Kansas State University
Not a member yet
19105 research outputs found
Sort by
An Investigation into the Elements Influencing Cattle Producers\u27 Preference for Specific Information Sources
No full textCow/calf producers in Oklahoma, like their counterparts in other agricultural sectors, depend on a variety of information sources to navigate the complexities of their operations effectively. However, research on the specific reasons producers prefer some sources over others remains sparse. The purpose of this study was to investigate the elements influencing cow/calf producers\u27 preferences for information sources and to identify the motivations underlying these preferences. By applying the Uses and Gratifications Theory, this research aimed to provide practical insights into how producers meet their informational needs and how communication channels can better serve this audience. This study employed a qualitative approach, using a semi-structured interview approach to collect data from 14 cow/calf producers in Oklahoma. Participants of this study were recruited using homogeneous sampling, identified through collaboration with county Extension educators and specialists. Participants were purposefully selected based on differing levels internet accessibility and geographic diversity. Data collection continued until saturation was reached. Findings indicate producers determine the importance of a source based on consistency, ease of access, experience, relevance, and transparency. Producers also indicated a desire for production and financial improvement from sources with a proven track record of success. Furthermore, research and data serve as a foundation for decision-making, but producers validate this information through peer discussions to assess its practical application. Future research could explore how Extension and other information channels can better integrate the expertise of producers in the field, positioning them as subject matter experts
Integrating Foundational Skills and Student-Centered Literacy: Insights from Self-Determination Theory
No full textTeacher–student relationships play a pivotal role in fostering student motivation, engagement, and achievement, yet debates about literacy instruction often overlook how curricular choices shape these relationships. This article examines how Self-Determination Theory (SDT) can serve as a fulcrum for integrating explicit foundational skills instruction with student-centered literacy experiences in ways that support autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Drawing on Progressive, Constructivist, Humanistic, and Social Learning traditions, the paper situates SDT within the historical context of the “Reading Wars” and current policy shifts tied to the Science of Reading. The HEART Model for Teacher-Student Relationships—Holistic, Enthusiastic, Approachable, Responsive, and Transformative—is introduced as a framework that operationalizes SDT through relational pedagogy. Implications highlight how teacher preparation programs can equip candidates to balance rigor with responsiveness, ensuring literacy instruction that advances achievement while sustaining student motivation
Visioning Together: A Tool for Successful Co-Creation of Learning Environments
No full textThis qualitative research study explores the use of a new belief-based visioning tool as a component of co-creating new learning environments. It examines the perceptions of educators from a Midwestern suburban school district working with an architectural firm to design a new middle school. The study was designed as a participatory evaluative case study, with data collected through interviews, focus group discussions, documentation, and observation of the design process during co-creation meetings between the designers and the educators. Findings demonstrate the merit of the belief-based visioning tool and its resulting Learning Belief Statements. The tool was found to be valuable to the educators who crafted the vision, as well as to the designers who used the final Learning Belief Statements throughout the design process. The tool’s impact has implications not only for designers and educators interested in implementing a co-creation process to design successful learning environments, but also for leaders and administrators seeking to strengthen staff culture across a building or district
Effects of Thermo-Mechanically Processed Soybean Meal on Nursery Pig Growth and Fecal Characteristics
No full textA total of 1,254 mixed-sex pigs (PIC 800 × [Fast York A × PIC L02]; initially 12.4 ± 0.22 lb) were used in a 28-d study to evaluate the effects of thermo-mechanically processed soybean meal (TM-SBM; Provisoy; Cargill; Wayzata, Minnesota) on nursery pig growth and fecal characteristics. Pens of pigs were randomly allotted to one of five dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design with body weight (BW) and nursery entry date as blocking factors. There were 18 to 20 pigs per pen and 12 pens per treatment. The experimental diets were cornsoybean meal-based with increasing TM-SBM replacing soybean meal on a standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys basis in the diet (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% in phase 1 and 0, 12.5, 25, 37.5, and 50% in phase 2). Treatment diets were fed in two phases from d 0 to 7 (phase 1) and d 7 to 21 (phase 2) followed by a common diet from d 21 to 28 (phase 3). At the end of phases 1 and 2 (d 7 and 21), fecal samples were collected from three randomly selected pigs in each pen to determine fecal dry matter (DM). Fecal scoring was also conducted on collected fecal material using a 0 to 4 scoring system, with 0 indicating firm feces and 4 indicating diarrhea. From d 0 to 21 (experimental period), ADG and ADFI increased then decreased (quadratic, P ≤ 0.038) with the best performance observed when TM-SBM replaced 25 to 50% of the SBM in phase 1 and 12.5 to 25% in phase 2. Moreover, feed efficiency improved (quadratic, P = 0.036) with TM-SBM replacing 50 and 25% of the SBM in phases 1 and 2, respectively, but worsened thereafter. No differences were observed for ADG, ADFI, and feed efficiency during the common period (d 21 to 28). Overall (d 0 to 28), ADG and ADFI tended to increase then decrease (quadratic, P ≤ 0.089) with the best performance observed when TM-SBM replaced 25% of the SBM in phase 1 and 12.5% in phase 2. For fecal DM, a treatment × day interaction was observed (quadratic, P = 0.024) indicating that the response to added TM-SBM differed across days. On d 7, the greatest increase in fecal DM occurred when TM-SBM replaced 25% of the SBM SID Lys (quadratic, P = 0.004) but decreased with 50% replacement of SBM SID Lys and then remained relatively stable. There were no fecal DM treatment differences observed on d 21. In summary, increasing TM-SBM to replace up to 25 to 50% of the SID Lys of SBM in phase 1 and 12.5 to 25% in phase 2 resulted in improved growth performance throughout the experimental period. Fecal DM on d 7 was greatest when 25% of the SID Lys of SBM was replaced with TM-SBM in phase 1. Higher inclusions of TM-SBM above 50% of the SID Lys of SBM in phase 1 and 25% in phase 2 were associated with decreased ADG and worsened feed efficiency
Evaluation of Net Energy, Standardized Ileal Digestible Lysine, and Soybean Meal Content Interactions in Pigs from 25 to 50 lb Using a Factorial Arrangement
No full textA total of 4,336 pigs (PIC 337 × 1050; initially 23.4 ± 0.70 lb) were used in a 21-d trial to investigate the interaction of NE, SID lysine, and soybean meal content on growth performance of nursery pigs. Pigs were housed in mixed-sex pens with 34 pigs per pen and assigned in a randomized complete block design to 16 dietary treatments arranged in a 2 × 2 × 4 factorial with eight replications per treatment. The treatment structure consisted of two levels of NE: 1,100 or 1,214 kcal/lb; two levels of SBM: 25.5 or 33.5%; and four levels of SID Lys: 1.08, 1.20, 1.31, or 1.43%. Eight diets were formulated to various levels of NE, SID Lys, and SBM and blended to create the 16 dietary treatments. Diets were corn-soybean meal-based, and soy hulls and soybean oil were added to modify the NE content of the diet. Feed-grade amino acids and SBM were used to adjust SID Lys and SBM content, respectively, and to maintain SID threonine, tryptophan, methionine, valine, and isoleucine ratios relative to SID Lys. There was a tendency for a three-way interaction (P = 0.063) in ADG between the NE, SBM, and SID Lys levels driven by the linear increase (P \u3c 0.001) in ADG as SID Lys increased in diets containing 1,214 kcal NE/lb and 33.5% SBM, whereas the response to SID Lys at lower NE or SBM increased up to 1.20% with no improvement thereafter. For F/G, there was a three-way interaction (linear, P = 0.023) between the NE, SBM, and SID Lys levels driven by the improvement (linear, P \u3c 0.001) in F/G at 1.08% SID Lys when NE was at 1,100 kcal/lb and SBM at 33.5% compared to the higher NE and lower SBM containing treatments. This response was likely caused by the greater Lys to calorie ratio and non-essential amino acids provided in this diet compared to the other diets containing 1.08% SID Lys. In conclusion, ADG and F/G improved as SID Lys increased in the diet; however, the magnitude of response was influenced by the Lys-to-CP and Lys-to-calorie ratios used within the different NE and SBM inclusions. Feed cost and feed cost per lb of gain increased as the levels of NE, SBM, and SID Lys increased in the diet
Cover Crop Biomass Removal Rates to Optimize Livestock Production and Soil Health in Dryland Cropping Systems
No full textGrazing cover crops (CCs) could provide an economic benefit to offset potential lost revenue when grain crop yields are decreased after CCs in dry years. However, there is limited guidance on the optimum biomass removal rate that balances soil health and grazing goals. An on-farm study was established in fall 2022 on a 50-acre producer field in Russell County, KS, to investigate the effects of CC biomass removal with cattle grazing on soil health parameters and grain crop yields, and profitability in no-till (NT) dryland cropping systems. The study design was a randomized complete block with three treatments and four replications. The treatments included ungrazed CCs, take-half-leave-half (T-H-L-H, 50% biomass removal), and graze-out (G-O, 90% biomass removal). Averaged across 2023-2024, the T-H-L-H and G-O significantly reduced CC residue amount, height, and residue cover when compared to ungrazed CCs. Cover crop management had no significant effect on soil organic carbon and particulate organic matter. However, phosphorus (P) concentrations were reduced by T-H-L-H and G-O when compared to ungrazed CCs, likely due to purposefully avoiding sampling near manure piles in the grazed plots that may be high in P. Take-half-leave-half and G-O also increased soil bulk density compared to ungrazed CCs. Soil penetration resistance, wind-erodible fraction, mean weight diameter of water-stable aggregates, time-to-runoff, and subsequent grain sorghum yields were unaffected by CC management. These results suggest that farmers and ranchers may be able to graze CCs at greater intensities than T-H-L-H to maximize livestock gains while maintaining soil health. This can increase adoption of CCs and benefit water quality protection and improvement efforts in reaching the goals of the approved 9 Element Watershed Plan through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Environmental Protection Agency. However, these observations were made in a two-year study and under exceptional drought conditions, so further investigation will be necessary under conditions of average or above average precipitation when wet soils may be more susceptible to soil compaction by cattle hoof traffic
Glufosinate Products and Timings for Efficacy in Corn
No full textThis study compared several glufosinate-containing herbicides for efficacy in Enlist corn. Treatments were applied at several application timings, including preemergence (PRE), early postemergence (EPOST), postemergence (POST), and late postemergence (LPOST). All herbicides controlled velvetleaf, Venice mallow, and Russian thistle well late in the season. Atrazine PRE followed by Surmise 5, Zalo plus S-metolachlor EPOST, and Zalo EPOST followed by Zalo POST were less effective on Palmer amaranth and kochia than other herbicides by season’s end. For green foxtail, only Zalo plus S-metolachlor EPOST and the atrazine followed by Surmise treatments provided less than 95% control
Status Compared to Standards for Early Postemergence Efficacy in Corn
No full textThe addition of Status herbicide to Halex GT generally increased the control of kochia, Palmer amaranth, and johnsongrass compared to Halex GT alone. The tank mixture of Status plus Zidua SC with or without Callisto was as effective as Resicore, Halex GT plus Status, Acuron GT plus Status, and Callisto plus Sequence and Status on kochia and Palmer amaranth. Diflexx Duo plus atrazine controlled kochia and Palmer amaranth similarly to the Status tank mixtures, but was less effective on johnsongrass. Grain yields increased 9- to 14-fold with all herbicide-treated corn relative to the untreated controls
Use and mention with respect to ``know”, “believe”, “evidence”, “justification”, “hypothesis”, and so on: A hot mess
No full textUse/mention errors are everywhere in epistemology. They even show up in Gettier’s classic paper. They bedevil philosophical attempts to understand “know”, “belief”, as well as propositional-attitude expressions at the most basic level. What, for example, are propositional-attitudes attitudes towards? Not towards propositions, as it turns out. Use/mention errors confuse philosophers in the most simple of ways: For example, they allow philosophers to think that evidence and knowledge are propositional, in the sense that evidence is true propositions and that knowledge is knowledge of propositions. Similarly, propositional attitudes are seen as attitudes towards propositions rather than what propositions describe. It is shown specifically in detail how Williamson’s influential views about E=K—that evidence is what one knows is flawed because of use/mention errors
Sorting Out the Details: A Q method Study Investigating Wheat Industry Professionals’ Soil Health Management Practices, Information Needs, and Communication Preferences
No full textThere is a need to rethink the traditional approach to conservation outreach, especially among wheat producers in Texas, where adoption of soil health management practices remain low. The study is the first to use Q methodology to identify common viewpoints of wheat industry professionals regarding their beliefs and behaviors related to soil health management practices. After developing the concourse and Q set using interview data and previous research, we collected data from N = 36 wheat industry professionals who attended various grower events. During analysis, we extracted seven factors that each had between one and four defining variables and a composite reliability between .80 and .94. Together, the seven factors, each of which represented a common viewpoint, accounted for 59% of the variance. We used distinguishing statements and factor arrays to describe the group of professionals representing each viewpoint—Conservation-Resistant Practitioners, Management-Selective Practitioners, Conservation-Oriented Practitioners, Technology-Motivated Practitioners, Soil Health-Conscious Practitioners, Extension Adverse Practitioners, and Information-Seeking Practitioners. Participants generally disliked aspects of the traditional outreach approach, including print media (i.e., radio, fact sheets), one-on-one conservation planning (i.e., seasonal calls and visits from Extension agents), and demonstrations (i.e., did not need visual evidence from on-farm demonstrations that soil health management practices work). We also identified distinct soil health management behaviors, information needs, and communication preferences of each group that can be used to inform targeted outreach that may increase adoption of soil health management practices