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Control of PDD in dairy herds in the United States is essential for maximizing animal health, production, and profitability. A survey was conducted to determine use of footbaths on dairy farms in Northeastern NY and VT. The survey found, significantly more farms were using footbaths than were not (71 versus 27 farms, respectively). Copper sulfate (n = 59) was most frequently reported product used and footbath waste was disposed of to manure storage by 83.8% of farms. Research was conducted to examine these animal management and waste disposal practices on crop growth, soil, and manure storage. Greenhouse studies were conducted with objectives of determining effects of application of high Cu dairy manure on growth and quality of forage grasses and effect of excess of Cu applied from dairy manure on soil Cu concentrations. In 3 experiments, orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and timothy (Phleum pretense L.), were tested. Treatments were 0, 5.6, and 11.2 kg Cu/ha from CuSO4 in dairy manure that was incorporated into a sandy loam (Study 1 and 2) or a silt loam (Study 2) soil. Study 3 evaluated 0, 27.1, 54.3, and 81.4 kg/ha of Cu incorporated in a silt loam soil. Two years of research were conducted with the objectives of evaluating effects of the application of dairy manure with high Cu concentrations on growth and yield of corn (Zea mays L.) for silage and soil Cu concentrations. Treatments were 0, 9.12, and 18.23 kg Cu/ha and were applied to the same plots in 2006 and 2007. The 3 treatment were tested on early and late maturity corn hybrids. Two studies were conducted to examine the effects of excess Cu on manure in storage. Study 1 was conducted in the summer of 2006 to examine the effects over time of excess Cu on stored manure. Study 2 was conducted in the summer of 2007 to examine the effects of excess Cu on manure after 2 weeks of storage and subsequent effects of application to orchardgrass, timothy, reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Finally, soils collected from all research projects were used to evaluate the relationship of the extraction of Cu by CaCl2, Modified Morgan’s, and Mehlich-3 to total Cu measured by nitric acid digestion, soil CEC (meq/100g), SOM (%), and Cu applications. From the greenhouse studies it was found that orchardgrass appeared to be more tolerant to high Cu application from dairy manure than timothy and root Cu concentration was consistently higher than shoot Cu concentration. Two annual applications of high-Cu dairy manure had no effects on growth, yield, or composition of corn. There was no evidence of vertical movement of Cu in the soil after 2 annual applications to corn. Copper treatments did not change manure composition and did not change manure differently over time. Total bacterial counts were not affected by increasing the Cu concentration in the manure. The concentration of available Cu in the manure increased as the Cu treatment and total Cu in the manure increased. A single application of high Cu manure did not affect the yield or quality of orchardgrass, timothy, reed canarygrass, or alfalfa that it was applied to. As reported in other research the Cu concentration of alfalfa was higher than that of the grasses. Overall, Cu application rate has a large affect on the measure of Cu concentration in the soil and the strongest relationship to Cu extracted by Mehlich-3. The Mehlich-3 and Modified Morgan’s extractions are both good predictors of Cu extracted by CaCl2. Mehlich-3 is a very good predictor of Cu extracted by Modified Morgan’s.

A field trial was established of a mixed grass sward grown on three types of golf green construction. These consisted of a topsoil, a sand, peat and soil mixture, and a pure sand. Experimental treatments applied were three levels of irrigation, five of nitrogen fertiliser and two of phosphate. The trial was maintained as a golf green, and artificial wear was applied. Soil moisture deficit predictions by the Meteorological Office conformed with measurements from the soil construction, but the sand-based construction types showed higher deficits. The overall rate of evapotranspiration was around 65 % of predicted values. Pore structure of the sand-based rootzones changed slowly over time, but water infiltration rates fell markedly. The soil constructions showed a reduction in the proportion of larger pore spaces in the top of the profile, and infiltration rates were consistently low. Plant death was associated with both high and low rates of nitrogen fertiliser, low rates of irrigation, and was especially apparent on the sand constructions not receiving phosphate fertiliser. Ingress of the weed species Poa annua (L.) occurred mainly on the soil constructions and its rate of ingress was enhanced by increased nitrogen input. Golf ball roll and various aspects of their behaviour after impact onto the turf with simulated 5-iron flight characteristics were measured. Roll length declined with increasing fertiliser rate. Hard greens produced long, high bounces and shallow pitch marks. High rates of both irrigation and nitrogen produced deeper pitchmarks and were associated with the tendency of balls to "screw back". A multivariate method of classifying the quality of golf greens on the basis of a small number of objective measurements was developed. The classes of greens derived were described in terms of their average visual merit, green "speed", bail behaviour after impact, and the treatment factors which they had received.

Two previously uncharacterized plant rhabdoviruses, infecting Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers) and soybean (Glycine max) respectively, have been found in South Africa. To determine the morphology and virion size of these viruses, embedded ultra-thin sections of infected plant samples were observed under a transmission electron microscope. The virion distribution within the cell, the bulletshaped morphology and the virion sizes indicated that both these viruses might belong to the Rhabdoviridae family. Degenerate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were designed by alignment of the polymerase gene sequences of several plant rhabdoviruses in order to identify conserved regions. Standard PCR and sequencing protocols were used to determine a partial polymerase gene sequence of the viruses that was then compared to the most closely related sequences available on Genbank. The analysis indicated that the Cynodon rhabdovirus was most closely related to known nucleorhabdoviruses; and the rhabdovirus-infecting soybean (Soybean blotching mosaic virus proposed name) was closely related to other known cytorhabdoviruses. These results indicate that both the viruses are new members to the Nucleo- and Cytorhabdovirus genera, respectively. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Microbiology and Plant Pathology / unrestricted

Native Warm Season Grasses (NWSG) provide excellent wildlife habitat and are well adapted to the Southeastern United States. Steaks that were obtained from cattle fed NWSG in the stocker phase and finished on grain and tall fescue were subjected to simulated retail display for 0, 3, 6, and 9 days (graininished) and 0, 3, and 6 (forageinished) days respectively. Grain finished carcasses graded as choice and select while forage finished carcasses were both select and standard. Fat percentage was higher and moisture was lower in steaks from grain finished carcasses when compared to forage finished cattle. Lipid oxidation was lower in forage finished steaks on day 6 (0.35mg malonaldehyde/kg) than grain finished steaks (0.5mg malonaldehyde/kg). The overall acceptability scores given by consumers for both treatment groups were between like slightly and like moderately.

Nitrogen (N) use continues to be an important aspect of forage production. Experimentation was conducted to understand the combined effects of N application and harvest regime on three cool-season grasses: orchardgrass, southeastern wildrye, and tall fescue. Tests were established at Starkville and Brooksville, MS, in fall 2013 and 2014, respectively. Plots were fertilized with 0, 134, 202, or 269 kg N ha-1 yr-1 and harvested one, two, three, or four times during the 112-day season. Variables measured included: cumulative dry matter yield, relative forage quality, crude protein percentage, normalized difference vegetation index, nitrogen use efficiency, and persistence. Persistence was only recorded for southeastern wildrye. Species, N application, and harvests were significant in combination with one another (either two or all three) for all variables except persistence. Only harvest frequency was significant for persistence. Further research should be conducted to evaluate cutting height when incorporating N and multiple harvest events.

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