrogen dropped from 17 to 12. The fibrolytic feed enzyme (FFE) supplementation reduced 12th-rib fat thickness and tended to decrease marbling score (P = 0.14) across both enzyme doses. In in vivo experiments supplementing corn-based dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), the HD diet (175 g DDGS/kg diet DM) maximized ADG and G:F of growing steers, whereas the LD diet (114 g DDGS/kg diet DM) resulted in the highest ADG and G:F of finishing beef steers. These responses are likely due to increases in ruminal pH and fiber digestion. Increased growth performance of finishing cattle was reflected in increased marbling score. Supplementation of DDGS to a barley-based finishing ration did not have a negative impact on the carcass characteristics when fed up to 183 g/kg diet DM. With increasing availability and potential economic feasibility of DDGS, this excellent feed ingredient can be effectively supplemented to barley-based beef diets up to 183 g/kg diet DM. In Virginia, initial results from evaluating plant diversity effects in native warm-season forage mixtures suggest that managing for higher plant diversity can have positive effects in the year of establishment. Work in Wisconsin showed total nitrate-N leached under the living mulch with no added N was reduced 70% relative to the control, and the total nitrate-N leaching under the living mulch with 90 kg ha-1 added N was reduced 35% relative to the control. In Wyoming, a new variety was developed in Wyoming with Brown Root Rot (BRR) resistance, the only U.S. bred BRR resistant cultivar; which has fall dormancy 3, flower color purple (89%) with variegated (11%) cream, white, and yellow. In addition to BRR, resistance to VW and SN, moderate resistance to AN-R1, PRR, NRKN, PA, and SAA. Certified seed is available summer 2008. This variety is recommended for winter-hardy intermountain and north central regions. Lander is in the process of getting certification (NA VRB), and is being marketed by Allied Seed.

Publications

Ashworth, A., C.P. West, M.P. Popp, M. Montrejaud-Vignole, C. Sablayrolles, and B. Gabrielle. 2008. Life cycle analysis for the cultivation and combustion of miscanthus for biofuel compared with natural gas. Discovery 9(Fall):3-9. Baum B.R., T. Edwards, and D.A. Johnson. 2008. Loss of 5S rDNA units in the evolution of Agropyron, Pseudoroegneria, and Douglasdeweya. Genome 51: 589-598. Beck, P.A., S.A. Gunter, K.S. Lusby, C.P. West, K.B. Watkins, and D.S. Hubbell, III. 2008. Animal performance and economic comparison of novel and toxic endophyte tall fescue to cool-season annuals. J. Anim. Sci. 86:2043-2055. Belesky, D.P., and C.P. West. Abiotic stresses and endophyte effects. p. 47-62. In H.A. Fribourg et al. (ed.) Tall fescue for the 21st century. Agron. Monogr. 53. ASA, CSSA, Madison, WI. Bhattarai, K. D.A. Johnson, T.A. Jones, K.J. Connors, and D.R. Gardner. 2008. Physiological and morphological characterization of basalt milkvetch (Astragalus filipes): Basis for plant improvement. Rangeland Ecology & Management 61:444-455. Bryant, R.B., T.L. Veith, P.J.A. Kleinman, and W.J. Gburek. 2008. Cannonsville Reservoir and Town Brook Watersheds: Documenting conservation efforts to protect New York Citys drinking water. J. Soil Water Conserv. 63(6):339-344. Chaoui, H., F. Montes, C.A. Rotz and T.L. Richard. 2008. Dissociation and mass transfer coefficients for ammonia volatilization models. ASABE Paper No. 083802, St. Joseph, MI: ASABE. Chen, D., M.X. Liang, D. DeWald, B. Weimer, M.D. Peel, B. Bugbee, J. Michaelson, E. Davis, and Y. Wu. 2008. Identification of dehydration responsive genes from two non-nodulated alfalfa cultivars using Medicago truncatula microarrays. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, 30: 183-199. Chianese, D.S., C.A. Rotz and T.L. Richard. 2008. Simulating methane emissions from dairy farms. ASABE Paper No. 084098, St. Joseph, MI: ASABE. Chianese, D.S., C.A. Rotz, and T.L. Richard. 2009. Whole-farm greenhouse gas emissions: a review with application to a Pennsylvania dairy farm. Appl. Eng. Agric. 25(3):431-442. Dong, X., P. E. Nyren, B. D. Patton, A. Nyren, J. Richardson and T. Maresca, 2008. Wavelets for Agriculture and Biology: A Tutorial with Applications and Outlook. BioScience. 58(5): 445-453. Dong, X., P. Nyren, B. Patton, G. Wang, B. Kreft, A. Nyren, R. Limb, D. Kirby and L. Cihacek. Photosynthesis and soil respiration from a mixed-grass prairie: Effects of cattle grazing and drought. Proceedings of the 2008 Joint Conference of the XXI International Grassland Congress and the VIII International Rangeland Congress. Hohhot, China, June 29 to July 5th, 2008. Multifunctional Grasslands in a Changing World. Volume I. Page 177. Edited by Organizing Committee of 2008 IGC/IRC Conference. Guangdong People's Publishing House. Guangzhou, China. Dziba, L.E. and F.D. Provenza. 2008. Dietary monoterpene concentrations influence feeding patterns of lambs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 109:49-57. Eun, J.-S. and K.A. Beauchemin. 2008. Assessment of the potential of feed enzyme additives to enhance utilization of corn silage fibre by ruminants. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 88:97-106. Eun, J.-S. and K.A. Beauchemin. 2008. Relationship between enzymic activities and in vitro degradation of alfalfa hay and corn silage. Animal Feed Science and Technology 145:53-67. Flores, R., W.K. Coblentz, R.K. Ogden, K.P. Coffey, M.L. Looper, C.P. West, and C.F. Rosenkrans, Jr. 2008. Effects of fescue type and sampling date on the N disappearance kinetics of autumn-stockpiled tall fescue. J. Dairy Sci. 91:1597-1606. Fribourg, H.A., D.A. Hannaway, and C.P. West (ed.). 2009. Tall fescue for the 21st century. Agron. Monogr. 53. ASA, CSSA, SSSA. Madison, WI. García, A.M., T.L. Veith, P.J.A. Kleinman, C.A. Rotz, and L.S. Saporito. 2008. Assessing manure management strategies through small-plot research and whole-farm modeling. J. Soil Water Conserv. 63(4): 204-211. Ghebremichael, L.T., T.L. Veith, J.M. Hamlett, and W.J. Gburek. 2008. Precision feeding and forage management effects on phosphorus loss modeled at a watershed scale. J. Soil Water Conserv. 63(5):280-291. 2008. Gonzalo-Turpin, H., P. Barre, A. Gibert, A. Grisard, C.P. West, and L. Hazard. 2009. Co-occurring patterns of endophyte infection and genetic structure in an alpine grass, Festuca eskia: implications for sourcing seed for ecological restoration. Conservation Genetics DOI 10.1007/s10592-009-9927-8. Gregorini, P., S.A. Gunter, P.A. Beck, K.J. Soder, and S. Tamminga. 2008. The interaction of diurnal grazing pattern, ruminal metabolism, nutrient supply and management in cattle. Prof. Anim. Scientist. 24:308-318. Gregorini, P., K.J. Soder, and M.A. Sanderson. 2008. A snapshot in time of fatty acids composition of grass herbage as affected by time of day. Prof. Anim. Scientist. 24:675-680. Gregorini, P., K.J. Soder, and R.S. Kensinger. 2009. Effect of ruminal fill on foraging behavior and circulating levels of ghrelin, insulin and glucose of cattle grazing vegetative micro-swards. J. Dairy Sci. 92:2095-2105. Gregorini, P., K.J. Soder, M.A. Sanderson, and G.R. Ziegler. 2009. Toughness, particle size and chemical composition of meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Hud.) herbage as affected by time of day. Animal Feed Science and Technology 151:330-336. Hall, M.H., J.M. Dillon, D.J. Undersander, T.M. Wood, P.W. Holman, D.H. Min, R.H. Leep, G.D. Lacefield, H.T. Kunelius, P.R. Peterson, and N.J. Ehlke. 2009. Ecogeographic factors affecting inflorescence emergence of cool-season forage grasses. Crop Sci. 49:1109-1115. Hannaway, D.B., C. Daly, M. Halbleib, D. James, C.P. West, J.J. Volenec, D. Chapman, X. Li, W. Cao, J. Shen, X. Shi, and S. Johnson. 2009. Adaptation and suitability zones in the United States and China. In H.A. Fribourg et al. (ed.) Tall fescue for the 21st century. Agron. Monogr. 53. ASA, CSSA, Madison, WI. [In press]. Jensen, K.B., B.L. Waldron, J.G. Robins, T.A. Monaco, and M.D. Peel. 2008. Breeding meadow bromegrass for forage characteristics under a line-source irrigation design. Can. J. Plant Sci. 88:695-703. Kelzer, J.M., R.S. Walker, S. Bird, R.D. Mathison, and P.R. Peterson. 2009. Evaluation of grazing windrowed vs. stockpiled annual ryegrass to extend the fall grazing season in northern MN. 7 p. In Proc. 2009 Conf. American Forage and Grassland Council. Grand Rapids, MI. 21-23 June 2009. Lomas, L.W., J.L. Moyer, and G.A. Milliken. 2009. Effect of energy supplementation of stocker cattle grazing smooth bromegrass pastures on grazing and subsequent finishing performance and carcass traits. Prof. Anim. Sci. 25:65-73. Lyman, T.D., F.D. Provenza, and J.J. Villalba. 2008. Sheep foraging behavior in response to interactions among alkaloids, tannins and saponins. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 88: 824-831. Manteca, X., J.J. Villalba, S.B. Atwood, L.E. Dziba and F.D. Provenza 2008. Is dietary choice important to animal welfare J. Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research. 3:229-239. McCordick, S. Ann, David E. Hillger, Richard H. Leep, and James J. Kells. 2008. Forage quality of glyphosate-resistant alfalfa as influenced by establishment systems. Weed Technology 22:635-640. McCordick, S. Ann, David E. Hillger, Richard H. Leep, and James J. Kells. 2008. Establishment systems for glyphosate-resistant alfalfa. Weed Technology 22:22-29. Montes, F., C.A. Rotz and H. Chaoui. 2008. Process Modeling of Ammonia Volatilization from Ammonium Solution and Manure Surfaces. ASABE Paper No. 083584, St. Joseph, MI: ASABE. Mote, T.E., J.J. Villalba, and F.D. Provenza. 2008. Sequence of food presentation influences intake of foods containing tannins and terpenes. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 113:57-68. Moyer, J.L. and D.W. Sweeney. 2008. Long-term responses in the yield of eastern gamagrass [Tripsacum dactyloides (L.) L.] to nitrogen fertilizer under two harvest regimes in the United States. Grass and Forage Sci. 63:390-397. Moyer, J.L., M.D. Schrock, R.R. Price, D.W. Sweeney, and K.W. Kelley. 2008. An apparatus for measuring pasture forage mass. In Multifunctional Grasslands in a Changing World, Vol. II, p. 661. Proc. XXI Int. Grassl. Cong./VIII Int, Rangel. Cong., June, 2008, Hohhot, PRC. Pan, X., J. Wang, S. Wang, P. E. Nyren, B. D. Patton, X. Dong and A. Nyren. 2008. Studies on optimum grazing rates in grasslands based on a multi-objectives weighting analysis. Acta Prataculture Sinica.17:149-158. Pfister, J.A., S.T. Lee, K.E. Panter, E.S. Motteram, and C.C. Gay. 2008. Effects of experience and lactation on lupine consumption by cattle. Rangeland Ecology & Management, 61: 240-244. Pfister, J.A., K.E. Panter, D.R. Gardner, D. Cook, and K.D. Welch. 2008. Effect of body condition on consumption of pine needles (Pinus ponderosa) by beef cows. J. Anim. Sci. 86:3608-3616. Robertson, G.P., V.H. Dale, O.C. Doering, S.P. Hamburg, J.M. Melillo, M.M. Wander, W.J. Parton, P.R. Adler, J. Barney, R.M. Cruse, C.S. Duke, P.M. Fearnside, R.F. Follett, H.K. Gibbs, J. Goldemberg, D.J. Mladenoff, D. Ojima, M.W. Palmer, A. Sharpley, L. Wallace, K.C. Weathers, J.A. Wiens, and W.W. Wilhelm. 2008. Sustainable biofuels redux. Science 322:49-50. Robins, J.G. and K.B. Jensen. 2008. Characterization of fitness traits in thickspike wheatgrass. Can. J. Plant Sci. 88:925-927. Robins, J.G., J.L. Hansen, D.R. Viands, and E.C. Brummer. 2008. Genetic mapping of persistence in tetraploid alfalfa. Crop Sci. 48:1780-1786. Rogosic, J., J.A. Pfister, F.S. Provenza, and J. Pavlicevic. 2008. The effect of polyethylene glycol on intake of Mediterranean shrubs by sheep and goats. J. Anim. Sci. 86:3491-3496. Rotz, C.A. and D.S. Chianese. 2008. The Dairy Greenhouse Gas Model: Reference Manual, version 1.0. Available at: www.ars.usda.gov/sp2UserFiles/Place/19020000/DairyGHG ReferenceManual.pdf. Rotz, C.A., H.D. Karsten and R.D. Weaver. 2008. Grass-based dairy production provides a viable option for producing organic milk in Pennsylvania. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2008-0212-01-RS. Sanderson, M.A. 2008. Are herbage yield, yield stability, and nutritive value affected by plant species diversity? Grassland Science in Europe 13:314-317. Sanderson, M.A. 2008. Upland switchgrass yield, nutritive value, and soil carbon changes under grazing and clipping. Agron. J. 100:510-516. Sanderson, M.A., and P.R. Adler. 2008. Perennial forages as second generation bioenergy crops. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 9:768-788. Sanderson, M.A., S.C. Goslee, K.J. Soder, R.H. Skinner, and P.R. Adler. 2009. Managing forage and grazinglands for multiple ecosystem services. p. 82-95. In A. Franzluebbers (ed). Farming with Grass. Soil and Water Conservation Society of America. Sanderson, M.A., K.J. Soder, P. Gregorini, and M. Gierus. 2008. Forage budgeting on pasture. p. 185-200. Proc. 4th International Symposium on the Strategic Management of Pastures, Federal Univesity of Vicosa, Brazil. Sanderson, M.A., D.A. Wedin, and B.F. Tracy. 2009. Grasslands: Definitions, origins, extent, and future. p. 57-74. In: W.F. Wedin and S.L. Fales (ed.). Grass: Quietness and Strength for a New American Agriculture. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI. Scaglia, G., W.S. Swecker Jr., J.P. Fontenot, D. Fiske, J.H. Fike, A.O. Abaye, P.R. Peterson, W. Clapham, and J.B. Hall. 2008. Forage systems for cow-calf production in the Appalachian region. J. Anim. Sci. 86:2032-2042. Erratum: http://jas.fass.org/cgi/data/jas.2007-0407/DC1/1. Shaeffer, C.C., L.E. Sollenberger, M.H. Hall, C.P. West, and D.P. Hannaway. 2009. Grazinglands, forages, and livestock in humid regions. p. 95-119. In W.F. Wedin and S.L. Fales (ed.) Grassland: Quietness and strength for a new American agriculture. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. Sharpley, A.N., and C. West. 2008. Pressures on beef grazing in mixed production farming. p.187-208. In R.W. McDowell (ed.) Environmental impacts of pasture-based faming. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK. Shewmaker G.E., D.A. Johnson, and H.F. Mayland. 2008. Mg and K effects on cation uptake and dry matter accumulation in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea). Plant and Soil 302: 283-295. Skinner, R.H. 2008. High biomass removal limits carbon sequestration potential of mature temperate pastures. J. Environ. Qual. 37:1319-1326. Skinner, R.H. 2008. Yield, root growth and soil water content in drought-stressed pasture mixtures containing chicory. Crop Sci. 48:380-388. Skinner, R.H., M.S. Corson and T.G. Gilmanov. 2008. Simulating gross primary productivity of humid-temperate pastures. Agron. J. 100:801-807. Skinner, R.H., M.S. Corson, and C.A. Rotz. 2008. Comparison of two pasture growth models of differing complexity. Agric. Systems 99:35-43. Soder, K.J., R.J. Orr, M.D. Rubano, and A.J. Rook. 2009. Use of a micro-sward technique for determining bite mass of four grass species in short-term tests. Euphytica. 168:135-143. Svejcar T., R. Angell, J.A. Bradford, W. Dugas, W. Emmerich, A.B. Frank, T. Gilmanov, M. Haferkamp, D.A. Johnson, H. Mayeux, P. Mielnick, J. Morgan, N.Z. Saliendra, G.E. Schuman, P.L. Sims, and K. Snyder. 2008. Carbon fluxes on North American rangelands. Rangeland Ecology & Management: 61: 465-474. Tracy, B.F. 2008. The Ecology of Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems. In: Proceedings of International Symposium on Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems. Universidade Federal do Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil, 13-15 August 2007. Tracy, B.F., and Y. Zhang. 2008. Soil compaction, corn yield response and soil nutrient pool dynamics within an integrated crop-livestock system in Illinois. Crop Sci. 48:1211-1218. Veith, T.L., A.N. Sharpley, and J. Arnold. 2008. Modeling a small, northeastern watershed with detailed, field-level data. Trans. ASABE 51(2):471-483. Villalba, J.J., F.D. Provenza and J.O. Hall. 2008. Learned appetites for calcium, phosphorus and sodium in sheep. Journal of Animal Science 86:738-747. Volesky, J.D., B.E. Anderson, and M.C. Stockton. 2008. Species and stockpile initiation date effects on yield and nutritive value of irrigated cool-season grasses. Agron. J. 100:931-937. Waldron, B.L., J.G. Robins, M.D. Peel, and K.B. Jensen. 2008. Predicted efficiency of spaced-plant selection to indirectly improve tall fescue sward yield and quality. Crop Science 48:443-449. Wolf, A., N. Saliendra, K. Akshalov, D.A. Johnson, and E. Laca. 2008. Effects of different eddy covariance correction schemes on a energy balance closure and comparisons with the modified Bowen ratio system. Agric. Forest Meteorol. 148: 942-952. Zhang, Z.-S., X.-R. Li, X.-J. Dong, X.-H. Jia, M.-Z. He and H.-J. Tan. 2009. Rainfall interception by sand-stabilizing shrubs related to crown structure. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions. 1: 0107-0119.

Impact Statements

The tall fescue endophyte is important in enhancing drought survival of summer-active tall fescue types. Summer-dormant fescues have potential for extending the adaptation zone of tall fescue into drier regions. Another possibility is that this trait may aid in maintaining tall fescue stands if climate warming exacerbates drought frequency or intensity in the tall fescue zone.
In Michigan, the viability of falcata use as a forage crop will be determined by the comparisons of means of yield, forage quality, and persistence. If falcata produces biomass similar in quantity and quality to that of sativa in fewer cuttings, and the growth is upright so that it is harvestable, efforts will be placed on encouraging Michigan producers to incorporate it as a species where appropriate. A reduction in cost of 30% for labor and fuel is expected as well as a reduction in insecticide applications where falcata is utilized. The use of falcata in a reduced or delayed harvest system would increase cover for nesting songbirds, upland game birds, and waterfowl.
Ohio State University forage research and on-farm demonstrations have helped livestock producers learn how to improve the profitability of their operations by extending the grazing season and reducing reliance on expensive purchased and mechanically harvested feeds. The research has shown that short-season forage crops can be double cropped after corn silage harvest on land that would otherwise remain idle and exposed to erosion. The short-season forage crops provide soil protection and improve soil quality while providing forage for grazing, which reduces the amount of stored or purchased feeds needed to maintain livestock. Ohio producers are adopting these practices for maximizing grazing with short-season forage crops. Extending the grazing season in this fashion could potentially save Ohio cattlemen $57 to $136 million each year compared with the cost of feeding hay to their livestock. Additional savings are possible for sheep and dairy producers.
Endophyte-infected Kentucky-31 tall fescue grows on 14 million hectares of pasture land in the U.S. and causes losses exceeding $500 million annually. Stable complexes form between alkaloids and tannins and alkaloids and saponins. When cattle eat forage with either tannins (BFT) or saponins (ALF), they will subsequently eat more forage with alkaloids (TF). Ongoing Utah research suggests consumption of alfalfa and trefoil can increase nutrient intake and digestion, reducing fescue toxicity by tannins and saponins binding with alkaloids.
Wisconsin research has demonstrated that Kura clover living mulch offers valuable environmental benefits, but also increases the risk of water stress on the corn.
In North Dakota, the main objective of rangeland management through proper animal grazing is to maximize ecosystem services from rangelands. One key aspect of reaching this objective comes from a sustained forage production, which usually hinges on findings and knowledge from plant ecophysiology that offer specific links between grazing management and plant production. Through a multi-year study, we provide data for the effect of grazing and season on root decomposition, which plays a major role in determining rangeland carbon sequestration. As another sample, we use data of specific leaf area to provide suggestions for the management of Kentucky bluegrass-dominated rangelands in the mixed-grass prairie.

Date of Annual Report: 06/29/2010

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 03/31/2010 - 04/01/2010
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2009 - 09/01/2010

Participants

Ken Albrecht (University of Wisconsin-Madison;
Doug Buhler (Michigan State University, NCCC31 Advisor);
Xuejun Dong (North Dakota State University);
John Guretzki (University of Nebraska-Lincoln);
Marvin Hall (Pennsylvania State University);
Anowar Islam (University of Wyoming);
Jim Kells (Michigan State University, new NCCC31 Advisor);
William Lamp (University of Maryland);
Paul Peterson (University of Minnesota);
Howard Skinner (USDA-ARS, University Park, Pennsylvania);
Mark Sulc (Ohio State University);
Ben Tracy (Virginia Tech);
Chuck West (University of Arkansas);
Bridget Wille-DeLay (University of Maryland);
Jeff Volenec (Purdue University);

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes Attachment:

Attachment

Accomplishments

Pennsylvania: Modeling whole-farm carbon footprint and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in pasture livestock systems. Considering biodiversity impacts on ecosystems function with a discussion of the potential of using small-scale study for modeling large-scale mixtures. The presence of alfalfa is the strongest single variable for ecosystem function simulation. In general, functional class analysis does not help in explaining forage yield. Maryland: New biology on old pests- a first report on symbionts in potato leafhopper using molecular biology technique by doctoral student, Bridget Wille-DeLay. Leafhoppers harbor salivary bacteria that provide essential amino acids to the insect host. The use of a degree-day model corroborated the hypothesis of the importance of local production of adults contributing to pest outbreaks of potato leafhoppers. Ohio: Using a modified Gompertz equation, herbage accumulation rate-herbage mass curves define a range of herbage masses within which pastures can be managed to achieve high herbage accumulation rate. Maintaining pastures within 90% of the maximum herbage accumulation rate may be a practical target for producers. Indiana: The combined use of cluster analysis and binary logistic regression helped to illustrate a varying, interdependent nature for alfalfa critical P and K tissue concentrations and suggest the need to account for both nutrients simultaneously. They superimposed switchgrass on an old alfalfa plot area. There was no effect of previous alfalfa treatment on switchgrass biomass yield in the first two years. Virginia: An update on the NCCC common experiment on grass-legume mixtures temporarily entitled as sustainable forage production in a changing climate. Six sites already were planted in 2009 and five more are planned for 2010 across the north-central USA. Entails alfalfa-tall fescue mixtures at five planting ratios and five nitrogen fertilizer rates, 30-500 kg/ha. Proposed hypothetical scenarios of N contribution to grass growth and its variation across environments. North Dakota: A mechanistic model was developed using minimum field measure data to successfully simulate seasonal dynamics of plant water use patterns on mixed-grass prairie. Modeled total amount of water use, soil profile depletion patterns, and root distribution. Wyoming: A multi-year project for improving seedling emergence and persistence of important forage legumes in the central-west (alfalfa, cicer milkvetch, sainfoin) suggested that acid and mechanical scarifications greatly reduced hard seed contents, thus enhanced germination of some of the legume varieties used in the study. Oat, as a cover or companion crop, may have potential to suppress weed infestation and enhance establishment of different forage legumes. Testing various small grains for forage from the Noble Foundation breeding program. Minnesota: A study of alfalfa/grass mixture trials at two MN locations suggested that forage with significant grass content could consistently be of dairy quality. Overall, variations in yield, grass percentage, and quality initially appear to be greater across locations (environments) than across treatments within locations. This suggests a challenge in predicting initial alfalfa/grass performance based on species selection and seeding rates alone. Nebraska: A research proposal was outlined using field measurements and modeling tools to study ecosystem carbon and nitrogen flows, as well as ethanol co-product utilization in crop/pasture system with optional fertilization applications. Assessing whether feeding distiller's dried grains and solubles (DDGS) to grazing cattle can replace nitrogen fertilization. Wisconsin: The roles of kura clover living mulch in eco-friendly and sustainable corn and cereal crops systems were discussed. Using kura clover reduced soil erosion, nutrient leaching, N fertilizers application, but also reduced yield loss of the cereal crops. Announced release of 'Forage Plus' oat, a cultivar potentially useful for double cropping after pea, sweet corn, wheat, and snap bean. Arkansas: Successfully calibrated and verified the ALMANAC growth model in predicting biomass growth curves of switchgrass; discussed N, P, K uptake and removal by switchgrass; discussed summer dormancy in relation to the potential of tall fescue moving to Southern plains.

Publications

Abaye O., K. Hurder, C. Teutsch, L.Tucker, and B. Tracy. The Influence of Nitrogen Rate, and Source On Biomass Yield and Nitrate Content of Teff Grown for Livestock Feed in the Mid-Atlantic Region. 2009. ASA abstracts Pitt. PA. Abaye., O, K. Hurder, W. Clapham, B. Tracy, and J. Fedders. 2009. Influence of climatic factors (temperature, moisture) and planting dates on growth stages of teff. American Forage and Grassland Council Proceedings. Grand Rapids, MI. Adler, P.R., M.A. Sanderson, P.J. Weimer, and K.P. Vogel. 2009. Plant species composition and biofuel yields of conservation grasslands. Ecol. Appl. 19(8):22022209. Albrecht, K.A., D.J. Undersander, N. Dagenhart, J. Moutray, M. McCaslin. 2009. Contribution of alfalfa hard seed to stand and yield in the field. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2009-0114-01-RS. Albrecht, K.A., T.E. Ochsner, and R.J. Berkevich. 2009. Farming for nitrogen: Intercropping corn and kura clover. In Proc. Wisconsin Crop Management Conference 48:163-166. Alexander, L.C., M. Delion, D.J. Hawthorne, W.O. Lamp, and D.H. Funk. 2009. Mitochondrial lineages and DNA barcoding of closely related species in the mayfly genus Ephemerella (Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae). Journal of the North American Benthological Society 28: 584-595. Andrzejewska, J. and K. A. Albrecht. 2009. Rosliny Motylkowate Drobnonasienne na Pastwiskach. Wydawnictwa Uczelniane Uniwersytetu Technologiczno-Przyrodniczego, Bydgoszcz, Poland. Arriola S., B. Tracy, and O. Abaye. 2009. Influence of forage characteristics on grazing behavior of weaned claves. American Forage and Grassland Council Proceedings. Grand Rapids, MI. Barker, D.J., F.P. Ferraro, R.L.G. Nave, R.M. Sulc, F. Lopes, and K.A. Albrecht. 2010. Analysis of herbage mass and herbage accumulation rate using gompertz equations. Agron. J. 102:849-857. Berg, W.K., S.M. Cunningham, S.M. Brouder, B.C. Joern, K.D. Johnson, J.J. Volenec. 2009. Influence of phosphorus and potassium on alfalfa yield, taproot C and N pools, and transcript levels of key genes after defoliation. Crop Sci. 49:974-982. Bonin, C.L. and B.F. Tracy 2009. Evaluating plant diversity effects in native, warm-season forage mixtures. Agron. Abstr. #52890 Annual Meeting ASA/CSSA/SSSA Pittsburgh PA Nov. 1-9. Brouder, S.M. and J.J. Volenec. 2008. Impact of climate change on crop nutrient and water use efficiencies. Physiol. Plant. 133:705-724. Brouder, S.M., J.J. Volenec, R. Turco, D.R. Smith, G. Ejeta. 2009. Nutrient-use efficiency in bioenergy cropping systems: Critical research questions. Keynote Address. In. Proc. of the XVI International Plant Nutrition Colloquium: Plant Nutrition for Sustainable Development and Global Health, Aug. 26-30, Sacramento, CA. 9 pp. Carvalho, P.C.F., I. Anghinoni, A. Moraes, C.R. Lang, R. M. Sulc, E.D. Souza, and C. Bayer. 2009. Indicators to evaluate systems integrating crops and beef production. (In Portuguese). In: Workshop on Crop-Livestock-Forestry in the Pampa BiomVol. [CD-ROM computer file]. Edited by Silva, J.L.S. et al. (ed.). Pelotas, RS, Brazil: Embrapa, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply. Cherney, J., Q. Ketterings, M. Davis, D. Cherney, and P. Peterson. 2010. Split N fertilizer vs. dairy manure on harvested perennial grasses. 2 pages. In MFAs Forage Focus quarterly newsletter. March 2010. Contreras-Govea, F.E., R.E. Muck, and K.A. Albrecht. 2009. Yield, nutritive value and silage fermentation of kura clover-reed canarygrass and Lucerne herbages in northern USA. Grass and Forage Sci. 64:374-383. Contreras-Govea, F.E., R.E. Muck, K.L. Armstrong, and K.A. Albrecht. 2009. Fermentability of corn-lablab bean mixtures from different planting densities. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 149:298-306. Contreras-Govea, F.E., R.E. Muck, K.L. Armstrong, and K.A. Albrecht. 2009. Nutritive value of corn silage in mixture with climbing beans. Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 150:1-8. Coulter, J.A., M.P. Russelle, C.C. Sheaffer, and D.E. Kaiser. 2010. On-farm validation of alfalfa N credits to corn. p.3. In P. Peterson et al. (ed.) UMN Forage quarterly. Vol. 4 Issue 1. Available at www.extension.umn.edu/forages/pdfs/february_2010_fq_ umeft.pdf (posted 1 Feb. 2010). Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul. Culler, L., and W.O. Lamp. 2009. Selective predation by larval Agabus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) on mosquitoes: support for conservation-based mosquito suppression in constructed wetlands. Freshwater Biology 54: 2003-2014. Deak, A., M.H. Hall, and M.A. Sanderson. 2009. Grazing schedule effect on forage production and nutritive value of diverse forage mixtures. Agron. J. 101:408-414. Deak, A., M.H. Hall, M.A. Sanderson, M. Corson, and C.A. Rotz. 2010. Whole-farm evaluation of forage mixtures and grazing strategies. Agronomy Journal (In press). Del Grosso, S.J., S.M. Ogle, W.J. Parton and P.R. Adler. 2009. Impacts of land conversion for biofuel cropping on soil organic matter and greenhouse gas emissions, p. 58-67. In: M. Khanna (ed.) Transition to a Bioeconomy: Environmental and Rural Development Impacts, Farm Foundation, Oak Brook, IL. Dong, X., B.D. Patton and P.E. Nyren. 2009. Managing Kentucky Bluegrass Invasion in Native Prairies. Forage Focus. The August 2009 Issue, page 21. Midwest Forage Association, St. Paul, MN, USA. August, 2009. Dong, X., B.D. Patton, A. C. Nyren and P.E. Nyren, 2009. Quantifying plant water use on rangelands through soil water modeling. NDSU Central Grasslands Research Extension Center 2009 Annual Report. P12. NDSU Central Grasslands Research Extension Center, Streeter, ND, USA. Dong, X., B.D. Patton, A. Nyren, P.E. Nyren and L.D. Prunty. 2010. Quantifying root water extraction by rangeland plants through soil water modeling. Plant and Soil. (In press). Fae, G.S., R.M. Sulc, D.J. Barker, R.P. Dick, M.L. Eastridge, and N. Lorenz. 2009. Integrating winter annual forages into a no-till corn silage system. Agron J. 101:1286-1296. Fernández F.G., S.M. Brouder, J.J. Volenec, C.A. Beyrouty, and R. Hoyum. 2009. Root and shoot growth, seed composition, and yield of no-till soybean under variable potassium. Plant Soil (doi 10.1007/s11104-009-9900-9) 322:125138. Ferraro, F.P., R.M. Sulc, D.J. Barker, R.L.G. Nave, F. Lopes, and K.A. Albrecht. 2009. Seasonal effects on rising plate meter calibration for forage yield [CD-ROM]. In: American Forage & Grassl. Conf. Proc., Grand Rapids, MI. 21-23 June 2009. American Forage & Grassl. Council, Elmhurst, IL. Flores J.P.C. and B.F. Tracy. 2009. Impact of concentrated hay feeding areas on pasture ecosystem functioning. Agron. Abstr. #54602 Annual Meeting ASA/CSSA/SSSA Pittsburgh PA Nov. 1-9. Goslee, S.C., M.A. Sanderson, and J. Gonet. 2009. No persistent changes in pasture vegetation or seed bank composition after fallowing. Agronomy Journal 101:1168-1174. Greenquist M.A., Klopfenstein T.J., Schacht W.H., Erickson G.E., Vander Pol K.J., Luebbe M.K., Brink K.R., Schwarz A.K., Baleseng L.B. (2009) Effects of nitrogen fertilization and dried distillers grains supplementation: forage use and performance of yearling steers. J. Anim. Sci. 87:3639-3646. Gregorini, P., K.J. Soder, and G. Waghorn. 2010. Effects of timing of corn silage supplementation on ruminal digestion, fermentation pattern and nutrient flow during continuous culture fermentation of a short and intensive orchardgrass herbage meal. J. of Dairy Sci. (In press). Hall, M.H., J.M. Dillon, D.J. Undersander, T.M. Wood, P.W. Holman, D.H. Min, R.H. Leep, G.D. Lacefield, H.T. Kunelius, P.R. Peterson, and N.J. Ehlke. 2009. Ecogeographic factors affecting inflorescence emergence of cool-season forage grasses. Crop Sci. 49:1109-1115 Hall, M.H., N.S. Hebrock, P.E. Pierson, J.L. Caddel, V.N. Owens, R.M. Sulc, D.J. Undersander, and R.E. Whitesides. 2010. The effects of glyphosate-tolerant technology on reduced alfalfa seeding rates.Agron. J. (In press). Hammond, R.B. A. Michel, J.B. Eisley, and M. Sulc. 2009. Potato leafhopper on alfalfa. Agric. and Natural Resources. Columbus, OH: Ohio State Univ. Ext. Factsheet. (Report No. FC-ENT-0033-09) Available at http://ohioline.osu.edu/ent-fact/pdf/0033.pdf. Hannaway, D.B., C. Daly, M. Halbleib, D. James, C. West, J.J. Volenec, D. Chapman, X. Li, W. Cao, J. Shen, and S. Johnson. 2009. Tall fescue adaptation and suitability zones. In: Tall Fescue On-line Monograph, Amer. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI. URL:. Hedtcke, J.L., J.L. Posner, M. Rosemeyer, and K.A. Albrecht. 2009. Browsing for conservation: Springtime forage value of midstory shrubs of degraded oak savannas in southern Wisconsin. Renewable Agricultural and Food Systems. 24:293-299. Holen, D., and P. Peterson. 2009. Late-planted forage options. p.3. In UMN Forage Quarterly. Vol. 3, Issue 2. May 2009. Holen, D., P. Glogoza, C. Sheaffer, D. Swanson, J. Larson, and P. Peterson. 2010. 2009 irrigated corn silage hybrid performance evaluation - Otter Tail County. In On-farm cropping trials: Northwest and west central Minnesota. Univ. of Minnesota Extension. January 2010. Holen, D., P. Peterson, P. Glogoza, C. Sheaffer, and J. Larson. 2010. 2006-2009 alfalfa variety evaluation trials - Otter Tail County. In On-farm cropping trials: Northwest and west central Minnesota. Univ. of Minnesota Extension. January 2010. Hollingsworth, C., D. Samac., P. Peterson, D. Holen, and H. Person. 2009. Brown root rot of alfalfa. 4 pages. www.extension.umn.edu/forages/pdfs/brr_final.pdf. August 2009. Jensen. P.D., G.P. Dively, C.M. Swan, and W.O. Lamp. 2010. Exposure and non-target effects of transgenic Bt corn debris in streams. Environmental Entomology (in press). Jung, H.G., M.L. Raeth-Knight, J.G. Linn, and P.R. Peterson. 2010. Comparison of alfalfa and orchardgrass hay as replacements for grain in lactating dairy cow diets. 1-page abstract. In Proc. 2010 MFA Symposium. WI Dells, WI. 25-27 Jan. 2010. Jung, H.G., M.L. Raeth-Knight, J.G. Linn, and P.R. Peterson. 2010. Comparison of alfalfa and orchardgrass hay as replacements for grain in lactating dairy cow diets. 1-page abstract. In Proc. 2010 MN Forage Days. 5 MN locations. 8-12 Feb. 2010. Kelzer, J.M., R.S. Walker, S. Bird, R.D. Mathison, and P.R. Peterson. 2009. Evaluation of grazing windrowed vs. stockpiled annual ryegrass to extend the fall grazing season in northern MN. 7 pages. In Proc. 2009 Conf. American Forage and Grassland Council. Grand Rapids, MI. 21-23 June 2009. Kelzer, J.M., S. Bird., R.D. Mathison, P.R. Peterson, and R.S. Walker. 2009. Effect of fall grazing system on annual ryegrass quality and beef cattle performance. J. Anim. Sci. 87 (E-Suppl. 2)/J. Dairy Sci. 92 (E-Suppl. 1): Abstract #756. Lamp, W.O., and B.W. DeLay. 2009. Saliva of potato leafhopper (Empoasca fabae) affects the physiological response of legumes. National Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Indianapolis, IN. Lissbrant, S., S. Stratton, S.M. Cunningham, S.M. Brouder, and J.J. Volenec. 2009. Impact of long-term phosphorus and potassium fertilization on alfalfa forage quality-yield relationships. Crop Sci. 49:1116-1124. Lissbrant, S., S.M. Brouder, S.M. Cunningham, and J.J. Volenec. 2010. Identification of fertility regimes that enhance long-term productivity of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) using cluster analysis. Agron. J. 102:580-591. Mathison, R., R. Walker, and P. Peterson. 2010. Methods to establish annual forages on winter feeding areas. In MFA Clippings. 13 January 2010. Maughan, M.W., J.P.C. Flores, I. Anghinoni G.A. Bollero, F.G. Fernández and B.F. Tracy. 2009. Soil Quality and Corn Yield under CropLivestock Integration in Illinois. Agron. J. 101:15031510. McCordick, S. Ann, David E. Hillger, Richard H. Leep, and James J. Kells. 2008. Forage quality of glyphosate-resistant alfalfa as influenced by establishment systems. Weed Technology 22:635640. McCordick, S. Ann, David E. Hillger, Richard H. Leep, and James J. Kells. 2008. Establishment systems for glyphosate-resistant alfalfa. Weed Technology 22:2229. McGrath, S.R., R.O. Maguire, B.F. Tracy, and J.H. Fike. 2010. Improving soil nutrition with poultry litter application in low input forage systems. Agron. J. 102:48-54. Orr, M-J.; S.M. Brouder, J.J. Volenec, M. Bischoff, and R.F. Turco. 2009. Unintended consequences of biofuel feedstock production on carbon and nitrogen cycle dynamics mediated by soil biology. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings, Nov. 1 to 5, http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2009am/webprogram/Paper54550.html Owens, V.N., K.A. Albrecht, and R.E. Muck. 2009. Maturity effects on protein degradation in unwilted and wilted clover and alfalfa silages. p. 447-448. In Proc. 15th International Silage Conference, Madison, WI. 27-29 July 2009. Parsons, D., J.H. Cherney, and P.R. Peterson. 2009. Preharvest neutral detergent fiber concentration of alfalfa as influenced by stubble height. Agron. J. 101:769-774. Pedersen, P., E.J. Bures, and K.A. Albrecht. 2009. Soybean production in a kura clover living mulch system. Agron. J. 101:653-656. Pembleton K.G., J.J. Volenec, R.P. Rawnsley, and D.J. Donaghy. 2010. Partitioning of taproot assimilates and crown bud development are affected by water deficit in regrowing alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Crop Sci. (in press) Pembleton K.G., R.P. Rawnsley, D.J. Donaghy, and J.J. Volenec. 2009. Water deficit alters canopy structure but not photosynthesis during the regrowth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Crop Sci. 49:722-731. Pembleton, K.G., D.J. Donaghy, J.J. Volenec, R.S. Smith, and R.P. Rawnsley. 2010. Yield, yield components and shoot morphology of four contrasting lucerne (Medicago sativa) cultivars grown in 3 cool temperate environments. Crop Pasture Sci. (accepted) Pembleton, K.G., S.M. Cunningham, and J.J Volenec. 2010. Effect of summer irrigation on seasonal changes in taproot reserves and the expression of winter dormancy/activity in four contrasting lucerne cultivars. Aust. J. Agric. Res. (accepted) Pembleton, K.G., S.M. Cunningham, and J.J. Volenec. 2009. The effect of water deficit on the seasonal pattern of taproot assimilates for 4 contrasting alfalfa cultivars in Tasmania, Australia. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings, Nov. 1 to 5,. http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2009am/webprogram/Paper53425.html. Peterson, P. 2009. Dairy-quality grass forage research update. In Dairy Star. www.extension.umn.edu/dairy/dairystar/08-08-09-Peterson.html. 8 August 2009. Peterson, P. 2009. Late-season perennial forage harvesting/grazing. p.2. In UMN Forage Quarterly. Vol. 3, Issue 3. August 2009. Peterson, P. 2009. Renovation/summer seeding management. p.4. In UMN Forage Quarterly. Vol. 3, Issue 3. August 2009. Peterson, P. 2010. 2010 Minnesota Forage Days Feb. 8-12. In Dairy Star. 30 Jan. 2010. Peterson, P. (ed.). 2010. Proc. 2010 Minnesota Forage Days. UMN Extension and Midwest Forage Association. 8-12 Feb. 2010. Peterson, P., and S. Mahli. 2009. Grass forage: Fertility matters; N and S together boost timothy yield in central Canadian research. In MFA Clippings. 18 December 2009. Peterson, P., D. Holen, D. Martens, D. Nicolai, J. Paulson, E. Wieland, and N. Winter. 2010. On-farm evaluation of alfalfa/grass mixtures in MN: Establishment and initial performance. 7 pages. In Proc. 2010 MFA Symposium. WI Dells, WI. 25-27 Jan. 2010. Peterson, P., D. Holen, D. Martens, D. Nicolai, J. Paulson, E. Wieland, N. Winter, and R. Mathison. 2010. On-farm evaluation of alfalfa/grass mixtures in Minnesota: Establishment and initial performance. 7 pages. In Proc. 2010 MN Forage Days. 5 MN locations. 8-12 Feb. 2010. Peterson, P., D. Holen, D. Martens, D. Nicolai, J. Paulson, E. Wieland, N. Winter. 2009. On-farm evaluation of alfalfa/grass mixtures: Establishment and initial performance. 5 pages. www.midwestforage.org/pdfRschProj/08%20On-Farm%20Eval%20Grass%20Mixtures.pdf. Also p.16, 20. In MFA Forage Focus. August 2009. Peterson, P., K. Martinson, N. Broadwater, and R. Walker (Co-Editors). 2009-2010. UMN Forage Quarterly. 4-page e-newsletter, 3 issues. UMN Extension Forage Team. www.extension.umn.edu/forages/newsletter.html. August and November 2009; February 2010. Peterson, P.R., and R.D. Mathison. 2010. Beef grazing systems 101. p.17-18. In Proc. 2010 MN Beef Cow/Calf Days. 10 MN locations. 2-5, 8-12 Feb. 2010. Peterson, P.R., D. Holen, D. Martens, D. Nicolai, J. Paulson, B. Wieland, N. Winter, and R.D. Mathison. 2010. On-farm evaluation of alfalfa/grass mixtures in Minnesota: Establishment and initial performance. p.67-73. In Proc. 2010 MN Beef Cow/Calf Days. 10 MN locations. 2-5, 8-12 Feb. 2010. Peterson, Paul (Technical Editor; and Contributing Editor, Forage research updates). 2009-2010. Forage Focus, 20-28-page MFA quarterly newsletter, 3 issues. August and December 2009; March 2010 issues. Raeth-Knight, M., J. Linn, H. Jung, and P. Peterson. 2010. Does alfalfa-hay NDFD matter in a dairy TMR? 1 page. In MFAs Forage Focus quarterly newsletter. March 2010. Ravindranath, S.V., N. Uppugundla, J. Lay, E. Clausen, M. Wilkins, R. Ingraham, C.P. West, Y. Wu, D.J. Carrier. 2009. Policosanol, tocopherol and moisture content as a function of timing of harvest of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). J. Agric. Food Chem. 57:3500-3505. Robinson, A.P., S.P. Conley, J.J. Volenec, and J.B. Santini. 2009. Analysis of high-yielding, early-planted soybean in Indiana. Agron. J. 101:131-139. Rotz, C.A., K.J. Soder, R. Howard Skinner, C.J. Dell, P.J. Kleinman, J.P. Schmidt, and R.B. Bryant. Grazing can reduce the environmental impact of dairy production systems. Forage and Grazinglands. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2009-0916-01-RS. 2009. Russelle, M., C. Sheaffer, D. Kaiser, and J. Coulter. 2010. Top-dressed K for last-year alfalfa may not pay. p.12-14. In Forage Focus. Rutledge, J., Z. Reicher, J.J. Volenec, and Y. Jiang. 2009. Physiological response of rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis L.) and creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) to high temperature stress. ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Meetings, Nov. 1 to 5, http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2009am/webprogram/Paper53403.html. Sanderson, M.A, and F. Wätzold, Balancing Tradeoffs in Ecosystem Functions and Services in Grassland Management. Grassland Science in Europe. (In press). Sanderson, M.A. 2010. Long-term persistence of synthetic populations of a lowland switchgrass ecotype and the cultivar Cave-in-Rock. Forage and Grazing Lands (In press). Sanderson, M.A. 2010. Nutritive value and herbage accumulation rates of pastures sown to grass, legume, and chicory mixtures. Agronomy Journal 102:728-733. Sanderson, M.A. 2010. Stability of production and plant species diversity in managed grasslands: a retrospective study. Basic and Applied Ecology (In press). Sanderson, M.A., Corinna Feldmann, John Schmidt, and Antje Herrmann. 2010. Spatial distribution of livestock concentration areas and soil nutrients in pastures. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation (In press May/June issue). Sanderson, M.A., M. van der Grinten, and R. Stout. 2010. Virginia wildrye persistence and performance in riparian areas. Crop Science (In press). Sanderson, M.A., S.C. Goslee, J. Gonet, and R. Stout. 2009. Pasture monitoring at a whole-farm scale with the USDA NRCS pasture condition score system. J. Soil and Water Conservation 64:423-433. Sanderson, M.A., S.C. Goslee, K.J. Soder, R.H. Skinner, and P.R. Adler. 2009. Managing forage and grazing lands for multiple ecosystem services, p. 82-95. Franzluebbers, A.J. (ed.). Farming with Grass: Achieving Sustainable Mixed Agricultural Landscapes. Soil and Water Conservation Society, Ankeny, IA. Sauer, T.J., S.R. Compston, C.P. West, G. Hernandez-Ramirez, E.E. Gbur, and T.B. Parkin. 2009. Nitrous oxide emissions from a bermudagrass pasture: Interseeded winter rye and poultry litter. Soil Biol. Biochem. 41:1417-1424. Sharpley, A., S. Herron, C. West, and T. Daniel. 2008. Outcomes of phosphorus-based nutrient management in the Eucha-Spavinaw watershed. In A. Franzluebbers (ed.) Farming with grass: Sustainable mixed agricultural landscapes in grassland environments. Proceedings of conference sponsored by the Soil and Water Conservation Society. Oklahoma City, OK. October, 2008. Refereed. Sheaffer, C.C., and P. Seguin. 2009. Kura clover response to drought. Online. Forage and Grazinglands doi:10.1094/FG-2009-1231-01-RS. Shinners, K.J., B.M. Huenink, R.E. Muck, and K.A. Albrecht. 2009. Storage characteristics of large round and square alfalfa bales: Low-moisture wrapped bales. Trans. ASABE 52:401-407. Shinners, K.J., B.M. Huenink, R.E. Muck, and K.A. Albrecht. 2009. Storage characteristics of large round alfalfa bales: Dry hay. Trans. ASABE 52:409-418. Skinner, R.H., M.S. Corson, and C.A. Rotz. 2009. Comparison of two pasture growth models of differing complexity. Agricultural Systems 99:35-43. Skinner, R.H., R.W. Zobel, M. van der Grinten, and W. Skaradek. 2009. Evaluation of native warm-season grass cultivars for riparian zones. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 64:413-422. Smith, R.F., L.C. Alexander, and W.O. Lamp. 2009. Dispersal by terrestrial stages of stream insects in urban watersheds: a synthesis of current knowledge. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 28: 1022-1037. Soder, K.J., and P. Gregorini. 2010. 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Impact Statements

Wisconsin: Synergies spawned: Discussions of biofuel production potential of praire cordgrass has lead to development of a funded multistate (IL, MN, SD, WI) SunGrant proposal. We have developed a legume living mulch system whereby corn and cereal crops are produced in a living sward of kura clover. The system provides all of the N required by the grain or silage crops, permanent groundcover, and substantially reduces nitrate leaching to the groundwater. This system also has potential to alleviate environmental impacts of harvesting crop residue (stover, straw) for biofuels.
Ohio: A defoliation model incorporating the modified Gompertz equation provides a unifying mechanism for predicting forage production for an infinite range of forage harvesting options. Application of this model could increase stocking rate by 5%, which would increase the cow herd by 60,000 cows, and increase farm revenue by $20 million. Pasture for Profit Workshop participants have increased annual grazing by 64 days, for a feed cost savings of $76/cow. In Ohio, this projects to a cost savings of $22 million.
Indiana: Analyses of the long-term P and K fertilization trial on alfalfa allowed development of guidelines that inform fertilizer recommendations that promote efficient use of those nutrients while sustaining stand longevity and high yields.
Maryland: Clearer understanding of the population dynamics of migratory leafhoppers facilitates the fine-tuning of intregrated pest management recommendations for economic control of this insect in alfalfa.
North Dakota: Our work reveals the utility of using macroscopic root water uptake functions to partially overcome the lack of accurate, site-specific, root distribution data, and to reduce labor and experimental efforts in predicting soil water dynamics and plant water use. These efforts may facilitate a wider use of the macroscopic root water uptake models to assist forage management in grasslands and rangelands.
Michigan: Studies of forage yield, quality, persistence, and growth habit on Medicago falcata have the potential impact of adoption by Michigan producers. If appropriate, a reduction in cost of 30% for labor and fuel is expected as well as a reduction in insecticide applications where falcata is utilized. The use of falcata in a reduced or delayed harvest system would increase cover for nesting songbirds, upland game birds, and waterfowl.
Arkansas: Incompletely summer-dormant tall fescues exhibit excellent drought survival traits, even in the absence of endophyte. Summer-dormant fescues have potential for extending the adaptation zone of tall fescue into drier regions. This trait may aid in maintaining tall fescue stands if climate warming exacerbates drought frequency or intensity. Legume persistence studies provide guidelines to extension agents and cattle managers on low-cost ways of improving pasture quality and season growth distribution.