Kansas State University
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Productivity, Nutritive Value, and Profitability of Single and Multi-Species Cover Crops in Dryland Environments
No full textReplacing fallow with dual-purpose cover crops (CCs) can increase the profitability of dryland crop rotations in the semi-arid Great Plains. Little research information is available on CC mixtures that optimize productivity and profitability in dryland environments. Field experiments were conducted from 2015 to 2017 at the Kansas State University Hearting Beason (HB) Ranch near Brownell, KS, to quantify forage productivity, nutritive value, and profitability of spring-planted single or mixed species CCs in a winter wheat-grain sorghum-fallow (WSF) crop rotation. The CC treatments were implemented in the fallow phase ahead of winter wheat planting. Treatments were five spring-planted CC treatments: (1) spring oat; (2) spring triticale; (3) oat and triticale mixture (OT, two-species mixture); (3) oat, triticale, and pea (OTP, three-species mixture); and (5) oat, triticale, pea, radish, turnips, and buckwheat (cocktail, six-species mixture), and chemical fallow. Results showed that CC forage accumulation was 33% to 35% greater in sole triticale and OT mixture compared with sole spring oat or cocktail treatments. Multispecies mixtures, cocktail, and OTP had significantly greater available energy, digestibility, and dry matter intake based on measured CP, ADF, NDF, and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) compared with single CC species (oat or triticale). Net return was directly proportional to CC forage accumulation. Averaged across years, net return was $40/a greater for the OT treatment compared with the multi-species mixtures. Our results suggest that simple CC mixtures with greater forage accumulation (for example, sole triticale and OT mixture) are better dual-purpose CC alternatives for the semi-arid Great Plains
An Assessment of College Students’ Use of Social Media for Agriculture-related Information Seeking
No full textThe purpose of this study was to assess college student\u27s use of social media for agriculture-related information seeking. The study was guided by the Media Dependency Theory. A quantitative descriptive research design was used to elicit data from undergraduate college students enrolled in a junior-level communicating agriculture to the public class. Results revealed college students frequently obtain their agriculture-related news and information from news websites/apps and social media. Instagram was found to be the top social media platform used by respondents for seeking agriculture-related information, with a majority using it daily. Instagram was the most used followed by YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and X. Furthermore, the study found while undergraduate students frequently engaged with digital content, their use of social media for agriculture-specific information was less pronounced. Respondents utilized social media for agriculture-related entertainment, national news on agriculture-related topics occasionally, and international agriculture-related information less frequently. Future studies should explore the key social media influencers in agriculture, the role of social media influencers in shaping perceptions of agricultural content, the effectiveness of different types of content, and the integration of social media within professional agricultural networks. The evolving role of social media in agricultural communications presents both challenges and opportunities. However, integrating social media into educational frameworks and understanding the preferences of students can foster a more engaged and informed generation
Effects of a High-Protein Corn Co-product as a Replacement for Soybean Meal in Calf Starter Grains
No full textThe objective of this study was to assess the effects of replacing soybean meal with a novel high-protein corn co-product (HPCC) as a protein source in dairy calf starter grains. Forty-two Holstein calves were blocked by sex and birthdate and assigned to one of three starter grain treatments offered from 14 to 84 days of age. Assigned diets replaced 0 (CTRL), 50 (50HPCC), or 100% (100HPCC) of the soybean meal (16.6% of dietary dry matter (DM)) with HPCC. Supplemental methionine and lysine were added to starters as needed so that all diets met the theoretical requirements for limiting amino acids in young calves. Calves were fed waste milk based on birth weight until initiation of step-down weaning at 42 days of age, with all calves being completely weaned by 56 days of age. Weights, growth measurements, and blood samples were obtained for each calf every 14 ± 1 day. Fecal samples were collected from each calf on the last four days of the study to determine diet digestibility. Inclusion of HPCC quadratically affected starter grain intake during the preweaning period (14 to 41 days of age), with 100HPCC calves consuming the most and 50HPCC calves consuming the least. However, provision of HPCC increased preweaning body weight, and there was no evidence that HPCC treatment affected feed efficiency. After weaning (56 to 84 days of age), calves tended to consume more starter grain as HPCC inclusion increased. Body weight and average daily gain (ADG) increased with increasing HPCC inclusion. Wither height was reduced for 50HPCC calves compared to 100HPCC calves, but HPCC inclusion did not affect any other measures of structural growth. Apparent total tract digestibility of DM and crude protein (CP) tended to be greater for the HPCC diets than CTRL. In conclusion, results suggest that HPCC is a suitable replacement for soybean meal in starter grains that have been balanced for methionine and lysine supply
Association of Estrus Expression Preceding Timed-Artificial Insemination and Fertility in Dairy Cattle
No full textThe aim of this study was to evaluate the association between estrus expression and fertility outcomes in nulliparous Holstein heifers and high-producing lactating dairy cows submitted to GnRH-based timed artificial insemination (TAI) protocols. Retrospective data from the Kansas State University Dairy Teaching and Research Center from 2021 to 2024 were used in the study. Data included 1,154 first-service breeding records, 359 estrus events, pregnancy diagnoses, and calving incidence. Estrus’s expression was recorded using automated activity monitors. Estrus incidence, intensity, duration, and timing were analyzed in relation to pregnancy per artificial insemination (P/AI) and calving risk with Generalized Linear Models in SAS. Parity (heifer, primiparous, and multiparous) was included in the statistical model. Heifers exhibited higher estrus incidence, intensity, and duration compared to primiparous and multiparous cows. While intensity and duration did not directly impact P/AI, the timing of estrus expression significantly influenced outcomes, with animals expressing estrus closer to insemination (within 18 hours) demonstrating greater odds of pregnancy. Moreover, estrus expression was associated with a 15% increase in P/AI and improved calving rates (93% vs. 87%) regardless of parity (heifer, primiparous, or multiparous). Although previous studies have shown that estrus expression in high-producing cows may be detrimental or unnecessary for fertility at first service, our findings suggest that promoting estrus expression during TAI protocols may be beneficial. Future research should corroborate our findings, explore strategies to promote estrus expression during TAI, and assess the physiologic mechanisms leading to higher fertility in animals expressing estrus
Show Us Your Skills: Exploring the Science Communication Landscape in Graduate Education
Get PDFFunding, public debate, behavior change, and policy support often depend upon effectively communicating scientific relevance and research outcomes effectively, but many graduate programs do not build the skills needed for graduates to confidently engage public audiences and share their work through science communication. The purpose of this exploratory study was to understand graduate students’ perceptions of the need for science communication skills compared with science communication experts, graduate students’ perceived science communication abilities, and the opportunities they have to gain these skills at their institutions of higher education. A survey of graduate students at two land-grant universities was conducted (n = 158) to address this purpose. The results of this study support the importance of science communication skills and experiences for graduate students in agricultural and natural resources fields. Overall, the graduate students that participated in this study ranked the perceived importance of science communication skills similarly to the expert ranking reported in previous work. Graduate students placed less importance on skills they reported being less effective in and reported an interest in obtaining more experience and skills in all areas of science communication. Implications from this work are opportunities for faculty in agricultural and natural resources communication to create science communication skill development experiences for graduate students. Opportunities exist for fellowships and partnerships with industry and science communication centers to help graduate students gain experiences and skill development in science communication
What’s Your Platform? Introducing the Platform Theory in Agricultural Communication
Get PDFPlatform theory is broadening its scope across disciplines. In the current literatures, its applicability has been specially documented in the study of digital platforms which have dynamic nature and cannot be explained fully by traditional linear approaches. In this paper, we claim its applicability in agricultural communication scholarship and practices. Because the agricultural communication involves numerous stakeholders and several platforms working at the same time to result in a complex relationship among the involved elements, platform theory may best help to understand the complex scenario developed on the communication system. Finally, we propose a conceptual framework to explain the general outlook of platform theory in agricultural communication. We argue that this framework will serve as a model to understand complex and dynamic agricultural communication system
Community-based Environmental Management: The Case of St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh
Get PDFPolicies and actions taken to conserve local natural resources should focus on the needs and interests of multiple stakeholders who are involved in a selected context. However, sometimes, local contextual factors and barriers are not prioritized in natural resource conservation efforts. As a result, the primary goal of environmental policies, which is to conserve natural resources, becomes unattainable, and the policies fail to leave long-term and sustainable impacts on local communities. This study examines the factors influencing the environmental decision-making among various stakeholders to mitigate the environmental degradation of St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh. The two primary objectives of this study were to explore the contextual factors that inform local environmental management efforts on St. Martin’s Island and analyze the barriers that stakeholders face while supporting conservation efforts on the island. This ethnographic qualitative study used semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The study identified a number of crucial contextual factors and barriers that prevented locals’ active participation in environmental decision-making. The findings revealed that economic reliance on local natural resources, extensive tourism activities, limited opportunities for collaborative actions at multiple levels, and inadequate local facilities contribute significantly to the overall scenario of environmental degradation on St. Martin’s Island. These findings can guide Extension efforts focusing on environmental degradation in international contexts. The findings also have the potential for future research focusing on stakeholder engagement in environmental decision-making
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