SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report

Sections

Status: Approved

Basic Information

Participants

Carissa Wickens, University of Florida, Masoud Hashemi, University of Massachusetts Bob Coleman, University of Kentucky Krishona Martinson, University of Minnesota Robert Causey, University of Maine Carey Williams, Rutgers University Jennifer Weinert, Rutgers University Paul Siciliano, North Carolina State University Laura Kenny, Pennsylvania State University Danielle Smarsh, Pennsylvania State University Robin Brumfield, Rutgers University Mike Westendorf, Rutgers University Gemma Parente, Rutgers University Amy Burk, University of Maryland

2021-NE-1941-Minutes.docx

Accomplishments

Pennsylvania Accomplishments

The Equine Environmental Stewardship Short Course was transformed into a virtual workshop using Zoom with 4 two-hour sessions. There were 29 registrants from 6 different states. Overall, the short course was successful, with positive evaluations and high impact on several planned behavior changes. This course is also being transformed into an asynchronous online course in partnership with our Digital Education team.

Several webinars were delivered on various pasture management topics. On April 20, 2021, “Pasture Seeding and Soil Testing” had 47 live attendees. On April 22, 2021, “Spring Pasture Management” had 37 attendees. On June 23, 2021, “Horse Pasture Management Tips” had 35 attendees.

A new initiative has been a phone hotline intended for the Amish community to receive educational livestock information while in-person meetings were suspended. The PSU team records a 3-minute horse-related message every Sunday. They cover horse care, diseases, pasture management, nutrition, and facilities. Most weeks we receive a minimum of 5 calls to the hotline and up to 26 calls.

Maine

We have begun applying GPS technology to study equine grazing behavior. Specifically, as part of student project, we have improved resolution of GPS tracking to 1 meter using a 1 second interval. By correlating GPS data with behavioral observations, we appear to be able to distinguish between resting, grazing and walking. By adding 3 axis (x, y, and z) accelerometer to the halter we may be able to improve our interpretation of GPS data, allowing us to identify sick, lame, and estrous animals. Ultimately this could lead to realtime transmission of data to a users cell phone.

Maryland

In 2020, Dr. Amanda Grev and Dr. Amy Burk received a 3-year $78k NE SARE Grant titled “Implementing Rotational Grazing Practices on Livestock Operations in Maryland” whereby we visit farms and provide plans and tips on proper grazing and pasture management. In 2020, Dr. Burk coordinated a 7 week online webinar series titled “Zoom-ing in on Healthy Horses Webinar Series” featuring talks by Univ. of MD Extension faculty on soil testing, nutrient management, managing pastures with all talks archived on our UME Horse Extension YouTube channel.

North Carolina State

An experiment was conducted to compare differences in equine grazing behavior and pasture utilization between continuous grazing (CG) or management intensive grazing (MIG) systems.  In conclusion, the MIG system had a greater potential to increase the number of grazing days thereby increasing the efficiency of pasture use.

A course in livestock grazing management was designed and implemented.  This course is an overview of scientific principles applied in managing grazing livestock species (e.g., beef cattle, horses, sheep and goats) with an emphasis on promoting animal health, plant health and production efficiency.  Topics include grazing behavior of livestock, nutritional aspects of pasture, effect of grazing on plant and soil health, plant identification, pasture allocation, pasture systems for each livestock specie (beef cattle, horse, sheep and goats), multi-specie grazing systems, watering systems, fencing, and economics of grazing.  The course was conducted as hybrid using asynchronous online lectures and one three-hour lab per week.

Delaware

Parasite management

In the area of parasite reduction, we completed and published our study of the reemergence patterns of cyathostomin species following deworming. In this study we identified specific cyathostomin species that were recalcitrant to anthelmintic treatment. The identification of specific species that are sensitive and resistant to each class of de-wormers, and the mechanisms of their responses is underway. This data will provide new targets for the control of cyathostomins in horses.

The goal of our second study is to identify genetic factors associated with cyathostomin sensitivity and resistance to de-wormers. We are currently optimizing culture, counting, and separation protocols to collect living and dead larvae following exposure to high/low anthelmintic concentrations. Here we will determine not only which species of cyathostomins are more sensitive to each treatment, but also track the transcriptional response. This work will provide new targets for anthelmintic drug discovery.

A third study to identify climate factors contributing to the success of cyathostomin species has leveraged the sampling effort of the Equine Microbiome Project to obtain data nationwide from climate zones 4-10. Correlating species prevalence with climate factors such as precipitation, humidity, and temperature will inform deworming strategies and management practices designed to prevent cyathostomins.

A fourth study is under development with the collaboration of Michelle DeBoer from UWRF. We are developing a grant proposal for fall submission to measure the reduction of L3 larval load in pastures following popular management techniques: grazing rotation by small ruminants, manure spreading/dragging, manure removal and mowing.

The last study comes from the Equine Microbiome Project, a collection of fecal samples and metadata from horses nationwide. My lab has been using this database to generate and test hypotheses regarding the impact of factors on the equine microbiome. Analysis of 254 horses with no noted metabolic issues revealed that the gut communities of horses with access to grass were more diverse in numbers and types of microbes. The core microbiomes (90% cutoff) of horses with no access to grass was enriched in Proteobacteria, Spirochaetes, and Synergistes, while those with access to grass contained Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Fibrobacter. This data points to deeper questions about the impact of different grass types, seasons, growing rates and other questions.

2021    Poseidon Equine, Australia; Presentation:  Horse health and the gut microbiome

2020    On Course Equine Nutrition Seminar, Zoom Webinar; Presentation: The Equine Microbiome Project

Two educational videos were produced to highlight Best Management practices at the University of Delaware’s Webb Farm. The first was filmed in the spring with emphasis on pasture rotation, manure management, and cool/warm season grasses for beef cattle and horses. The second will be filmed in late August to illustrate sustainable weed control measures such as the use of drought tolerant summer annuals (buckwheat, hemp, sunflowers) as highly palatable and pollinator friendly smother crops.

Rutgers

Animal waste is an issue that prevails in the animal industry and is widely understood as a problem on traditional livestock operations. In New Jersey, an animal industry that is very widespread and successful is the equine industry. This industry is widespread in the state and has the potential for great impact due to animal wastes. The issue that animal waste poses is that of nutrient pollution, which can devastate ecosystems and contribute to greater environmental damage. This research team wanted to understand the practices utilized by the equine community in NJ and to do so conducted a survey of equine operations. An observational survey study for the purpose of gathering data on the adopted practices and awareness of animal waste management regulations on equine farms in New Jersey. Selected participants were contacted via various channels to reach equine farmers.  Organizations such as the Rutgers Equine Science Center and the NJ Equine Advisory Board were influential in connecting participants to the survey.  This survey indicated areas where organizations such as cooperative extension can provide outreach to equine farmers in topics such as manure composting, carcass disposal, and runoff prevention.

Impacts

  1. 1.Impact Report Between August 2020 and August 2021, the Penn State environmental & pasture management program reached 170 clients. Three webinars were delivered, and follow-up online evaluation surveys measured their impact. • April 20, 2021 Webinar with Montgomery County Conservation District (47 attendees) o 85% plan to implement soil testing o 59% plan to implement rotational grazing o 89% plan to reseed pastures • April 22, 2021 Webinar with Montgomery County Conservation District (37 attendees) o 69% plan to implement soil testing o 39% plan to implement rotational grazing o 69% plan to reseed pastures • June 23, 2021 Horse Pasture Management Tips (35 attendees) o Value of webinar rated 4.27 (scale of 1-5) o 82% plan to use information from this webinar on a horse farm they manage.
  2. 2.The Equine Environmental Stewardship Short Course was delivered virtually to 29 registrants. Evaluations were collected via Qualtrics surveys. Some highlights of program impacts include: • Knowledge increase of 3.83 (scale of 1 to 4) on “The difference between annual, perennial, and biennial weeds and how life cycle affects management” • Knowledge increase of 3.73 (scale of 1 to 4) on “How forage biology and growth influences grazing decisions” • Over 50% of respondents reported that they will implement the following practices within 2 years as a result of the short course: o Soil test every 3 years (80%) o Apply lime/fertilizer based on test results (90%) o Choose herbicides based on weeds present at spray at the right time (50%) o Evaluate pasture condition at least annually (70%) o Identify forages and weeds present in pastures (60%) o Overseed a pasture (60%) o Add an improved base or cover to your manure storage (70%) o Apply composted manure to pastures (60%) o Contact a conservation professional for help with drainage problems (55%)
  3. 3.IMPACT STATEMENT MAINE STATE REPORT - ROBERT CAUSEY AND COLT KNIGHT We have established proof of concept for using GPS tracking to monitor equine behavior.
  4. 4.Amy Burk Impact Statement TITLE: Adoption of Environmentally-Friendly Best Management Practices by Horse Farm Operators ISSUE: Horse farm operators that use poor pasture and manure management practices may be negatively impacting the environment by polluting ground and surface water with sediment, nutrients, and pesticides. This program aims to increase adoption of environmentally friendly horse pasture best management practices (BMPs) to reduce negative environmental impact. Extension clientele for this program are horse farm operators, extension educators, conservation specialist, and agricultural service providers who work directly with horse farm operators. WHAT HAS BEEN DONE: This program uses a variety of approaches to meet its goal including conducting an applied research study to identify the current use of BMPs on horse farms, developing a model rotational grazing demonstration site to showcase the BMPs, hosting 27 educational seminars at the site, coordinating 5 in-person seminars and 3 online webinar series, giving 27 invited presentations, producing three horse pasture management videos, answer questions from general public via e-mail, phone, and social media and more formally through Ask the Experts Column and eXtension “Horse Quest” Community of Practice, co-published thirteen print resources through the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s “Horse Outreach Workgroup.” IMPACT: This program has served 5,349 horse farm operators, conservation specialists, agri-entrepeneurs, and students through technical assistance and outreach. Over 1,500 acres of pastures used for grazing horses have been renovated. Post-event survey results indicate increases in knowledge in the majority participants who attend seminar as well as adoption of at three least out of the eleven best management practices in as many as 75 horse farm operators.
  5. 5.Impact: Research conducted at North Carolina State University indicates management intensive grazing, as compared to continuous grazing, has the potential to improve the efficiency of pasture as a nutritional resource by increasing the number of grazing days. The net result for horse owners/managers is a decrease in the cost of maintaining and producing horses. The undergraduate livestock grazing management course developed at NCSU will train students to design and implement grazing plans for beef cattle, sheep, goats and horses that promote animal-health, plant-health and efficient animal production. These students are potential equine farm owners and/or managers, extension agents, or others that provide technical advice on pasture and grazing management.
  6. 6. Delaware. Progress has been made toward the objectives for the Environmental Impacts of Equine Operations objectives in three areas: 1. Parasitology: Identifying cyathostomin species that are resistant to anthelmintics and the genetic mechanisms of resistance will lead to new targets for control. 2. Pasture management: Highlighting the Best Practices underway at the University of Delaware Webb Farm through educational videos will enable students to understand how to better manage pastures for horses in the MidAtlantic region. Testing hypotheses regarding pasture management strategies for cyathostomin control will point to strategies with evidence for effectiveness. 3. Identifying specific drivers for equine gut microbiome structure and function, specifically the impact of grass in the diet provides evidence for the importance of forage for horse welfare and the necessity for maintaining healthy pastures.

Publications

Publications, Pennsylvania State University

Publications, University of Maryland

  1. Davis*, K., M. Iwaniuk, R. Dennis, P. Harris, and Burk. 2020. Effects of grazing muzzles on behavior and physiological stress of individually housed miniature horses. Appl. Anim. Beh. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105067.
  2. Davis*, K., M. Iwaniuk, R. Dennis, P. Harris, and Burk. 2020. Effects of grazing muzzles on voluntary exercise and physiological stress of a miniature horse herd. Appl. Anim. Beh. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105108.
  3. Jaqueth*, A.L., T.R. Turner, M.E. Iwaniuk, B.J. McIntosh, and O. Burk. 2020. Relative traffic tolerance of warm-season turfgrasses and suitability for grazing by equine. J. Equine Vet. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103244.

Publications (Robin Brumfield, Rutgers University)

Refereed Journal Articles (Published):

Knuth, Melinda J., Hayk Khachatryan, Charles R. Hall, Marco A. Palma, Alan W. Hodges, Ariana P. Torres, and Robin G. Brumfield. 2021. Trade Flows within the United States Nursery Industry in 2018. J. Environ. Hort. 39(2):77–90. 

Abstracts of papers presented at professional meetings (Published):

Brumfield, Robin G., Surendran Arumugam, Arend-Jan Both, Madeline Flahive Di Nardo, Ramu Govindasamy, Deborah Greenwood, Joseph Heckman, Nicholas Polanin, Ashaki A. Rouff1, Amy Rowe, and Richard VanVranken. 2021. A Successful Educational Program for Women Producers, Beginning Farmers, and Military Veterans That Helped Address Farm Risks during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Paper presented at the 2021 Annual Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), Hybrid, Denver, CO, August 5-9, 2021.

Dube, Ahmed Kasim, Robin G. Brumfield and Burhan Özkan. 2021. The Effects of the Market Outlet on Welfare of Smallholder Horticultural Producers in Ethiopia. Paper presented at the 2021 Annual Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), Hybrid, Denver, CO, August 5-9, 2021.

Wei, Xuan, Hayk Khachatryan, Ariana P. Torres, Robin G. Brumfield, Alan Hodges, Marco Palma, and Charles R. Hall. 2021. Exploring Firms’ Marketing Choices in the US Ornamental Horticulture Industry. Paper presented at the 2021 Annual Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), Hybrid, Denver, CO, August 5-9, 2021.

Symposium Proceedings Articles (Published):

Brumfield, R.G.2021. Building Financial Resilience During Tough Times. New Jersey Vegetable Growers’ Meeting. Atlantic City, NJ, February 22-25, 2021, Virtual. Pp. 20-21. https://nj-vegetable-crops-online-resources.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021-VGANJ-Proceedings-Book.pdf.

 Brumfield, R.G.2021. Constructing and Interpreting a Balance Sheet. New Jersey Vegetable Growers’ Meeting. Atlantic City, NJ, February 22-25, 2021, Virtual. Pp. 22. https://nj-vegetable-crops-online-resources.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021-VGANJ-Proceedings-Book.pdf.

Brumfield, R.G.2021. Managing Risks Using 3 Key Ratios from Your Balance Sheet. New Jersey Vegetable Growers’ Meeting. Atlantic City, NJ, February 22-23, 2021, Virtual. Pp. 23. https://nj-vegetable-crops-online-resources.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021-VGANJ-Proceedings-Book.pdf.

Brumfield, R.G.2021. Income Statement: Measuring Profitability. New Jersey Vegetable Growers’ Meeting. Atlantic City, NJ, February 22-25, 2021, Virtual. Pp. 23-25. https://nj-vegetable-crops-online-resources.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021-VGANJ-Proceedings-Book.pdf.

Brumfield, R.G.2021. Building Financial Resilience During Tough Times. New Jersey Vegetable Growers’ Meeting. Atlantic City, NJ, February 22-25, 2021, Virtual. Pp. 20-21. https://nj-vegetable-crops-online-resources.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021-VGANJ-Proceedings-Book.pdf.

Govindasamy, R., S. Arumugam, R. Brumfield. 2021. Marketing Tools for Small Businesses. New Jersey Vegetable Growers’ Meeting. Atlantic City, NJ, January 16-18, 2007, Virtual. Pp. 13-16. https://nj-vegetable-crops-online-resources.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021-VGANJ-Proceedings-Book.pdf.

Brumfield, Robin G. and Burhan Özkan. 2020. Empowering Women Farmers and Their Families. Proceedings of Conference on Women Empowerment in the World,  Pp. 375-389. Virtual, December 26-27, 2020. ISBN 978-93-5437-392-3.

Brumfield, Robin G., Deborah Greenwood, Madeline Flahive DiNardo, Arend-Jan Both, Joseph R, Heckman, Ramu Govindasamy, Nicholas Polanin, Ashaki A. Rouff, Amy Rowe, Richard VanVranken, and Surendran Arumugam. 2020. Farming in New Jersey’s Cities and the Urban Fringe: A successful educational program for women producers, beginning farmers, and military veterans. 2020. Proceedings of  Conference on Women Empowerment in the World,  Pp. 355-363. Virtual, December 26-27,2020. ISBN 978-93-

Refereed Journal Articles (Pending):

Brumfield, R.G., D. Greenwood, M. Flahive DiNardo, A.J. Both, J.R. Heckman, R. Govindasamy, N. Polanin, A.A. Rouff, A. Rowe, R. VanVranken, and S. Arumugam. 202x. A non-parametric approach to evaluate a risk management-training program designed to empower women farmers in New Jersey. Submitted for publication to Vimarsh Journal.

Gottlieb, Paul D.,  Robin G. Brumfield, Raul I. Cabrera, Daniel Farnsworth, and Lucas Marxen. 202x. An Online Tool for Estimating Return-on-Investment for Water Recycling at Nurseries.  (Submitted for publication to HortTechnology).

Greenwood, D., R.G. Brumfield, M. Flahive DiNardo, A.J. Both, J.R. Heckman, N. Polanin, A. Rouff, A. Rowe, and R. VanVranken. 202x. Annie’s Project: Farming in New Jersey’s Cities and the Urban Fringe. Submitted for review to the Journal of Extension.

Wei, Xuan, Hayk Khachatryan, Ariana P. Torres, Robin G. Brumfield, Alan Hodges, Marco Palma, and Charles R. Hall. 202x. Exploring Firms’ Marketing Choices in the US Ornamental Horticulture Industry (Submitted for publication to Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics).

Publications (University of Florida)

Peer Reviewed Publications:

Vasco, A.C., J.C.B Dubeux, M.O. Wallau, C.L. Wickens, L.K. Warren. 2020. Characterization of forage utilization and pasture management practices on Florida horse operations. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 95:103253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103253

Abstracts:

Vasco, A.C., A.S. Morrison, K.J. Brinkley-Bissinger, J.M. Bobel, J.C.B Dubeux, L.K. Warren, C.L. Wickens. 2021. Intake, digestibility, and nitrogen balance in horses fed rhizoma peanut hay. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 100:103513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103513

Submitted to Journal of Animal Science, recommended for publication following minor revisions (Editor decision received August 9, 2021).

Multi-media presentations:

Hiney, K., C. Wickens. 2021. Manure and Ivermectin. Extension Horses Tack Box Talk. Recorded May 7. Available at: ‎Tack Box Talk: Manure and Ivermectin: The Story of answering listener questions! on Apple Podcasts. Listeners: 205.

Hiney, K., C. Wickens, J. Schmidt. 2021. Manure Mountains: The story of turning horse apples into black gold. Extension Horses Tack Box Talk. Recorded April 27. Available at: ‎Tack Box Talk: Manure Mountains: The Story of turning horse apples into black gold on Apple Podcasts. Listeners: 147.

Composting: An effective manure management strategy. Video. 2020. Created and delivered as part of the virtual UF/IFAS Equine Institute and Allied Trade Show. Compost - YouTube. Live attendees: 75, YouTube views: 27.

Honors/Awards:

Bainum, C.L., M. Brew, C. Wickens. 2021. Equine Best Management Practices Program. National Association of County Agricultural Agents, National Finalist and Winner of the Southern Region Search for Excellence in Environmental Quality, Forestry, and Natural Resources Award. Caitlin L. Bainum - Search for Excellence in Environmental Quality, Forestry and Natural Resources (nacaa.com)

Grants:

Bainum, C.L., C.L. Wickens. Equine manure management through composting: A look at compost system design and management. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Agricultural Water Policy, Mini-grant Program. Funding period: 2020-2021. Amount: $3,643. Project provided materials to assemble a three-bin compost management system on a cooperator equine site in Marion County, FL (Hillcrest School), display educational signage, and conduct a composting

Delaware

Johnson, A.C.B, Biddle, A.S. 2021. The Use of Molecular Profiling to Track Equine Reinfection Rates of Cyathostomin Species Following Anthelmintic Administration. animals. 11(5), 1345.https://doi.org/10.3390/ ani111051345

Tavenner, M., McDonnell, S., Biddle, AS. 2020. Development of the equine hindgut microbiome in semi-feral and domestic conventionally-managed foals. Animal Microbiome. 2:43. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-020-00060-6

Blair, J and Biddle, AS. 2020. Stimulating Duddingtonia flagrans chlamydospore production through dehydration. Parasitology Research. 119:123-128.

 

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