1816 research outputs found
Sort by
Copper Sequestration Using Local Waste Products
Get PDFDairies utilize copper sulfate
(CuSO4) foot baths to control hoof
infections. Typical solutions are 5 or
10% CuSO4 (pH ~6), equal to 12,500
or 25,000 ppm Cu, respectively.
When spent, hoof bath solutions are
usually disposed of in waste lagoons
and subsequently utilized for irrigation. In the Magic Valley, this practice
appears to be causing soil Cu concentrations to increase. The goal of
our research was to use local waste
products to sequester Cu from a
simulated hoof bath solution and to
use waste products to adsorb excessive Cu from Cu-affected soils
Oilseed Radish Effects on Soil Structure and Soil Water Relations
Get PDFOilseed radish (Raphanus sativus spp. oleifera) reduces sugarbeet cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii) populations. Fall-incorporated radish biomass may also increase the yield and quality of subsequently grown sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) by improving soil physical and hydraulic properties. This field study determined radish effects on nearsurface soil aggregate stability, water-stable aggregate size distribution, bulk density, and field-saturated water content, as well as infiltration and hydraulic conductivity measured at water supply potentials of ‑40, ‑20, and +0 mm H2O. In 2003 and 2004 in Twin Falls, ID, radish were grown in a Portneuf silt loam (Durinodic Xeric Haplocalcid) for about 10 weeks in the fall, then incorporated later that fall by disking, followed by moldboard plowing. In early May of the following year, sugarbeet were planted, irrigated, then harvested for yield and quality. In the spring and fall of each sugarbeet growing season, soil samples were collected from two depths, 0 to 5 and 5 to 50 mm, on which we measured aggregate stability and size distribution by wet sieving. Soil cores were collected from 0 to 34 mm to measure bulk density. Also in spring and fall, we used ponded and tension infiltrometers placed in the row to measure steadystate, unconfined infiltration rates and, from those rates, to Journal of Sugar Beet Research Vol. 47 Nos. 1 & 2 calculate near-surface hydraulic conductivities at each supply potential. Radish had either few or inconsistent effects on soil structure or hydraulic properties at potentials ≥ ‑40 mm H2O. There were, however, two exceptions. Fallincorporated radish increased the field-saturated water content by 10% to 0.446 m3 m‑3 in spring 2003 but had no effect in spring 2004, compared to the control (no oilseed radish). Most importantly, compared to the control, radish as a fall-incorporated green manure consistently increased the proportion of flow-conducting soil pores ≤ 0.75 mm in diameter, likely increasing water retention
Evaluation of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizer Placement With Strip Tillage for Irrigated Pacific Northwest Corn Production
Get PDFNutrient placement options with strip tillage (ST) can potentially improve plant nutrient utilization and increase crop yield compared to conventional fertilizer placement practices under conventional tillage (CT). The effects of tillage practice and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) placement on grain yield, biomass yield (whole plant, sum of grain, cobs, and stover), and N and P uptake of field corn (Zea mays L.) were assessed on four sites during 2007 and 2009 at the USDA-ARS Northwest Irrigation & Soils Research Laboratory at Kimberly, ID. During each year, two locations (eroded and not eroded from furrow irrigation) were utilized as study locations. Band placement of fertilizer with ST increased corn grain yield by 12.5 percent (689 kg per ha) and 25.9 percent (1,626 kg per ha) on the eroded locations compared to broadcast N and P and 5cm by 5cm N under CT in 2007 and 2009, respectively. These increased yields also resulted in better utilization of N and P by the plant. Reduced tillage costs of ST with associated band placement of N and P could increase the economic productivity of many acres of land in the Pacific Northwest
Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizer Placement in Corn Production
Get PDFThe use of strip tillage and other conservation tillage practices are used to conserve soil and soil water through residue management and reduce tillage costs in many areas of the Corn Belt. However, in the Pacific Northwest these tillage practices are less common. Strip tillage is becoming more common in the sugar beet industry in southern Idaho and due to the high dairy cow populations, corn production is increasing. The dual use of strip tillage for sugar beet and corn production will likely continue to develop, increasing the need for strip tillage best management practices in this region. In this study we evaluated the effects of common and logical nitrogen and phosphorus placements with strip tillage and conventional tillage on grain yield on four sites during 2007 and 2009 at the USDA-ARS Northwest Irrigation & Soils Research Laboratory at Kimberly, ID. Band placement of fertilizer with strip tillage increased corn grain yield by 12.5 percent (11 bu per acre) and 25.9 percent (26 bu per acre) on the eroded locations compared to broadcast nitrogen and phosphorus and 2 by 2 nitrogen (2 inches to the side and below seed with planter) under conventional tillage in 2007 and 2009, respectively. Reduced costs of strip tillage with associated band placement of fertilizer could increase the economic productivity of many acres of eroded/low fertility land in the Pacific Northwest used for corn grain production
Transport and Fate of MethyI Iodide and Its Pest Control in Soils
Get PDFFor fumigants, information on transport and fate, as well as pest control, is needed to develop management practices with the fewest human and environmental health risks while offering sufficient pest control efficacy. For this purpose, a 2-D soil chamber (60 cm wide, 60 cm long, and 6 cm thick) with a surface-mounted flux chamber was designed to determine volatilization, spatial and temporal distribution of soil gas-phase concentration, degradation and organism survivability after methyl iodide (MeI) fumigation. Three types of pests (barnyardgrass seed [Echinochloa crus-galli], citrus nematode [Tylenchulus semipenetrans], and fungi [Fusarium oxysporum]) were used to give a broad spectrum of pest control information. After MeI fumigation at a rate of 56.43 kg ha-1 for 24 hr, about 25.8 % of MeI was emitted into air, 6.8 % remained in the soil, and 43.6% degraded in the soil (based on the residual iodide concentration). The uncertainty in the measured MeI degradation using iodide concentration was thought to contribute to the unrecovered MeI (about 23%). Based on the spatial and temporal distribution of soil gas-phase concentration, the concentration-time index (CT) and its distribution was quantified. The citrus nematodes were effectively eliminated even at low CT values (< 30 µg hr ml-1) but all Fusarium oxysporum survived at the applied rate. The response of barnyardgrass seeds spatially varied with the concentration-time index (CT) values in the 2-D soil chamber. To fully control barnyardgrass seeds, CT of greater than 300 µg hr ml-1 was required. Using this experimental approach, different fumigant emission reduction strategies can be tested and mathematical models can be verified to determine which strategies produce least emission to atmosphere while maintaining sufficient pest control efficacy
Laser precipitation monitor for measurement of drop size and velocity of moving spray-plate sprinklers
Get PDFSprinkler drop size distribution and associated drop velocities have a major influence on sprinkler performance in regards to application intensity, uniformity of water application, wind drift, evaporation losses and kinetic energy transferred to the soil surface. Sprinkler drop size measurements are either labor intensive or require use of expensive equipment, both of which limit data availability. Sprinkler drop velocity data are more limited than drop size data due to measurement difficulty and associated cost of labor and instrumentation. An economical laser instrument commercially marketed for real-time rainfall measurements as a Laser Precipitation Monitor (LPM) was used to measure drop size and velocity from ten moving spray-plate type sprinklers. Measured drop size and velocity were used to determine sprinkler drop size distribution and kinetic energy applied to the soil by sprinkler discharge. Drop size distributions measured by the LPM were compared to drop size distributions measured in earlier studies using the traditional flour pellet method. Eight of the ten measured drop size distributions were not significantly different between measurement methods. However, the operating conditions when the two methods did not compare well were outside sprinkler manufacturer specifications. Based on this limited study the results from the two drop size measurement methods can be vastly different for sprinklers with relatively compact streams of water drops. Which method is more accurate for this condition remains unknown. Kinetic energy values calculated using measured drop size and velocity data were not significantly different from values determined using flour pellet drop size data and a ballistic model for estimating sprinkler drop tangential velocity. The economical laser instrument used in this study provided a relatively easy means to obtain reliable estimates of sprinkler kinetic energy per unit volume of applied water for various moving spray-plate sprinkler types and operating conditions. Estimated drop size distribution and computed kinetic energy applied by sprinkler discharge is sufficient for practical field application purposes
Improving Sugarbeet Storability
Get PDFStoring sugarbeets, in piles, under ambient con-
ditions, in production areas with mild climates,
allows for longer and more productive factory
campaigns. In southern Idaho, approximately
one-third of the roots are directly processed,
one-third are held in short-term storage, and
one-third are held in long-term storage (greater
than 90 days). Some beets in long-term storage
will be held up to 150 days, leaving roots sus-
ceptible to a number of negative influences.
Extreme temperature fluctuations, excessive
moisture, restricted air flow (snow, soil, weeds,
and rotted roots), microbial development, res-
piration rate, and buildup of impurities can all
negatively impact sucrose recovery. In addition
to disease and water-related problems in the
field, wounding during harvest and transport
will also negatively influence beet storability;
therefore, saving sucrose in storage begins
with cultivar selection for disease resistance
and storability along with good field and
harvest management
Immunodetection of Two Curtoviruses Infecting Sugar Beet
Get PDFBeet leafhopper-transmitted curly top virus is a serious problem in many different crops in the semiarid western U.S., including sugar beet, tomatoes and beans. Curly top is caused by a genetically diverse complex of phloem-limited curtoviruses. Due to the phloem restriction of curtoviruses and the lack of a convenient laboratory host-vector system for curly top virus propagation and purification, no commercial immunodetection tests are available for curtoviruses. Routine diagnostics for curly top relies either on visual symptoms or PCR tests. Lack of an ELISA test system is one of the factors hampering development and screening of the curly top resistant germplasm in, for instance, sugar beet and bean breeding programs. To fill in this gap, we developed an ELISA based detection system for curtoviruses which utilizes virus-specific antibodies generated against bacterially-expressed CP of Beet mild curly top virus. Bacterially-expressed CP was affinity purified and used as an antigen for antibody production in two animal species. Specificity of the resulting antisera was tested in Western blots and various triple-antibody sandwich (TAS)-ELISA formats with sugar beet, bean and Nicotiana benthamiana leaf tissue. We demonstrate reliable detection of two curtoviruses in different crops in TAS-ELISA format, suitable for large-scale screening of germplasm in breeding programs
Experimental Sugar Beet Cultivars Evaluated for Rhizomania Resistance and Storability in Idaho, 2009
Get PDFThirty-four experimental sugar beet cultivars and five commercial check cultivars were evaluated in a commercial sprinkler-irrigated sugar beet field near Declo, ID where winter wheat was grown in 2008. The field trial relied on natural infection for rhizomania development. The plots were planted on 20 Apr 09 to a density of 142,560 seeds/A, and thinned to 47,520 plants/A on 8 Jun. Plots were four rows (22-in . row spacing) and 24 ft long. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with four replications per cultivar. The crop was managed according to standard cultural practices. The plants were mechanically topped and the center two rows were collected with a mechanical harvester on 13 Oct. At harvest the roots were evaluated for rhizomania (Rz rating) using a scale of 0-9 (0 = healthy and 9 = dead). The percent sucrose at harvest was established based on two eight-root samples from each plot. The samples were submitted to the Amalgamated Tare Lab (determined percent sucrose, conductivity, nitrates, and tare). At harvest, eight roots per plot were also placed in a mesh onion bag, weighed, and placed in an indoor commercial sugar beet storage facility in Paul, ID on 14 Oct set to hold 35°F. On 18 Feb 10, the roots were evaluated for the percentage of surface area covered by fungal growth. On 22 Feb 10 roots were retrieved after 131 days in storage and evaluated for weight and percent sucrose (via gas chromatography). Only samples from the same plots were compared, when establishing percent reduction in sucrose at harvest versus storage. Data were analyzed using the general linear models rocedure (Proc GLM-SAS), and Fisher’s protected least significant difference was used for mean comparisons.
Root rots and other disease problems other than rhizomania were not evident in the plot area. Rhizomania was uniform based on foliar symptoms, but root symptom development was minimal. Nevertheless, there were significant differences among cultivars for all variables, except fungal growth on the root surface in storage. B-101 was borderline for rhizomania resistance, since cultivars with ratings over 3.0 are considered susceptible. Root yield averaged 37 tons/A which was higher than Idaho’s average of 31 tons/A (USDA-National Ag. Stat. Service). Surface fungal growth ranged from 4 to 30% and surface root rot ranged from 1 to 20%, depending on cultivar. By the end of the storage season, weight loss ranged from 3.1 to 7.1% and sucrose losses ranged from 23 to 57%. Thus, improving storability in sugar beet cultivars to reduce sucrose losses could have considerable economic benefit
Evaluation of Fungicides as Root Dips for the Control of Root Rot in Storage, 2009
Get PDFRoot rot in storage can lead to considerable sucrose losses in storage and adversely affect factory processing as well. The use of fungicide treatments applied to the root surface prior to storage were investigated to determine if they could reduce storage rots caused by Botrytis sp., Penicillium sp., and Athelia sp. Roots of the sugar beet cultivar B-5 were produced using standard cultural practices. At harvest eight roots were placed in a mesh onion bags to establish experimental units. The study included nine fungicide treatments (applied as a root dip) and a non-treated check arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Roots were then placed on top of an indoor commercial sugar beet pile and evaluated four times for root rot throughout the 120 day storage period. Area under the disease progress curve data showed an average reduction of 92% for Botrytis sp. and 71% for Athelia sp. for all treatments in comparison to the non-treated check. There was very little Penicillium growth on the roots and subsequently no differences between treatments. These data will aid the sugar beet industry in improving the storage of sugar beet roots