Multiple Management Practices Research Articles

Long‐Term Water Quality and Biological Responses to Multiple Best Management Practices in Rock Creek, Idaho1

Abstract: Water quality and macroinvertebrate assemblage data from 1981 to 2005 were assessed to evaluate the water quality and biological responses of a western trout stream to the implementation of multiple best management practices (BMPs) on irrigated cropland. Data from Rock Creek near Twin Falls, Idaho, a long‐term monitoring site, were assembled from state and federal sources to provide the evaluation. Seasonal loads of the nonpoint source pollutants suspended sediment (SS), total phosphorus (TP), and nitrate‐nitrite (NN) were estimated using a regression model with time‐series streamflow data and constituent concentrations. Trends in the macroinvertebrate assemblages were evaluated using a number of biological metrics and nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination. Regression analysis found significant annual decreases in TP and SS flow‐adjusted concentrations during the BMP implementation period from 1983 to 1990 of about 7 and 10%, respectively. These results are coincident with the implementation of multiple BMPs on about 75% of the irrigated cropland in the watershed. Macroinvertebrate assemblages during this time also responded with a change in taxa composition resulting in improved biotic index scores. Taxon specific TP and SS optima, empirically derived from a large national dataset, predicted a decrease in SS concentrations of about 37% (52 to 33 mg/l) and a decrease in TP concentrations of about 50% (0.20 to 0.10 mg/l) from 1981 to 1987. Decreasing trends in TP, SS, and NN pollutant loads were primarily the result of naturally low streamflow conditions during the BMP post‐implementation period from 1993 to 2005. Trends in macroinvertebrate responses during 1993 to 2005 were confounded by the introduction of the New Zealand mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum), which approached densities of 100,000 per m2 in riffle habitat. The occurrence of this invasive species appears to have caused a major shift in composition and function of the macroinvertebrate assemblages.

Evaluation of system of rice intensification (SRI) component practices and their synergies on salt-affected soils

The system of rice intensification (SRI) aims to improve rice ( Oryza sativa L.) yields through multiple management practices that have been presumed to interact synergistically. This study evaluated (i) the performance of SRI-component practices on salt-affected soils, and (ii) possible synergistic effects behind SRI's productive potential. Two replicated experiments were conducted in the Chokwé District, Mozambique in 2004 and 2005. The main trial was established at two sites differing in salinity levels and involved factorial arrangements of irrigation management (flooded, intermittent), compost application (12 Mg ha −1, none), plant spacing (30 cm × 30 cm, 20 cm × 20 cm) and variety (ITA312, IR52). The second trial involved three seedling ages (10-, 20- and 30-days old), and varieties. In each trial soil samples were collected prior to planting and soil chemical and physical properties analyzed. Intermittent irrigation reduced grain yields by 41–46% compared to conventional flooding. Compost application increased (12–13.5%), and wider spacing decreased grain yields (2.2–11%), as did higher transplant seedling age in the first year (9.3, 8.6 and 7.8 Mg ha −1 for 10-, 20- and 30-days old seedlings, respectively), but not in the second year. Rice compensated for decreased plant density by increasing yield per plant through more tillers and panicles. Interactions among practices were minimal, and in some cases antagonistic among SRI practices. In conclusion, several individual practices, including intermittent irrigation, compost application, and row spacing impacted grain yield, with SRI overall resulting in reduced rice yields. Synergistic effects of SRI practices were not observed for salt-affected soils.

The effectiveness in managing a group of multiple projects: Factors of influence and measurement criteria

To improve management and efficiency, many organizations nowadays employ multiple project management (MPM) practices. A common way to do so is having one project manager lead multiple concurrent projects, which we term – the management of a group of multiple projects (MGMP). Despite the high rate of utilization in the industries, MGMP research is still limited. In responding to the demand in this relevant research area, we examined the issues leading to effectiveness in MGMP from six leading high-tech organizations. We found the organizational-level and operational-level factors influencing the effectiveness in MGMP and the criteria for measuring the MGMP effectiveness. This finding was organized as a framework underlying the effectiveness in MGMP, providing important managerial implications and suggesting potential future research.

Comparison of types and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus from conventional and organic dairies in west-central Minnesota, USA

To assess whether conventional and organic dairy management practices are associated with differences in the susceptibility of Staphylococcus to antimicrobial agents. Staphylococcus was isolated from milk samples collected from conventional and organic dairies in west-central Minnesota. Isolates were categorized as (1) coagulase-positive, (2) novobiocin-sensitive coagulase-negative or (3) novobiocin-resistant coagulase-negative. Novobiocin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) was more common on conventional farms and novobiocin-sensitive CNS predominated the isolates from organic farms. Overall, a larger proportion of isolates from organic rather than conventional farms were susceptible to erythromycin, pirlimycin and tetracycline. However, for pirlimycin and tetracycline, different patterns of susceptibility were observed among Staphylococcus categories. In this study, organic dairy management was associated with more overall antimicrobial susceptibility among Staphylococcus than was conventional management. However, different patterns of susceptibility among Staphylococcus categories suggest that multiple management practices, including some unrelated to antimicrobial use, may contribute to the observed differences in susceptibility. This study adds to our understanding of the implications of dairy management choices.

Long-Term Effects of Nitrogen Management Practices on Grain Yield, Nitrogen Uptake, and Efficiency in Irrigated Corn

ABSTRACT Crop management strategies that improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) increase profits while reducing the detrimental effects on the environment associated with fertilizer nitrogen (N) loss. Effective N management should include several critical factors that are very interrelated. A study was conducted at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Goodwell, OK to evaluate the effects of multiple nitrogen management practices including N rate, source, time of application, methods of fertilizer and residue incorporation over a long period of time on grain yield, N uptake and NUE in irrigated corn. Fourteen treatments were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Results of data analyzed on the individual year and averages of all years showed that grain yield and N uptake were improved with N rates and N management practices compared to checks. Both N recovery and efficiency of use were high for the 118 kg N ha− 1 rate.

Quality management practices and their relationship with customer satisfaction and productivity improvement

PurposeThere is considerable confusion surrounding the applied role and business value of TQM. Anecdotal evidence and empirical studies in the literature suggest considerable variability in the performance of TQM. The purpose of the paper is to test the strength of the relationship between quality management practice and two key operational performance measures: productivity improvement and customer satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachA large database consisting of 962 responses from Australian manufacturing firms and 379 responses from New Zealand manufacturing firms is used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe major finding of the paper is that multiple quality management practices when implemented simultaneously have a significant and positive effect on productivity improvement and customer satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThe results presented in this paper are drawn from one industry at one point in time. Generalising the results to other industries should be done with caution. This study, therefore, aims to motivate further research on the link between quality strategies and organisational performance.Practical implicationsThe main implication that emerges from the paper is that managers in manufacturing firms should place more emphasis on “soft” quality management practices (e.g. unity of purpose/elimination of barriers between individuals and departments) and less emphasis on “hard” practices (e.g. process control).Originality/valueThe paper fulfils an identified need on the value of quality practice and offers practical implications to managers and stimulates further research on the relationship between quality practice and operational performance in non‐manufacturing industries.

Rhodiola rosea: A Versatile Adaptogen.

Rhodiola rosea (rose root) belonging to the family Crassulaceae is a popular medicinal plant in Russia, Scandinavia, and many other countries. Extracts of the roots of this plant have been found to favorably affect a number of physiological functions including neurotransmitter levels, central nervous system activity, and cardiovascular function. It is being used to stimulate the nervous system, decrease depression, enhance work performance, eliminate fatigue, and prevent high-altitude sickness. Most of these effects have been ascribed to constituents such as salidroside (rhodioloside), rosavins, and p-tyrosol. It has also been found to be a strong antioxidant and anticarcinogen due to the presence of several phenolic compounds. Adaptogens are plant extracts that allow an organism to counteract adverse physical, chemical, and biological stressors by generating nonspecific resistance. Adaptogens are known to increase the availability of energy during the day, reduce stressed feelings, increase endurance, and increase mental alertness. This multipurpose medicinal plant (R. rosea), with adaptogenic properties that increase the body's nonspecific resistance and normalize functions, has been traditionally grown and used in Russia and Mongolia. Due to increasing consumer demands toward natural health products and the growing interests in the secondary metabolites of plants and their application in biotechnology and therapy, much focus has been put on the rose root and its medical properties. The rose root imparts normalizing influences on adverse physical, chemical, and biological disturbances but is otherwise innocuous. In India, the plant has been growing wild in the high altitudes of the Himalayas. The Defence Research and Development Organization in India has taken on the responsibilities of its conservation, as well as the development of multiple management practices and the development of health foods, supplements, and nutraceuticals in India.

Identification and Creation of Optimum Habitat Conditions for Livestock

Optimum habitat condition is a concept typically used for wildlife rather than livestock. The definition for optimal livestock habitat will vary with management objectives. Abiotic factors, such as topography, water availability, and thermal cover, affect animal performance and uniformity of grazing. Livestock usually prefer gentle slopes and avoid traveling long horizontal and vertical distances to water. Shade and nearby water are used for thermoregulation when temperatures are high, and topographic relief and woody vegetation can be used for thermal cover during cooler temperatures. Biotic factors, such as forage quality and quantity, influence spatial grazing preferences and affect animal performance. Livestock prefer areas with higher forage quality and quantity. Uniformity of grazing may be greater in homogeneous vegetation, but animal performance may be greater in heterogeneous vegetation, especially at lower stocking rates. Livestock grazing patterns have been predicted using multiple regression and other models, but their success has typically been limited to a specific site. Managers can improve livestock habitat conditions by changing abiotic attributes of the pastures, such as developing water, building structures for thermal cover, and changing biotic attributes of the pasture through burning, fertilizing, varying stocking rates, and manipulating grazing systems. Managers can also choose animals that are more adapted to specific rangeland conditions. Practices such as strategic supplementation and herding can modify livestock behavioral patterns to use more of the available habitat. The spatial and temporal variability of rangeland requires multiple management practices to optimize use of livestock habitat. La condición óptima del hábitat es un concepto usado típicamente para fauna silvestre mas que para el ganado. La definición del hábitat óptimo para el ganado puede variar con los objetivos de manejo. Factores abióticos tales como topografía, disponibilidad de agua, y cobertura termal afectan el comportamiento animal y la uniformidad de apacentamiento. El ganado usualmente prefiere pendientes suaves y evita viajar grandes distancias horizontales y verticales para abrevar. La sombra y la cercanía del agua son usados para fines de termorregulación cuando las temperaturas son altas y el relieve topográfico y la vegetación leñosa pueden ser usadas para cobertura termal durante las temperaturas frías. Los factores bióticos tales como la calidad y cantidad de forraje influencian las preferencias espaciales de apacentamiento y afectan el comportamiento animal. El ganado prefiere áreas con una mayor cantidad y calidad de forraje. La uniformidad del apacentamiento puede ser mayor en una vegetación homogénea, pero el comportamiento productivo animal puede ser mayor en una vegetación heterogénea, especialmente con cargas animal baja. Los patrones de apacentamiento del ganado han sido predichos usando técnicas de regresión múltiple y otros modelos, pero su éxito has sido típicamente limitado a un sitio específico. Los manejadores pueden mejorar las condiciones de hábitat del ganado cambiando los atributos abióticos de los potreros como desarrollando aguajes, construyendo estructuras para cobertura termal y cambiando los atributos bióticos del pastizal a través de la quema, fertilización, variando la carga animal y manipulando los sistemas de apacentamiento. Los manejadores también pueden escoger animales que están más adaptados a ciertas condiciones específicas del pastizal. Practicas tales como la suplementación específica y la formación de hatos pueden modificar los patrones de comportamiento del ganado para usar más del hábitat disponible. La variabilidad espacial y temporal del pastizal requiere de múltiples prácticas de manejo para optimizar el uso del hábitat del ganado.

Identification and Creation of Optimum Habitat Conditions for Livestock

Optimum habitat condition is a concept typically used for wildlife rather than livestock. The definition for optimal livestock habitat will vary with management objectives. Abiotic factors, such as topography, water availability, and thermal cover, affect animal performance and uniformity of grazing. Livestock usually prefer gentle slopes and avoid traveling long horizontal and vertical distances to water. Shade and nearby water are used for thermoregulation when temperatures are high, and topographic relief and woody vegetation can be used for thermal cover during cooler temperatures. Biotic factors, such as forage quality and quantity, influence spatial grazing preferences and affect animal performance. Livestock prefer areas with higher forage quality and quantity. Uniformity of grazing may be greater in homogeneous vegetation, but animal performance may be greater in heterogeneous vegetation, especially at lower stocking rates. Livestock grazing patterns have been predicted using multiple regression and other models, but their success has typically been limited to a specific site. Managers can improve livestock habitat conditions by changing abiotic attributes of the pastures, such as developing water, building structures for thermal cover, and changing biotic attributes of the pasture through burning, fertilizing, varying stocking rates, and manipulating grazing systems. Managers can also choose animals that are more adapted to specific rangeland conditions. Practices such as strategic supplementation and herding can modify livestock behavioral patterns to use more of the available habitat. The spatial and temporal variability of rangeland requires multiple management practices to optimize use of livestock habitat.

Using the recommended stocking density to predict equine pasture management

Best management practices for equine pastures include following the recommended stocking density, rotating, clipping, dragging manure, soil testing, and renovating as needed. Assuming these practices are implemented collectively, pasture resources can contribute significantly to annual forage needs. A survey was mailed to New Jersey pasture property owners in January 2000 to assess pasture management practices and determine the relationship between the recommended stocking density and individual management practices. Our survey indicates that many horse pasture managers follow individual recommendations, but generally do not implement multiple management practices. About 69% of survey respondents currently have between 0 and 20 horses. About 28% of respondents have between 6 and 10 acres of pasture, while only 20% have between 11 and 20 acres. Our analysis reveals a decreasing tendency to follow the recommended stocking density as horse numbers increase, but no difference as the number of acres of pasture changes. Our survey indicated that 66% soil test and about 45% fertilize every three years or greater while 50% lime pastures in intervals exceeding three years. The most commonly implemented management practice is mowing pastures (89%), while 54% of respondents rotate pastures. Despite the large proportion of managers that mow or rotate their pastures, there was generally only a small likelihood of these managers following the recommended stocking density and mowing, and no relationship between rotating and the recommended stocking density. Our results also indicate that at most about one-third of pasture managers have access to or own some piece of equipment used in pasture renovation or maintenance, although 92% make annual pasture expenditures. Consequently, pasture managers need additional information regarding the benefits of following best management practices to achieve the synergistic effect of multiple management practices on pasture productivity and persistence.

Integration in orchard pest and habitat management: A review

Manipulating the composition of groundcover within orchards and vegetation adjacent to orchards might enhance biological control of orchard arthropod pests. It can also generate effects that may be counter-productive to the overall goals of integrated orchard pest management. Measuring progress toward achieving integration of orchard pest management practices can be viewed as analogous to climbing a step ladder. The first step (equivalent to first-level integrated pest management (IPM) entails the use of ecologically sound multiple management tactics for a single class of pests (either arthropods, diseases, weeds or vertebrates). The second step (second-level IPM) involves integration of multiple management practices across all classes of pests. The third step (third-level IPM) calls for integration of combined pest management approaches with the entire system of crop production. The fourth and top step of the ladder (fourth-level IPM) envisions blending the concerns of all those having a vital interest in pest management: researchers, extension personnel, private consultants, industry, growers, processors and distributors, consumers, neighbors of growers, environmentalists and government regulatory agencies. The probability is high that manipulating orchard groundcover and surrounding vegetation will affect the outcome of strategies and tactics at each of these four levels of integration of pest management practices. Here, examples are given of potential merits and possible shortcomings of orchard habitat manipulation at each level of integration.

Vegetative Response to Prescribed Fire in a North Florida Flatwoods Forest

Selected naturally regenerated flatwoods forests were burned in preparing a large, long-term study of the effects of several multiple use management practices on forest vegetation and wildlife. Early effects of burning on understory vegetation are reported here. Fire reduced woody understory coverage (from 72 to 66% of surface area), and increased herbaceous species frequency (from 60 to 81%) and herbaceous standing biomass (from 124 to 245 kg/ha). Graphical analyses show an increase in herbaceous species diversity as a result of burning. Successful production of wood, cattle, and wildlife in the southern pinelands depends on methods of managing both overstory and understory simultaneously to increase multiple product yields while avoiding environmental and ecological degradation. In 1976 a large study was begun to examine various effects of an array of forest management practices on wildlife, wildlife habitat, and herbage production. Portions of the study areas have only been burned. Reported here is an early assessment of the effects fire produced on the understory vegetation. Our objective is to show in a simple but compelling way certain beneficial effects of prescribed fire in a forest ecosystem. Study Area and Methods The 73-ha experimental area is on the University of Florida's Austin Cary Memorial Forest near Gainesville, Alachua County, Fla. When this study began the area was occupied by a 50-year old mixed stand of slash and longleaf pine averaging 20.7 m2 of basal area per ha. (This overstory was apparently not altered by the fires described in this paper.) Soils on about 70% of the experimental area are mainly a sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Ultic haplaquod of the Pomona series. These soils are acid sands that contain an organic stain layer between 41 and 61 cm, and a clay layer at about 109 cm. Basinger fine sand (a siliceous, hyperthermic Spodicpsammaquent), which occurs at slightly lower elevations, occupies about 15%. Sparr sand (a loamy, siliceous, hyperthermic Grossarenic paleudult) and Adamsville sand (a hyperthermic, uncoated Aquic quartzipsamment) occur at slightly higher elevations and occupy most of the remaining 15% of the area. The entire experimental area was prescribe-burned during the winter of 1975-76. Prior to that, the forest had been protected from fire and other disturbances for many years, and consequently the understory was dominated by shrubs, mainly saw-palmetto and common gallberry. Bracken fern was plentiful and pineland threeawn was common in open spaces. Other herbaceous species were scarce and hard to find. Burning was designed to consume as much surface litter and understory biomass as possible with minimum damage to overstory vegetation. The objectives were to improve light penetrations and to expose seeds of desirable plants to mineral soil. Burning took place during February, two or three days after a rain while the Authors are research wildlife biologist (retired) and research forester, Southeastern Forest Exp. Sta., U.S. Forest Serv. and range research biologist, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville 32611. soil was moist, air temperature cool, relative humidity high, and wind light and steady. The results were extensive dieback of many shrubs, but shrub consumption by flames was far from complete. In September and October of 1976, six 1-ha plots randomly dispersed over the experimental area were selected for subsequent burning and the understory vegetation on these plots was surveyed. Three 30-m line transects were randomly located in each plot and monumented so they could be relocated. Coverage of all woody vegetation less than 1.5 m aboveground was determined by measuring to the nearest centimeter the portion of each transect covered by crowns of each woody species. In those spaces where woody plants did not cover the transect, measureTable 1. Canopy coverage (%) below 1.5 m of woody plants on line transects following prescribed fires in February 1976 and in February 1978.