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Managing adequate levels of plant available P in soil is an important management practice for boosting alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) yields and nutritive value. Although several ways of supplementing P at various stages of plant growth are in practice, pre-plant application of P through various organic and inorganic nutrient sources are largely under-investigated. Therefore, a three-year study was conducted at the New Mexico State University Rex. E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center, Tucumcari, NM USA, to investigate the impact of manure (pre-plant applied @ 22.5 Mg ha−1vs. no manure) and inorganic P sources (00-46-00 or 11-52-00) applied to soil either in one-time bulk (336 kg P2O5 ha−1 preplant incorporated) or split applications (112 kg P2O5 ha−1 preplant incorporated with an additional 112 kg P2O5 ha−1 surface-applied annually) on the yield and nutritive value of alfalfa and residual soil characteristics. Results demonstrated that pre-plant manure application had statistically no advantage in improving the alfalfa forage yield compared to control (p > 0.05), although there was strong evidence of a consistent yield increase trend in all manure treatments. Forage nutritive value parameters such as ADF (Acid Detergent Fiber), NDF (Neutral Detergent Fiber), K, and Zn were significantly improved by manure supplementation. Manure application improved most soil quality parameters, especially the soil Nitrate-N, Olsen P, K, S, and Zn contents. Inorganic P fertilizer type or application strategy had no significant impact on alfalfa yield and nutritive value and soil characteristics. Most interactions (both two-way and three-way) among the tested treatments had no significant impact on the study parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field study and field courses are integral to the discipline of geography. While there are many forms that a field course might take, in this paper we draw on two university-level field courses in the U.S. Southwest to propose a road trip pedagogy for field study. We reflect on the particular resonance of the road trip in the American West and how Western road trip mythology, combined with our own road trip experiences, helped shape the design of two road trip field courses. The educational value of both planned and un-planned encounters is a key strength of a road trip field course. We conclude by briefly reflecting on two future considerations for road trip pedagogy: possibilities for aligning anti-racist pedagogy with road trip pedagogy and the potential transferability of our American West road trip to other locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Interest is increasing in grazing winter canola as an alternative crop in winter wheat rotations in the Southern High Plains of the USA and similar environments. In this study, winter cereal rye and winter canola pastures (forage) were compared for two winter growing seasons to determine the relative effect of pasture type on beef cattle performance, along with the effect of grazing on canola grain production. Canola grain yields were reduced by 25% when canola was grazed for approximately one month after grazing was initiated, but before the onset of rapid regrowth in spring. No differences existed for forage mass, nutritive value, or animal performance, although forage mineral composition of canola could be a concern. Grazing winter canola as a dual-purpose crop in semiarid environments is feasible when proper grazing management is applied; a 20–25% reduction in grain yield should be anticipated, but expect animal gains to offset that loss. Interest is increasing in grazing winter canola (Brassica napus) as an alternative crop in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) rotations in the Southern High Plains (SHP) of the USA and similar environments. In this stidy, winter cereal rye (Secale cereale) and winter canola pastures (forage) were compared for two winter growing seasons at New Mexico State University's Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari, NM, USA, to determine the relative effect of pasture type on late-gestation beef cows and growing yearling cattle, along with the effect of grazing on canola grain production. Canola grain yields were reduced by 25% when canola was grazed until removal approximately one month after grazing was initiated, but before the onset of rapid regrowth after winter (641 vs. 486 kg grain ha−1 for never grazed or grazed canola, respectively, p < 0.0256). No differences existed for forage mass, nutritive value, or animal performance, although forage mineral composition of canola could be a concern. Grazing winter canola as a dual-purpose crop in the SHP and similar environments is feasible when proper grazing management is applied; producers should anticipate a 20–25% reduction in grain yield, but expect animal gains to offset that loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yorick Wilks, a prominent figure in the field of AI and computational linguistics, passed away in April 2023. He made significant contributions to the field since 1962, including work on preference semantics, machine translation, natural language processing, and artificial companions. Wilks was known for his prodigious writing, acting talent, and broad interests in artificial intelligence and the philosophy of language. He had a successful career at various institutions, including the University of Essex, New Mexico State University, and the University of Sheffield. Wilks received several awards for his contributions and continued his research until his death. He is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren. [Extracted from the article]

Sleep is responsible for maintenance and regulatory functions in human physiology. Insufficient sleep has been associated with cardiovascular disease, weight gain, obesity, inflammation, and morbidity. University students are at high risk under normal circumstances of stress and anxiety due to extracurricular demands, competing pressures on student time, long study hours, and financial concerns. The COVID 19 pandemic has disrupted normal college students' lives adding stresses such as lost jobs and family responsibilities such as serving as caregivers, which disproportionally affect minority and rural student. This study aimed to assess the correlation of sleep disorders in New Mexico State University students during COVID 19 with selected variates including base demographics (e.g., gender, age, etc.), lifestyle metrics (e.g., employment status, discipline, class, etc.), living arrangements (e.g., housing type, number of children, etc.), alcohol and tobacco use, vaccination status, family COVID status, and family vaccination status. Single- and multi-factor logistic regressions were performed to analyze the data on the students. Qualtrics software was used to collect data on demographics and sleep disorders. R software was used for data analysis. Correlations were found between sleeping less, sleeping more, and disturbed sleep among several covariate categories. For all three responses, being married (sleeping less: OR = 0.342, 95% CI = 0.181–0.642, sleeping more: OR = 0.265, 95% CI = 0.111–0.591; disturbed sleeping: OR = 0.345, 95% CI = 0.182–0.650), frequency of feeling sleepy-very often (OR = 16.87, 95% CI = 6.571–47.434; OR = 8.393, 95% CI = 3.086–25.298; OR = 13.611, 95% CI = 5.409–36.975) and change in diet- quality decreased (OR = 7.304, 95% CI = 3.615–15.270; OR = 5.250, 95% CI = 2.309–12.558; OR = 4.181, 95% CI = 2.145–8.359) were all significant correlated to change in sleeping behavior. Other correlations were found among covariates and sleep changes. Several covariates were determined to be correlated with the effect of COVID-19 on sleeping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity for agricultural irrigation is increasing globally while generation of treated municipal wastewater (TWW) is increasing due to urban expansion. Municipalities seek uses for their TWW, which is safe to apply to forage crops. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is the most important forage crop worldwide being adapted to a wide range of environmental factors, including irrigation with low quality water. A strip plot study with four replications at New Mexico State University's Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari, NM USA, compared the effects of surface water (SW) and TWW on alfalfa establishment and soil fertility and microbial growth. Alfalfa established equally well when irrigated with equal amounts of TWW or SW. After one year, the application of TWW increased soil P and plant N and P more so than SW. Most microbial soil health indicators were positively increased by alfalfa establishment in virgin soil; however, the effect was greater with TWW compared with SW (1147, 1184, 1961, and 4991 nmol g−1 for total microbial biomass of soil irrigated with SW and TWW at seeding and after one year, respectively, LSD0.05 = 710). Thus, TWW irrigation could reduce applied fertilizer P to meet alfalfa's requirement and increase soil health compared with SW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Maize stover is used globally as winter feed for livestock but the nutritive value is low, requiring supplementation. Small landholders who grow sweet maize for the fresh produce market often also have cattle with little access to winter forage. Grazing cover crops with the stover can potentially increase the available nutritive value. Intercropping the cereal rye or hairy vetch into sweet maize approximately 65 days after planting (V7–9 sweet maize maturity) did not influence sweet maize stover biomass yield or nutritive value after winter. However, the crude protein concentration of hairy vetch was greater than rye, but digestibility was not different. Average daily gains by yearling cattle were similar when grazing maize–rye or maize–vetch. Producers with limited land resources should consider the timing of the spring planting of the primary crop, in this case, sweet maize, in relation to the initiation of grazing of winter cover crops to maximize utilization of the previous crop's residue (stover) as well as the cover crop itself before the primary crop planting time. Small landholders who grow sweet maize for the fresh produce market often also have cattle with little access to winter forage. Grazing cover crops with sweet maize stover can potentially increase the available nutritive value. A 3-year randomized complete block study with three replicates at New Mexico State University's Alcalde Sustainable Agriculture Science Center compared sweet maize (Zea mays var. rugosa) with sweet maize relay intercropped at the V7–9 stage with cereal rye (rye: Secale cereale L.) or hairy vetch (vetch: Vicia villosa Roth) for early spring grazing. Intercropping the rye or hairy vetch into sweet maize did not influence the sweet maize stover biomass yield or nutritive value after the winter. The dry matter (DM) yield and crude protein (CP) concentration of hairy vetch biomass was greater (p < 0.01) than rye biomass (1.46 vs. 2.94 Mg DM ha−1 for rye and hairy vetch, respectively, and 145 vs. 193 g CP kg−1 for rye and hairy vetch, respectively). Average daily gains by yearling cattle were not different when grazing maize–rye or maize–vetch. Producers should consider the spring planting timing of the primary crop and the initiation of grazing in the winter or the spring to maximize the utilization of the previous crop's residue (stover), as well as the cover crop itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]