USDA-PIAP.Benefits assessment of fungicide usage for management of foliar diseases
of alfalfa. This joint project
(Vermont, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa ) will determine the economic impact of fungicide usage
on alfalfa production within the major alfalfa producing regions of the United States. The
project will provide information concerning benefits associated with the type, timing, and
frequency of fungicide applications to manage foliar diseases of alfalfa. (A. Gotlieb, S.
Bosworth, J. Aleong)
USDA. Integrated pest management on forage crops in the Northeast. Alfalfa, the leading animal legume feed in Vermont, is severely affected by a combination of insect, disease, and environmental factors. This project is measuring the advantage of using a combination of control techniques to increase stand longevity and yield including cultural, biological, disease resistance, cultivar cold tolerance, and the limited use of a pesticide. (A.R. Gotlieb, S.C. Bosworth, J. Aleong)
USDA.Manure Management for Grass Hay and Silage Corn to Improve Nutrient Use Efficiency and Water Quality. Field studies were established at 2 sites to evaluate dairy manure compost and new methods (banding vs broadcast) for applying liquid manure on grassland. Preliminary results showed reduced ammonia-nitrogen losses from banding of manure. Yield results, obtained at one site only, are inconclusive because of unusually dry weather. (W.E. Jokela, S. Bosworth, J. Aleong, J. Carter, P. Pfluke, J. Rankin)
Lake Champlain Management Conference. Application methods for improved management of manure nutrients. New methods for applying liquid manure directly into the soil in a growing corn crop or after harvest were evaluated and demonstrated on 6 dairy farms in VT and NY. A replicated on- farm trial showed that sidedressed incorporated manure maintained yields and reduced nutrient runoff compared to other manure or fertilizer treatments. (W. Jokela, S. Bosworth, D. Meals, J. Rankin)
USDA. Evaluation of the Pre-Sidedress Nitrate Test (PSNT) for First Year Corn Following Sod. The improved method for farmers to determine nitrogen needs for corn is by testing the soil for nitrate in the spring (Pre-Sidedress Nitrate Test or:PSNT). It was not certain if this test functions well in field where corn is grown for the first time after sod is plowed under. Our preliminary results indicate that the PSNT is still a reliable test. This alleviates farmers from having to apply additional "insurance" fertilizer. (F.R. Magdoff, R.P. Durieux)
USDA. Regulation of Mammary Gland Development and Lactation. The purpose of this study is to understand how the mammary gland involutes during the dry period. We have determined that the death of the secretory tissue in the mammary gland is an active process that is controlled by lactogenic and galactopoietic hormones. These studies help us to understand why a dry period is necessary in lactating cows and whether there is potential for continuous lactation. (K. Plaut)
USDA. Genetic and physiological factors affecting plasmin levels in milk: implications for dairy cattle breeding. Four different phenotypes of the milk protein plasminogen were identified in 5 Vermont herds. Preliminary results show that differences in these phenotypes are not strongly associated with levels of plasmin in milk. Therefore selecting bulls and cows with a particular phenotype to help improve milk quality does not appear to be an advisable strategy at this point. (J.A. Gilmore, I. Politis, J.White, K.Leavitt)
USDA. Regulation of transforming growth factor beta-1 during mammogenesis in heifers. Overfeeding heifers causes the mammary gland to become fat and results in reduced milk production in subsequent years. This study is designed to determine whether transforming growth factor - beta-1 plays a role in mammary development in heifers on different planes of nutrition. This study has just begun so no results are available at this time. (K. Plaut, R. Maple, S. Ahmed)
USDA. Development of whole organ culture for bovine mammary tissue. The purpose of this study was to develop a technique in the laboratory to use mammary tissue from heifers to study pregnancy, lactation and the dry period. Some treatments resulted in formation of secretory tissue in vitro and secretion of milk fat. This study would allow us to study many physiological states in a single animal. (K. Plaut, R. Maple)