Wheat Pasture Research Articles

Bloat in cattle. XVII. Wheat pasture bloat and its prevention with poloxalene.

Bloat in cattle. XVII. Wheat pasture bloat and its prevention with poloxalene.

Trimethylamine Responsible for Fishy Flavor in Milk from Cows on Wheat Pasture

A method was developed to quantify trimethylamine and methylamine by gas-liquid chromatography in steam distillates of milk. There was a decrease in milk flavor scores and a proportionate increase in concentrations of trimethylamine to 4.08ppm and of methylamine to 57.5ppm in milk from two cows on winter wheat pasture for 8 days.Flavor scores of 10 commercial milk samples ranged from 34.0 to 38.3, and trimethylamine and methylamine concentrations ranged from .26 to 1.28 and 4.85 to 14.63ppm – well below the estimated flavor thresholds in milk as determined by triangular taste tests. The flavor threshold for trimethylamine was approximately 2ppm, whereas methylamine was not organoleptically detectable at 80ppm. The former at 4ppm decreased flavor scores from 36.6 (normal milk) to 32.0 while 40ppm of the latter gave a score of 37.0. Adding trimethylamine elicited fishy and unclean flavors. It, therefore, is responsible for the fishy flavor characteristic of milk produced on wheat pasture.

The Effect of Pasture Crops with and without Supplemental Corn Feeding and Dry-Lot Management for Beef Production and Nematode Control

A fescue-ladino pasture yielded a lower beef production than any of the pasture crops and dry-lot rations tested; and as interpreted from the reduction of the average nematode egg counts during the term of grazing, a decrease of the number of hosts shedding nematode ova, and the nematode larval count of vegetation, the nematode parasite potential was the highest in steers grazed on this type of pasture. A partial corn supplement fed in addition to fescue-ladino grazing significantly increased beef production, but the parasite potential remained unchanged. The same quantity of corn supplementing ryegrass grazing did not significantly augment beef production from ryegrass, but it did lower the parasite potential. Wheat pasture was as effective for beef production as a full-feed of corn and cottonseed meal (7:1) supplemented with 3.0 lb. of legume hay in dry-lot, or ryegrass pasture supplemented with corn. Wheat pasture and the dry-lot diets were equally superior to any of the diets tested for the reduction of the nematode parasite potential of the hosts. The parasite potential was determined from species of Ostertagia, Oesphagostomum, Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Cooperia, Chabertia, Strongyloides, Bunostomum and Nematodirus.

Kansas Phytopathological Notes: 1952

It usually is difficult and often impossible to find, in scientific literature, a continuous, long-time record of the occurrence or absence of diseases of crop plants. Such records are of value not only from a historical standpoint but frequently are necessary to the planning, execution, and interpretation of the results of phytopathological research. Members of the staff of the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, recognizing the need for such records, assumed the responsibility of recording and publishing such information for Kansas in 1934. Phytopathological observations have been presented annually, almost without interruption, since that time. The present report is for the crop year 1952. The heavy rains of the early summer of 1951 resulted in deep soil penetration of moisture in most parts of Kansas. This combined with the frequent occurrence of rains during the remainder of the summer favored early germination and lush growth of volunteer wheat in most parts of the state. Volunteer and very early sown wheat were especially abundant in western counties where farmers imported many cattle and sheep to be finished for market on wheat pasture. The conditions favoring the rapid growth of wheat in the fall also favored the development of heavy fall infections of leaf rust (Puccinia rubigo-vera tritici). Leaf rust became so severe during October and early November that wheat pasturage was greatly reduced and much livestock had to be sent to market early or finished on other feeds. The large amount of soil moisture stored during the wet summer of 1951 combined with other favorable factors resulted in the production of 307,629,000 bushels of wheat in Kansas in 1952, the largest crop on record. Besides the soil moisture already mentioned, factors favoring high yields were excellent stands of well rooted plants in the fall, a mild winter with almost no cold injury, excellent growing conditions during the spring, and the unusually low incidence of diseases and insects which usually attack the wheat crop. From a phytopathological point of view, the most surprising thing

Serum Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Cows and Ewes on Winter Wheat Pasture

Serum Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Cows and Ewes on Winter Wheat Pasture

A Study of Spotted and Fallowed Wheat Fields in West Central Kansas

During the spring of 1947, spotted growth areas appeared in many wheat fields in west central Kansas. Such spots had been noted prior to 1947 when the weather was favorable. Seasonal conditions most favorable for such growth are drought in late summer and early fall, followed by ideal growing conditions in late fall and winter. This produces ample vegetation for pasturing of wheat by livestock. The major causes of spotted wheat fields in the past 25 years have been studied by the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Stations'l particularly in those areas of the state where rainfall is relatively light. Research by Lipman(2) and others revealed a great deal about nitrogen supply and deficiency but little about calcium and phosphorus of the soil and their relationship to the grain produced on fallowed fields, and those continuously cropped containing small areas of taller dark green wheat. The areas selected for study were on a farm four miles north of Hays, Kansas, and the project was conducted with the cooperation of the farm operator, Mr. J. D. Fellers. Two fields were chosen for study: A, a continuously cropped field (Fig. 1) and B, a fallowed field adjacent to Field A (Fig. 2). Both of the areas had been farmed by Mr. Fellers and as far as could be determined, the two fields were comparable as to soil type, topography and erosion. Field A (the continuously cropped area) had been in wheat since 1943. In both fields, the seedbed had been prepared by moldboard plowing, spring-toothing to pack the soil and kill volunteer wheat, and harrowing to level the soil just before seeding. Stubble burning had not been practiced in either field. Fields A and B were seeded to Comanche wheat, September 20, 1946. Thirty-four pounds of wheat per acre were used in seeding each field. When wheat pasture was available, both fields had been grazed heavily by a dairy herd during the three years previous to this study. Further reference to the areas studied will be given by the symbols: G for the green spots in the continuously cropped area,

The Influence of Breed, Feed, and Processing on the Riboflavin Content of Milk

Summary Experiments with two Holstein-Friesian and two Jersey cows over a normal lactation period of approximately 10 months (samples taken twice weekly) showed: 1 The milk of two Holstein cows used in this experiment contained, on’an average, approximately 34 per cent less riboflavin than that of two Jersey cows. 2 The Holstein cows, because of higher milk production, produced on an average approximately 34 per cent more riboflavin per day than the Jersey cows. 3 There was an inverse relation between milk yield per day and the riboflavin content. 4 The riboflavin content of morning, noon, and night milk from the same cow was practically constant although the milk yields varied widely. 5 Supplementing a concentrate-dry roughage ration with substantial amounts of sunflower silage increased the riboflavin content of milk 36 per cent (within 2 days), and the riboflavin content level was comparatively high for the remaining portion of lactation while the silage was fed. 6 Supplementing a concentrate-dry roughage sunflower-silage ration with wheat pasture or sweet clover and wheat pasture caused no significant change in the riboflavin content of milk. 7 Stage of lactation, season, pregnancy, and oestrus have no discernible influence on the riboflavin content of milk. 8 Colostrum milk contains about three times as much riboflavin as normal milk but loses approximately 30 per cent of its riboflavin concentration within 24 hours after parturition of the cow. 9 Neither pasteurization, homogenization, or storage for 24 hours at 40° F. in a dark refrigerator decreased the riboflavin content of milk.

Grazing Winter Wheat with Special Reference to the Mineral Blood Picture

In this study chemical analysis showed growing wheat to be an excellent source of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and protein. Before March 25 the calcium-phosphorus ratio averaged 1.1:1 and after March 25, 0.8:1. When the calcium-phosphorus ratio of the wheat was above 1:1 Hereford calves grazing wheat pasture chose principally bone meal. As the calcium phosphorus ratio became lower than 1:1 they ate ground limestone almost exclusively. Calves receiving bone meal and ground limestone failed to make more gain than those on wheat pasture alone. Calves receiving dry forage in addition to wheat pasture and mineral supplement made slightly larger gains than those receiving no dry feed. Analyses of blood for serum calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium failed to show any definite results that might be correlated with animal disorders resulting from grazing wheat. Blood phosphorus was lower for the calves on wheat pasture than for those in dry lot. Serum magnesium of animals receiving green wheat alone was lower than that of the animals receiving mineral and dry feed. Blood analyses from six animals stricken with symptoms resembling milk fever or grass-tetany while grazing wheat pasture showed that serum calcium and phosphorus were low and serum magnesium high. As a result of treatment with calcium gluconate, serum calcium and phosphorus were increased while serum magnesium was generally lowered. Consideration of Ca:P, Mg:P, Ca:Mg and Ca plus Mg:P ratios in these cases failed to show any uniformity either before or after treatment. This supports the belief that grass-tetany and milk fever may be complex nervous or glandular disturbances instead of simple mineral deficiencies.