Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item Integrating crop diversity, forage crops, and targeted grazing to manage Avena fatua L.(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2021) Wong, Mei-Ling; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Fabian D. Menalled and Tim F. Seipel (co-chair)Wild oat (Avena fatua L.) is one of the most difficult weeds to manage in spring cereal crops and causes large economic losses throughout the Northern Great Plains. The continual use of herbicides for wild oat management has selected for herbicide resistant and multiple herbicide resistant biotypes and has left no selective herbicide options for farmers in small-grain fields. To sustain crop production, this thesis aimed to develop ecologically based practices to manage wild oat populations. We evaluated the impact of spring wheat height, seeding rate, crop type, forage termination method, and tillage on wild oat tiller density, biomass, and seed production. Two studies were conducted: (1) from 2017 through 2019 in Bozeman, Montana and (2) from 2018 through 2019 in Moccasin, Montana. The first study examined the combined effect of spring wheat height and seeding rate on its competitiveness against wild oat. We found that the tall near-isogenic wheat line did not have greater wild oat suppression than the short line. Spring wheat seeded at a higher than recommended rate reduced wild oat biomass and seed production only when nitrogen fertilizer was applied. The second study assessed management practices including integrating lentil, fall and spring forage mixture, sheep grazing and tilled fallow, in addition to spring wheat height and seeding rate. Forage mixtures, sheep grazing, and tillage were the most successful tactics in suppressing wild oat growth and seed production. However, wild oat suppression was not different between spring wheat and lentil, regardless of spring wheat height and seeding rate. Our results indicate that spring wheat height was not correlated with increased suppression of wild oat. A higher seeding rate of spring wheat also did not increase wild oat suppression; we suggest that fertilization may be needed to enhance crop competitiveness. Integrating forage crops with sheep grazing has the best potential to reduce the wild oat seed bank. This information can help redesign cropping systems. However, there is a continual need to develop other integrated weed management techniques to limit wild oat growth and seed production and to reduce reliance on herbicides.Item Effect of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) variety and harvest maturity on quality, yield, and condensed tannin content(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2020) Gardhouse, Kylie Ann; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Megan Van EmonSainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) is a forage legume that was introduced to North America from Europe and Asia. Unlike alfalfa, sainfoin is non-bloating, lacks autotoxicity properties, and may work as an anthelmintic when consumed by livestock. With limited information available on sainfoin varieties and management, new information is necessary to provide to producers for optimal production. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of variety and maturity at harvest on forage yield, quality, and condensed tannin content. Four varieties of sainfoin ('AAC Mountainview', 'Eski', 'Shoshone', and 'Delaney') and one alfalfa variety ('Shaw') were planted at two locations in Montana and the same sainfoin varieties and one alfalfa variety ('Spredor 4') were planted in one location in Utah. Samples were taken at 10, 50 and 100% bloom and evaluated for dry matter production and nutritive quality. Variety (P < or = 0.005) and maturity (P < or = 0.001) both were found to impact production, with Shaw, AAC Mountainview and Eski varieties having higher production, as well as tonnage increasing with advancing maturity than Delaney and Shoshone. Sainfoin had greater levels of condensed tannins than alfalfa (P < or = 0.001), and within sainfoin, tannin content decreased with increasing maturity (P < or = 0.003) at all locations. Crude protein levels were significantly different for maturity (P < 0.001) and variety (P < or = 0.003), and fiber values were only affected by maturity (P < or = 0.001). These results demonstrate that sainfoin is a beneficial legume to feed to livestock particularly in grazing situations, with similar quality and yield compared to alfalfa, as well as a higher condensed tannin content.Item Utilizing gene suppression technology and hay storage techniques to improve forage quality and animal performance(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2017) Staudenmeyer, Danielle Marie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Emily Glunk; J.G.P Bowman, R.L. Mack, A.L. Mack and E.C. Glunk were co-authors of the article, 'The effects of feeding reduced-lignin alfalfa on growing beef cattle performance' submitted to the journal 'Journal of animal science' which is contained within this thesis.; J.G.P Bowman, R.L. Mack and E.C. Glunk were co-authors of the article, 'Dry matter and forage quality losses associated with storing large round bales outside at varying geographic locations in the state of Montana' submitted to the journal 'Journal of animal science' which is contained within this thesis.Utilizing technologies such as genetic modification and forage management techniques are two ways to improve forage quality. The objective of the first study in this thesis was to determine the differences in forage quality between reduced-lignin and conventional alfalfa. To test these differences, twenty-four Crossbred Angus heifers were selected to participate in this study and their performance was evaluated based on changes in BW, ADG, DMI, and G:F. In situ digestibility was determined using four ruminally cannulated Hereford cows. Hay samples were collected and used to determine forage quality and leaf-to-stem ratio. There were no differences (P > or = 0.05) in forage quality between treatments, except for DM (P = 0.01). Means did not differ by treatment for percent leaf (P = 0.06) but did differ for leaf-to-stem ratio (P = 0.04). There were no treatment or treatment by day interactions (P > or = 0.05) for BW, ADG, DMI, or G:F. There were no treatment or treatment by time interactions (P > or = 0.05) for in situ digestibility. Overall, the results of this study suggested no difference in forage quality between reduced-lignin and conventional alfalfa. Additionally, animal performance did not differ for crossbred Angus heifers consuming reduced-lignin or conventional alfalfa. The objective of the second study in this thesis was to quantify DM and forage quality losses associated with three different methods of outdoor round bale hay storage at two different sites in Montana. Large round bales consisting of 100% grass hay wrapped in plastic net wrapping were placed into one of four storage systems at both the Bozeman Agricultural Research and Teaching farm (BART) and the Northern Agricultural Research Center (NARC). The four storage systems were: single-stack (SS), pyramid (PYR), mushroom (MSH), and inside stored bales (INSIDE). Results indicated that DM and forage quality losses differed based on geographic location in Montana. This study suggested that DM and forage quality losses differ by location and that bale placement, rather than hay storage formation, is more important for changes in DM and quality for bales stored in Montana over the winter months.Item Spatiotemporal variation in grassland biomass and quality across the upper Yellowstone River basin : variation across phenology and land use gradients and validation of remote sensing vegetation indices(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2016) Garroutte, Erica Lynn; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Andrew J. HansenSpatial and temporal heterogeneity in forage biomass and quality is known to play an integral role in the movement and population dynamics of migratory ungulates. Once limited by field-based forage assessments, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) have gained considerable attention as proxies for landscape-scale forage biomass and quality at fine temporal scales. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), these indices have become especially important for understanding how potential advances in the timing of spring green-up due to climate change and human land use may be influencing the forage patterns available to migratory elk (Cervus elaphus). Given this concern, more information is needed on how the forage biomass and quality available to elk varies across elevation-related phenology and land use gradients and on the reliability of using NDVI and EVI to map forage patterns across the GYE. Using 250m2 MODIS NDVI and EVI and field estimates of grassland biomass and quality, we examined how the rate and magnitude of seasonal variation in forage biomass and quality differed across elevation-related phenology and land use gradients, assessed how the accuracy of NDVI and EVI as proxies for forage biomass and quality differed across the landscape, and then mapped spatiotemporal variation in the abundance of high quality forage for elk across the Upper Yellowstone River Basin (UYRB). We found that: (1) Grasslands with late onset of growth and irrigated agriculture had a faster rate of growth and a greater seasonal magnitude of biomass and quality for elk than all other grasslands; (2) 250m2 NDVI and EVI explained minimal variation in grassland biomass and quality across the UYRB; and (3) the accuracy of NDVI and EVI differed across elevation-related phenology and land use gradients in the UYRB. These results provide novel information on the rate and magnitude of seasonal variation in forage biomass and quality and on the reliability of using NDVI and EVI to map the forage patterns available to migratory elk.Item Effects of rangeland fertilization on forage crop yield and quality(Montana State University - Bozeman, 1978) Nemeth, Chris EdwardItem Agronomic potential of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciaefolia) for Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1963) Holden, John L.Item Range vegetational types, range condition, and range sites in relation to the incidence of Urolithiasis in range cattle(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1956) Parker, Karl G.Item Studies on fecal analyses for determining forage species and protein in the diet of range ewes(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1951) McKinney, MarkItem Forage crop species response to varying soil moisture stress during germination(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1957) Vogel, WilliamItem Effects of chemical seed treatment upon seed germination and stand establishment of forage crops and also upon nodulation of leguminous plants(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1957) Niffenegger, Daniel A.
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