PLSC 320 Quiz III Name _________________________________
  Lab section/time ________________________
Pts    
2
1.
 The two chemical components that best describe the overall quality of a forage are ________________and _______________________.
5.5
2.

This past year I had an alfalfa fertilization experiment located in western North Dakota. The soil test taken last fall (the seeding year) at 0 to 6 inch depth indicated 14 lb/a P, 400 lb/a K, pH=6.1, 1.5 lb/a Zn, 10 lb/a sulfur, boron at 0.4 ppm, and copper at 0.7 ppm. This soil test level of P (_______ lb/a) is considered adequate for alfalfa hay production; likewise, this level of potassium (_________ lb/a) is considered adequate. Therefore, _________________ is considered deficient. The Zn, Cl, and sulfur are considered very deficient and the boron slightly deficient. In 1999, 50 lb/a P, 100 lb/a K, 20 lb/a sulfur as zinc sulfate, and 1 lb/a boron were applied as separate treatments or all as a single treatment (the sulfur, zinc, and boron application should be adequate for normal production). Forage yields in 1999 from the untreated control and all fertilizer treatments were identical at 5.2 tons/a. What explanation can you propose to explain these results?

 

What recommendation would you make to the producer for his fertilization program in 2000 based on the results given above?
7
3.
 In class we discussed 10 reasons why alfalfa yields are less than their potential under the environmental conditions on a given producers farm. List the 10 reasons (do not list pest problems since most of these are included as one of the 10 in the list) and then circle the number of the four reasons that account for most of the potential.
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.
1
4.
 (TRUE or FALSE) When rainfall differences were removed from the comparison by having a 1, 2, and
3-year-old stand within a year, dryland forage yields of the 3-year-old stand was 1.2 tons/acre lower yielding than the 1-year-old stand at a 5 ton/acre yield level.
2
5.
 Joe Blow called yesterday and stated that his 6-year-old alfalfa stand produced the greatest forage yield last year that he can remember ever getting on his farm. Is this a realistic comment with an old stand like this? Why or why not?
2
6.
 Joe had planned to reseed his alfalfa in 2000 but is having second thoughts since he had such a great yield this year. Joe figures that he has about 3 plants/ft2 uniformly distributed across the field. What would you recommend to Joe?
1
7.
 The dry matter content at which the least harvest and storage losses occur is (a. 25-35, b. 45-55, c. 65-75, d. 75-85).
1
8.
 The least harvesting and storage losses occur with this type of harvesting system (a. loose hay in a hay mound, b. silage bags, c. stave silo, d. dry hay with a high-moisture preservative used).
1
9.
 (TRUE or FALSE) Typical leaf loss that occurs in baling alfalfa hay is (a. 10, b. 20, c. 40, d. 60) % of
the leaves.
1
10.
 (TRUE or FALSE) The weathered vs. unweathered portion of a large round bale typically has higher
ADL, ADF, and crude protein but lower IVDMD.
1
11.
 (TRUE or FALSE) Storage losses that occur from contact with wet soil or rain falling on unpiled bales, especially square and to a lesser extent round bales, will pay for any cost associated with covering a hay pile and will frequently pay for an enclosed storage facility.
1
12.
 (TRUE or FALSE) There is only a slight disadvantage for the large round bale compared with the small or medium large square bale in the cash market.
1
13.
 (TRUE or FALSE) Forage yield decreased about a half ton/acre for each two inches of increased stubble height left in the field from 1 to 5-inch heights under both a 2 and 3-cut system over a 6-year period in the early 1970s and for the last two years has averaged about 0.8 tons/acre for a 3 and 4-cut system.
1
14.
 (TRUE or FALSE) Stems originating from the crown tissue are more vigorous than stems originating
from the remaining stubble.
1
15.
 (TRUE or FALSE) Winter injury was reduced this past year when the stubble height was left at 5 inches compared with 1-inch stubble heights.
2
16.
 How can you tell if a spring frost has killed the 10-inch spring growth of alfalfa, then, what would you recommend a producer do if it has been killed?
1
17.
 What is the major type of winter kill of alfalfa in low lying areas of the fields _________________?
2.5
18.
 There are many factors that impact winter injury/kill in alfalfa. List five that a producer can manage to reduce the possibility of winter injury.
2
19.
 Most controllable and uncontrollable factors influencing winter injury or kill only predisposes the alfalfa plant to possible winter injury; then, _______________________________________ frequently determines if there will be injury/kill.
2.5
20.
 Joe Blow, a cash hay producer, calls you on October 1 and asks you if he should harvest his alfalfa next week. List five things you need to ask Joe in order to determine whether he should consider harvesting.
2
21.
 How has the recommendation for harvesting during the fall changed this past year compared with
previous years?
1
22.
 (TRUE or FALSE) Bales sitting on a field following harvest must be removed within 30 days or nearly
complete stand loss will occur under the bale.
1
23.
 (TRUE or FALSE) The greatest acreage of sweetclover is as a volunteering legume on the native range.
3
24.
 When sweetclover hay molds, this compound _________________ that imparts a bitter taste to the
forage is converted to ____________________, a toxic compound, which at high enough intake causes this disease _______________________. Three methods to try to prevent this from happening is_________________________, ___________________________, and ____________________.
1
25.
 An insect that attacks sweetclover and causes crescent-shaped defoliation is ___________________. This insect nearly knocked out sweetclover when it was used as a green manure crop in the 1930s and 1940s.
2
26.
 Most red clover produced today is of this type (strain) _____________________. The recommended
harvest stage for red clover hay is __________________________.   _______________________
is recommended to help overwinter red clover. Why?
1
27.
 The most widely grown perennial true clover in the United States and many European countries is
____________________________ where it is used as (a. hay, b. pasture, c. haylage).
1
28.
 (TRUE or FALSE) The liquid-based inoculants were equivalent to the peat-based inoculants in both
seed yield and protein concentration in inoculant studies with pea at Carrington, ND.
2
29.
 Why is the answer of whether to inoculate the seed somewhat different for alfalfa or sweetclover as compared with soybean?
3
30.
 If you plow out a good stand of alfalfa in October when there is about 8 inches of growth, calculate how much nitrogen that should potentially be available for subsequent crop(s). Be sure to give all
assumptions like forage yield, percent protein, etc.
2
31.
 Management of any grass, including warm and cool-season species, is dependent on knowledge of these four morphological or physiological factors ________________________________________,
___________________________________,_______________________________________________,and ____________________________________________.
1
32.
 The meristem responsible for the telescoping effect of a grass tiller is _______________________,
whereas the meristem responsible for blade growth is ____________________________.
1
33.
 What two environmental conditions are necessary to change a meristem of a grass tiller from vegetative
to reproductive ______________________________ and __________________________.
1
34.
 Why would bromegrass be a poor choice of species for use in a short-duration grazing program?
2
35.
 Why does nitrogen fertilization of a legume-grass mixture tend to caused the legume to decrease in the
stand, especially when grazed?
1
36.
 (TRUE or FALSE) Most nitrogen fertilization research has shown that the response to nitrogen
fertilization is primarily an increase in quality and thereby an increase in average daily gain on a grazed
pasture.
1
37.
 Why is a companion practice of weed control and nitrogen fertilization important in a pasture situation
whereas weed control is generally not necessary when fertilizing hayland?
1
38.
 Why should test strips of nitrogen fertilization of grass pastures be avoided?
1
39.
 (TRUE or FALSE) Northern bromegrass varieties like Polar are more productive in North Dakota than
southern bromegrass varieties due to their adaptation to the cooler environment of North Dakota.
2
40.
 Why should grass cultivars selected for improved IVDMD be the cultivar of choice when establishing a
new grass pasture (include in your answer an example of such a cultivar).
1
41.
 (TRUE or FALSE) A typical lawn service company hired by homeowners to fertilize and control pests
in their lawns applies 3 lb N/1000 ft2 as a liquid solution in four applications/season or about 130 lb/a.
1
42.
 If mowing a Kentucky bluegrass turf twice weekly, about how many times will an individual leaf be
mowed before ceasing to grow (a. 1, b. 2, c. 4, d. 8).
Upon my honor, I have neither given or received aid in writing this exam __________________________!