scholarly journals Growth and Survival of Two Western Milkweed Species: Effects of Container Volume and Fertilizer Rate

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 482-489
Author(s):  
Nikki Hanson ◽  
Amy L. Ross-Davis ◽  
Anthony S. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Restoration ◽  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Monarch Butterfly ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Fertilizer Rate ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Fertilizer Application Rate

Diminishing milkweed (Asclepias sp.) populations are contributing to the conspicuous decline of the iconic monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). This research sought to improve milkweed propagation success, a core component of summer habitat restoration projects. Specifically, this research assessed the effects of container volume and fertilizer application rate on growth and first year field survival of two species of milkweed common to western North America, namely showy milkweed (A. speciosa) and narrowleaf milkweed (A. fascicularis). Generally, larger roots and shoots developed when plants were given the high rate of fertilizer (6.5 g·L−1) and when reared in the largest containers (2600 mL). For narrowleaf milkweed, nearly all plants developed a firm plug (i.e., one in which the root system remained intact when removed from the container) after 22 weeks. Most narrowleaf milkweed plants flowered 15 weeks after sowing when grown in the largest container with either the low (2.7 g·L−1) or high fertilizer rate or the midsized container (444 mL) with a high rate of fertilizer. For showy milkweed, a firm plug developed for nearly all individuals by the end of the growing season only when given the high fertilizer rate. None of the showy milkweed plants developed an inflorescence by 15 weeks. Results of this research improve our understanding of milkweed propagation and will aid in the efforts to restore the monarch butterfly’s summer breeding habitat by providing propagation protocols across a range of stocktypes.

scholarly journals Better Understanding the Potential Importance of Florida Roadside Breeding Habitat for the Monarch

Insects ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaret Daniels ◽  
Chase Kimmel ◽  
Simon McClung ◽  
Samm Epstein ◽  
Jonathan Bremer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Restoration ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Monarch Butterfly ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Deep South ◽  
Early Season ◽  
The North ◽  
Asclepias Humistrata ◽  
Roadside Verges

The North American monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) population has declined significantly over the past two decades. Among the many other factors, loss of breeding habitat has been implicated as a potential leading driver. In response, wildlife agencies and conservation practitioners have made a strong push to restore and conserve milkweeds on both wild and managed landscapes including agricultural lands as well as transportation and utility rights-of-way. Roadsides in particular have been emphasized as a targeted landscape for monarch habitat restoration. While much attention has been focused on habitat in California, along the I-35 corridor from Texas to Minnesota, and more broadly across the agricultural Midwest, research on the occurrence of roadside breeding habitat and the development of best vegetative management practices conducted in the Deep South has been limited. We sampled roadside verges in north-central Florida for the presence of two early season milkweed species, that are particularly important for early season monarch recolonization, Asclepias tuberosa and Asclepias humistrata. Our findings suggest that roadsides harbor extensive populations of the target milkweeds with the vast majority of plants occurring on the back slope of the verge. Alterations to current roadside mowing frequency and scope are needed to effectively conserve these populations and ensure that they are available for use by the monarch.

scholarly journals Response of Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.), To Nps Fertilizer Application on Growth Parameters at Mizan -Aman, South West Ethiopia

2019 ◽  
pp. 65-70
Author(s):  
Simon Koroto ◽  
Selemawit Dula
Keyword(s):  
Solanum Tuberosum ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Solanum Tuberosum L ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Fertilizer Rate ◽  
Fertilizer Application Rate ◽  
Four Levels ◽  
Almost All

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most important crops globally. There is little information on balanced use of chemical fertilizer on potato production in Benchi-Maji Zone. Thus, a field experiment was conducted with the objective to investigate the effect of NPS fertilizer rate on the growth parameters of potato. The treatment consisted of four levels of NPS fertilizer (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha-1) which were laid out in RCBD with three replications. Improved potato variety "Gudene" was used as a test crop. NPS fertilizer rate had significantly influenced almost all the tested parameters of potato. Day’s to 50% flowering was highly significantly affected by NPS rate. Early day to flower were obtained with the application of 100 kg ha-1 of NPS fertilizer and late flowering recorded at 150 kg ha-1 NPS fertilizer application rate. Significantly highest plant height of potato was obtained from application of 150 kg ha-1 NPS fertilizer and the smallest height is obtained from application of 50 kg ha-1 NPS fertilizer.

scholarly journals Overwintering Survival and Vigor of Container-grown Fountain Grass: Influence of Substrate Moisture Content, Protective Covers, and Fertilizer Rate

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 791-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
William K. Harris ◽  
Joyce G. Latimer ◽  
John F. Freeborn ◽  
Margaret Aiken ◽  
Holly L. Scoggins
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rate ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Double Layer ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Fertilizer Rate ◽  
Fertilizer Application Rate ◽  
Substrate Moisture ◽  
Overwintering Survival

Despite the popularity of fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides) as a landscape perennial, little research has been conducted on nursery management practices that maximize its overwintering survival and subsequent spring vigor in container production systems. An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of protective covers (a double layer of insulation fabric, a double layer of insulation fabric plus a single sheet of white polyethylene plastic, or no cover), fertilizer application rate (high and low), and substrate moisture content (irrigated when substrate volumetric water content (VWC) fell below 15% and 25%) on the survival rate and vigor of container-grown fountain grass: straight species fountain grass (SFG), ‘Hameln’ fountain grass (HFG), and ‘Little Bunny’ fountain grass (LBFG). Plants were overwintered in a coldframe and were evaluated for survival rate (percent that survived the winter) and vigor (visual rating scale 1 to 5) the following spring. Survival rate and vigor ratings varied among species. However, the highest survival rates (generally 75% or greater) and vigor ratings (generally 3 or greater) were in treatments that used protective covers, though there was not a clear advantage to using white polyethylene in addition to the double layer of insulation fabric. In treatments that used either of the protective covering methods and the high fertilizer application rate, 25% or less of LBFG survived and had vigor ratings of 1.3 or less. In contrast, 75% of LBFG survived when the low fertilizer rate was used in conjunction with either protective covering method. Substrate moisture content only affected the survival rates of SFG and HFG when no protective cover was used, although these survival rates were less than those with covers. These results suggest that protective covers may serve as a tool to minimize winter damage and improve crop quality for the species used in this trial. Because of the varied capacity among these cultivars to tolerate different fertilizer rates and substrate moisture contents, it is recommended that growers use the results of this study as a baseline for conducting site evaluations to determine overwintering techniques that maximize survival and vigor on their facilities.

scholarly journals Nitrogen Leaching and Nitrogen Balance under Differing Nitrogen Fertilization for Sugarcane Cultivation on a Subtropical Island

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 740
Author(s):  
Ken Okamoto ◽  
Shinkichi Goto ◽  
Toshihiko Anzai ◽  
Shotaro Ando
Keyword(s):  
N Uptake ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
N Recovery ◽  
N Application ◽  
Fertilizer Application Rate ◽  
Sugarcane Yield ◽  
Cropping Seasons

Fertilizer application during sugarcane cultivation is a main source of nitrogen (N) loads to groundwater on small islands in southwestern Japan. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of reducing the N fertilizer application rate on sugarcane yield, N leaching, and N balance. We conducted a sugarcane cultivation experiment with drainage lysimeters and different N application rates in three cropping seasons (three years). N loads were reduced by reducing the first N application rate in all cropping seasons. The sugarcane yields of the treatment to which the first N application was halved (T2 = 195 kg ha−1 N) were slightly lower than those of the conventional application (T1 = 230 kg ha−1 N) in the first and third seasons (T1 = 91 or 93 tons ha−1, T2 = 89 or 87 tons ha−1). N uptake in T1 and T2 was almost the same in seasons 1 (186–188 kg ha−1) and 3 (147–151 kg ha−1). Based on the responses of sugarcane yield and N uptake to fertilizer reduction in two of the three years, T2 is considered to represent a feasible fertilization practice for farmers. The reduction of the first N fertilizer application reduced the underground amounts of N loads (0–19 kg ha−1). However, application of 0 N in the first fertilization would lead to a substantial reduction in yield in all seasons. Reducing the amount of N in the first application (i.e., replacing T1 with T2) improved N recovery by 9.7–11.9% and reduced N leaching by 13 kg ha−1. These results suggest that halving the amount of N used in the first application can improve N fertilizer use efficiency and reduce N loss to groundwater.

scholarly journals Excessive Application of Fertilizer, Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution, and Farmers’ Policy Choice

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haixia Wu ◽  
Yan Ge
Keyword(s):  
Point Source ◽  
Organic Fertilizer ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Chemical Fertilizer ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Annual Growth Rate ◽  
Point Source Pollution ◽  
Fertilizer Application Rate ◽  
Non Point Source Pollution

This paper takes 516 households who planted wheat in Heyang County, Shaanxi Province in 2018, as samples to construct three policy environments: Technological guidance for planting, subsidies for organic fertilizer application, and agricultural tailwater discharge standards. The experimental choice method was used to empirically analyze policy preferences during the process of fertilizer reduction. The results indicate that households show different preferences for the three policy settings: The fertilizer application rate is reduced by 6.98% if providing full technological guidance for farmers throughout the wheat planting process and is reduced by 5.18% under the background of providing appropriate organic fertilizer subsidies. The agricultural tailwater discharge standards have the least impact on the reducing level of chemical fertilizer application, with decreasing amounts of only 1.85% and 0.77% under the second-level and the first-level agricultural tailwater discharge standards, respectively. These results indicate that households in Heyang County, Shaanxi Province, demonstrate a low willingness to accept the agricultural tailwater discharge standards in order to cut down on the amount of chemical fertilizer application and the agricultural non-point source pollution. Therefore, compared with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1% of fertilizer usage nationwide according to the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, given the current planting environment and policies design, providing comprehensive technological guidance as well as price subsidies for the organic fertilizer can significantly and robustly reduce the excessive application of fertilizer in Heyang County, Shaanxi Province, under the best scenario, thereby further alleviating agricultural non-point source pollution.

Rice Response to Phosphorus Fertilizer Application Rate and Timing on Alkaline Soils in Arkansas

2002 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 1393-1399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan A. Slaton ◽  
Charles E. Wilson ◽  
Richard J. Norman ◽  
Sixte Ntamatungiro ◽  
Donna L. Frizzell
Keyword(s):  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Alkaline Soils ◽  
Phosphorus Fertilizer ◽  
Fertilizer Application Rate

scholarly journals Dynamics of the Fertilizer Value Chain in Mozambique

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4691
Author(s):  
Helder Zavale ◽  
Greenwell Matchaya ◽  
Delfim Vilissa ◽  
Charles Nhemachena ◽  
Sibusiso Nhlengethwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Agricultural Productivity ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Demand And Supply ◽  
Fertilizer Use ◽  
Fertilizer Value ◽  
Crop Uptake ◽  
Fertilizer Application Rate ◽  
Side Constraints

Mozambique is characterized by low agricultural productivity, which is associated with low use of yield-enhancing agricultural inputs. Fertilizer application rate averaged 5.7 kg ha−1 in Mozambique during the period 2006 to 2015, considerably low by regional targets, yet constraints that affect fertilizer use have not been thoroughly investigated. This study examined the constraints on fertilizer value chains in Mozambique to contribute to fertilizer supply chain strengthening. We used a combination of multivariate analysis and descriptive methods. Our findings indicate that fertilizer use has both demand and supply constraints. Key demand-side constraints include liquidity challenges, limited awareness about the benefits of using fertilizer, and low market participation, while the main supply-side constraints include high transaction costs, limited access to finance, and lack of soil testing results and corresponding fertilizer recommendations by soil type and crop uptake. These results suggest that scaling up the input subsidy program through vouchers (either paper-based vouchers or e-vouchers) with demonstration plots and effective targeting could drive up smallholders’ demand for fertilizer and fertilizer supply by strengthening a sustainable network of wholesalers and retailers. This would likely boost agricultural productivity.

Modeling the Effects of Fertilizer Application Rate on Nitrous Oxide Emissions

2006 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 235-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. F. Grant ◽  
E. Pattey ◽  
T. W. Goddard ◽  
L. M. Kryzanowski ◽  
H. Puurveen
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Fertilizer Application Rate

scholarly journals No broad decline of breeding monarch butterflies in North America: implications for conservation efforts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew K Davis ◽  
Michael S Crossley ◽  
Matthew K Moran ◽  
Jeffrey Glassberg ◽  
William E Snyder
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Habitat Restoration ◽  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Geographic Range ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Flagship Species ◽  
Monarch Butterflies ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
First Time

Many insects are in clear decline, with monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) drawing particular attention as a flagship species. Falling numbers of overwintering monarchs are well documented, but there has been debate regarding population trends of summer breeding populations. Here, we compile a series of long-term monarch monitoring datasets, some which are analyzed here for the first time, that reveal highly variable responses across the migratory geographic range, but no broad net decline in numbers of breeding monarchs. We also did not find evidence that sampling biased towards natural sites was masking declines at disturbed sites. Overall, our results suggest a robust resiliency in summer populations that thus far has allowed recovery from losses during the winter. Thus, monarchs may not require as much breeding habitat restoration as once thought, and focus should be on conserving the fall and spring migration.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document