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Assessing Connectedness to Water as a Catalyst for Change: A Multidimensional Approach to Extension Education on Water Conservation
Get PDFAs issues of water security remain pervasive, extension educators continue to search for strategies to promote water conservation. Social marketing represents such a strategy that can be leveraged as a tool to better understand target audiences and develop strategic communication campaigns to promote practice adoption and behavior change. Research demonstrates that social marketing efforts that focus on understanding and developing personal norms and values hold promise for increasing the implementation of residential conservation behaviors. The construct of Connectedness to Nature is one strategy for developing environmentally aligned personal norms. This study leverages a similar concept, connectedness to water, to understand how an emotional connection to water creates values that promote water conservation. We take an audience segmentation approach to understand how water conservation relates to connection to water, sociodemographic characteristics, and future conservation intentions. We conducted cluster analysis to identify audience segments followed by ANOVAs and Chi-Square tests to determine significant variations among the segments. We found that the strongest effect size was associated with connectedness to water. Interestingly, the higher an individual’s connection to water, the higher the degree to which they were engaged with water conservation practices. This relationship represents an opportunity to tailor relevant extension education strategies to focus on the advancement of an individual’s personal connections to water and perpetuate an enhanced sense of personal obligation to conserve
The Effects of Seasonal Prescribed Burning on Flint Hills Dung Beetle (Scarabaeinae) Populations
Get PDFObjective:This study aimed to determine if the season of prescribed burning impacted dung beetle communities on pastures grazed by cattle in the Flint Hills.
Study Description:Dung beetle populations at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker unit were sampled biweekly for three months over the summer grazing period to determine if beetle populations varied between spring, summer, or fall burned pastures.
Results:At least eight species of dung beetles were identified with a total of 8,646 dung beetles collected. Dung beetle populations were not different (P\u3e0.05) between spring, summer, and fall burned pastures although peak beetle populations were observed two weeks earlier in the spring burned pastures than summer and fall.
The Bottom Line:Dung beetle populations were not impacted by the season of the burn and producers can select a burn season which best suits their needs without impacting dung beetle diversity or population density
The Effects of Thawing Method on Consumer Palatability Ratings of Beef Strip Loin Steaks
Get PDFObjective:The objective of this study was to determine palatability differences in beef strip loin steaks among various U.S. Department of Agriculture approved thawing methods and those commonly utilized by consumers.
Study Description:Paired Low Choice beef strip loins (n=15) were collected and fabricated into six sections, each section was fabricated into 1-in steaks and assigned one of six thawing methods including: countertop, cook from frozen, cold water, hot water, microwave, and refrigerator. Steaks were cooked to an internal peak temperature of 160°F and consumers were given samples which they evaluated for juiciness, tenderness, flavor liking, overall liking, attribute acceptability, and perceived level of quality. Samples were rated on a 100-point scale with 0 indicating dry, tough, or dislike extremely, and 100 indicating extremely juicy, extremely tender, or like extremely.
Results:For beef demographic data, consumers reported that the most important beef palatability trait was flavor with 56.7% of consumers indicating it as the most important. Tenderness was rated as the most important by 33.3% of consumers. Additionally, consumers reported the trait they experienced the most variability with was tenderness. Results of consumer sensory evaluation indicated that there were no differences (P\u3e0.05) among the six thaw methods for juiciness, tenderness, flavor, and overall liking. However, all treatments had an average rating of at least 57 for overall liking, indicating a high level of eating satisfaction. For all thaw methods, at least 82% of steaks were rated as overall acceptable. Additionally, for all thaw methods, consumers rated at least 79.1% of steaks acceptable for juiciness, tenderness, and flavor liking. Furthermore, thaw method did not have an impact (P\u3e0.05) on the perceived level of quality of samples.
The Bottom Line:Beef strip loin steak palatability was not impacted by thawing method, and therefore consumers should use whichever thawing method is most convenient, or best suits their needs
Evaluation of Thawing Curves of Beef Strip Loin Steaks Using Various Thawing Methods
Get PDFObjective:The objective of this study was to evaluate and determine thaw rate and time of strip steaks thawed using methods that are recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and those commonly used by consumers.
Study Description:Strip steaks collected from a beef packing facility were randomly assigned a thaw method. Initially, steaks were vacuum packaged and then frozen at -40°F until thawed. Two thawing methods were USDA-approved: thawing in a refrigerator (REF) and in cold water (CW); while the other two methods evaluated are commonly used by consumers: thawing on the countertop (CT) and in hot water (HW). The thawing temperatures were: REF at 35.6–37.4°F in the refrigerator; CW maintained at 35.6–37.4°F in water; CT at 68°F; and HW at 104°F. Temperatures of the steaks were recorded every 30 minutes for CW and REF, every 10 minutes for CT, and every thirty seconds for HW to determine the thaw time and rate.
Results:Thawing time differed (P\u3c0.05) among treatments in this study (HWP\u3c0.05) among treatments with a similar trend (HWP\u3c0.05) from REF until 5 hours prior to thaw point, at which point the temperatures were similar (P\u3e0.05) for the remaining thawing period. Moreover, REF steaks were warmer (P\u3c0.05) than CW steaks from 13 to 5 hours prior to thaw point. In the final 5 hours, CW and REF steaks were similar (P\u3e0.05) in temperature. Furthermore, among all treatments, CT steaks were the coldest(P\u3c0.05) from 5 to 2 hours prior to thaw point. However, in the final 2 hours, CT steaks were at similar (P\u3e0.05) temperatures as CW and REF. Due to the short period of thawing time and the observed rapid thawing rate, HW samples were the coldest (P\u3c0.05) in the final 10 minutes prior to thaw point.
The Bottom Line:Of the four thaw methods utilized in this study, the safest methods are those approved by the USDA (CW and REF). Thawing meat on the countertop or in hot water may be efficient and convenient methods for consumers, but it is important to take the extra time to thaw meat properly for safety
The Effects of Thawing Methods on Trained Sensory Evaluation of Beef Palatability Traits and Instrumental Measurements of Quality
Get PDFObjective:Using beef strip loins steaks, evaluate six common thawing methods and assess the quality attributes through a trained panelist evaluation and an array of instrumental quality measures.
Study Description:Paired Low Choice strip loins (n = 15) were collected from a beef packing facility. The paired loins were fabricated into 1-in steaks and blocked into six blocks of four steaks. Each block was assigned a different thawing method, and each steak within the block a test, then aged 21 days and frozen. Thaw methods consisted of the four USDA-approved thaw methods: refrigerator (REF), cold water (CW), microwave (MIC), cooking from frozen (COOK); and two methods commonly used by consumers: countertop (CT) and hot water (HW). Steaks assigned to REF were thawed in a refrigerator at 34–37°F for 24 hours prior to cooking. Steaks assigned to CW were thawed in individual containers of 34–37°F water for 24 hours prior to cooking. COOK steaks were cooked immediately upon removal from the freezer, while still in a frozen state. CT steaks were thawed at ambient temperature (68°F) for 5 hours. HW steaks were thawed in a sous vide machine set to 104°F for 20 minutes (± 2 minutes). MIC steaks were microwaved at 50% power for 3.5 minutes, flipped, and repeated in a retail microwave. Fifteen trained panels were performed, with eight panelists consuming six samples from the same loin. Each steak was cooked to a peak temperature of 160°F on clamshell style grills. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized block design.
Results:As a whole, thawing method had a minimal impact on palatability There were no (P\u3e0.05) differences among thawing methods for initial juiciness, sustained juiciness, connective tissue, pressed juice percentage, L*(lightness), lipid oxidation, Warner-Bratzler shear force and slice shear force. For myofibrillar tenderness, COOK steaks were tougher (P\u3c0.05) than REF and CW. Also, MIC and COOK steaks were lower (P\u3c0.05) than CW and REF steaks for overall tenderness, while all other treatments were similar (P\u3e0.05). The COOK steaks were rated higher (P\u3c0.05) than all other treatments for beef flavor intensity. The MIC steaks had lower (P\u3c0.05) cooked a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) values than REF, HW, and CW steaks, while CT samples had higher (P\u3c0.05) values than COOK and MIC. The MIC steaks had the highest (P\u3c0.05) cook loss, followed by COOK (P\u3c0.05), with all other treatments being similar (MIC\u3eCOOK\u3eCT = HN = CW = REF). MIC and HW had a higher (P\u3c0.05) thaw loss than CW, CT, and REF (MIC = HW\u3eCW = CT = REF). Moreover, MIC, COOK, and HW steaks had a higher (P\u3c0.05) percent total moisture loss than REF, CW, and CT. This increase in total moisture loss and thaw loss could indicate a total economic loss of steaks thawed using these methods. Lastly, COOK steaks had higher (P\u3c0.05) cooked expressible moisture than CT, CW, and REF.
The Bottom Line:Consumers and food service establishments may use whichever thawing method is the most economical and convenient for them, as thawing method has minimal impact eating quality, although food safety should be the upmost concern
Comparing the Performance of Cattle Castrated Using Different Techniques Upon Arrival at the Feedlot
Get PDFObjective:To determine the least detrimental castration technique in terms of growth performance when castrating cattle upon entry to the feedlot.
Study Description:Intact bulls were sourced from the Southeastern U.S. and received at the Kansas State University Beef Stocker Unit. After backgrounding, 700-lb bulls were castrated using various techniques, including banding, banding with splitting of the distal scrotum, use of the Henderson Tool, and use of a burdizzo clamp. A group of intact bulls served as a negative control group. Weights were obtained at regular intervals throughout the 56-day study to quantify and compare growth performance.
Results:The day 0 to day 56 average daily gain (ADG) showed no difference between treatment groups (P= 0.0643) but there was a trend for the Henderson group to gain at a lower rate than all other treatment groups. All other groups ended the 56-day study period with similar ADG. In addition, a trend was found for cattle castrated using the Henderson Tool to exhibit a lower activity time per hour than the other study groups for much of the day on average, as well as a greater number of minutes per hour ruminating on average. Jaw movement recorded as rumination was thought to be teeth grinding due to pain response and the lower amount of activity time would support this assessment. While the burdizzo group performed the best of all castrated groups, the labor-intensive process associated with applying the burdizzo clamp is not practical for cattle of this size. Cattle castrated using the band and band-cut methods performed better than those castrated using the Henderson Tool. The results of this study indicate that any castration technique that is surgical in nature is not ideal for castrating cattle at the feedlot.
The Bottom Line:Use of a latex band for castrating cattle at entry to the feedlot appears to be the technique least detrimental to growth performance
Evaluating the Organizational Advancement of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Extension Education
Get PDFIn response to global trends and calls for greater inclusivity, the field of extension education has made significant strides towards embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles. This study explores the progress of DEI initiatives in the Cooperative Extension System (CES), which has aligned with industry groups, non-profit organizations, academia, and scientific societies worldwide. Through a multifaceted approach, CES has pursued strategies such as intercultural competence (ICC) training for professionals, diversity action plans, and culturally responsive teaching techniques. This study assessed the advancement of DEI in extension education using a survey of DEI specialists across extension organizations in the U.S. Two assessment frameworks guided the study: the Diversity and Inclusion Self-Assessment and the Meyer\u27s DEI Spectrum tool. The results revealed significant variation in the implementation of specific DEI progress indicators, highlighting areas of advancement and opportunities for improvement. Notably, extension organizations demonstrated strong progress in the dimensions of Data and Infrastructure, indicating a commitment to collecting comprehensive demographic data and establishing supportive structures. However, challenges persist, including insufficient administrative support and incomplete organizational commitment. While many organizations have launched initial DEI efforts, sustained progress is essential to ensure the authenticity and effectiveness of these initiatives. The study underscores the importance of continuous assessment and accountability to drive meaningful DEI change within extension organizations. By addressing challenges and building on successes, extension organizations can contribute to a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape that mirrors global aspirations for social justice and diversity
Hard Red and Soft Red Winter Wheat Variety Testing - 2023
Get PDFThis is a summary of the winter wheat production conditions in Kansas, with particular emphasis on the variety trial results from southeast Kansas in 2023. After the dry conditions of 2022, adequate rain for wheat establishment and growth in the fall in southeast Kansas was received, although drought conditions were observed in central and western Kansas. The growing season had slightly below average rainfall, with adequate soil moisture in the fall for good stand establishment. Overall yields of hard and soft red wheat varieties were above multi-year averages, but slightly below the yields from 2022. As in previous years, soft red winter wheat out-yielded hard red winter wheat varieties, but the extent was not as dramatic as in previous years
Advancing Health Behavior Research Through Implementation Science: American Academy of Health Behavior Presidential Note
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Are you following a man?: Lived experiences of women in the workplace
Get PDFThis study provides human resource professionals insight into how women experience the workplace. The authors applied relational ethnography to explore the effect of patriarchy on women in higher education