Olds College

Long-period obliquity modulation can drive low-frequency hydroclimate variability by changing meridional insolation gradients and influencing the position and intensity of the East Asian monsoon rainband. What is less clear is how consistently such low-frequency signals are captured across different fine-grained depositional settings. Here we compare two end-member archives along the East Asian continental foreland: (i) dust-derived aeolian red clays in semi-arid regions near desert source areas, and (ii) organic-rich black shales deposited in more moisture-proximal settings, from lakes to shallow seas. The depositional processes are different, but both archives often damp higher-frequency noise and preserve long-period orbital pacing, which makes them useful for evaluating the timing and spatial pattern of monsoon-related hydroclimate change.In the northern late Eocene red-clay succession from the eastern Mongolian Plateau, rock-magnetic and geochemical proxies show pronounced orbital-scale variability between ~48 and 36 Ma. Obliquity-paced modulation is clear, and wetter intervals cluster around high-obliquity nodes. The site sits in a continental-foreland position where moisture delivery from the south and southeast is likely sensitive to north–south shifts of the monsoon rainband and associated subtropical circulation changes.For a deeper-time shale endmember, we examine Middle Triassic black-shale successions formed during warming and broader Earth-system reorganization. At that time, the North China and South China blocks lay along the eastern margin of Pangea, facing the ocean and remaining sensitive to changes in moisture supply. Geochemical series and magnetic susceptibility from lacustrine to shallow-marine settings show strong obliquity modulation, expressed as a ~1.2 Myr envelope with embedded ~173 kyr variability, together with a 405 kyr band. These patterns suggest that the ~1.2 Myr and ~173 kyr obliquity components can organize rainfall variability in both continental and marine fine-grained archives, and that this behavior extends back to at least ~250 Ma.Next, using published evidence for cyclicity in Eocene shales from the East China Sea region, we will test whether similar long-period obliquity bands occur in Eocene marine black shales and whether their phases match those in the terrestrial red-clay record. Comparing red clays and black shales as products of a land–sea moisture gradient, using environmental magnetism together with cyclostratigraphy, offers a direct way to connect shale formation and monsoon climate forcing.

Simple SummaryWeaning, the separation of cow–calf pairs and cessation of milk intake, is widely regarded as one of the most stressful events in a calf’s life, typically occurring in North America between 6 and 8 months of age. To adapt, calves undergo a range of subtle behavioral and physiological changes, including shifts in feeding behavior and immune activation, aimed at facilitating their adjustment to new social and nutritional environments. This study investigated whether a synthetic analog of maternal bovine appeasing substance (mBAS) administration could help mitigate stress, facilitate feedlot adaptation in beef heifers, and improve production efficiency. Twenty-two Angus-influenced heifers were assigned to receive either 10 mL of mBAS or water (control) at weaning, immediately prior to transportation. Heifers treated with mBAS at weaning exhibited different coping strategies to the feedlot than untreated heifers. They ate more efficiently, spent more time ruminating, gained more weight, and converted feed into growth more effectively than untreated heifers. They also exhibited signs of enhanced immune responses based on blood parameters and appeared to be potentially more profitable than untreated heifers. Administration of mBAS at weaning improved feedlot adaptation in beef heifers, resulting in greater growth and feed efficiency, which may translate into potential profitability.The effects of administering 10 mL of maternal bovine appeasing substance (mBAS) or water (control; CT) at weaning (day 0) before transport on feedlot adaptation and efficiency were evaluated in twenty-two Angus-influenced heifers (n = 11/treatment) over 28 days. Body weight (BW), salivary cortisol, blood for complete blood cell count, rectal temperature, chute score and exit speed were collected on days 0, 14 and 27. Intake, feeding duration, frequency and rate, as well as activity and rumination were monitored daily using automated systems. Average daily gain (ADG) and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) were calculated for each 14-day interval as well as for the entire feeding period. Treated heifers spent less time eating (p ≤ 0.06) on weeks 1 and 2, with greater feeding rate and activity (p < 0.01) in week 1, followed by reduced activity (p ≤ 0.05) in weeks 2, 3 and 4. Rumination was longer (p < 0.05) in weeks 3 and 4, coinciding with greater (p ≤ 0.05) final BW, ADG0–27, ADG14–27, and G:F0–27, G:F14–27. Lymphocyte and hematocrit were lower (p < 0.05) on days 14 and 27, respectively, and platelets tended to be greater (p = 0.08) than CT for the entire period. Treated heifers achieved numerically greater profit margins than CT. Overall, mBAS enhanced feedlot adaptability post-weaning, improving production efficiency, which may translate into potential profitability; however, this interpretation should be viewed cautiously considering some design limitations.

ObjectivesStatistics Canada administers the Agricultural Census every 5 years, and this paper presents unsuppressed data from the 2016 and 2021 Census. The data set encompasses detailed information on farm types, sizes, technology choices, and a demographic profile of farm operators from the 2021 Census. Data on farm characteristics and operator demographics is crucial for understanding innovation in agriculture and formulating evidence-based policies.Data descriptionThe data sets cover the two most recent agriculture censuses of 2016 and 2021, presenting data on the number of farmers by region, farm type, size, and the adoption of technologies. Additionally, a third data set lists the number of farm operators by age and sex. The census questionnaire inquires about using different technologies, varying the types across the two census periods. Notably, there is no data suppression in these data sets, and they cover all 10 provinces in Canada, excluding the three territories. Farm types are categorized based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), and farm size is measured in acres.

Barley leaf rust caused by Puccinia hordei (Ph) is one of the major limiting biotic stresses of barley production worldwide and causes yield losses of up to 60%. A diversity panel of 316 barley genotypes (AM2017) composed of released cultivars, advanced breeding lines and landraces was screened for Ph resistance at the seedling stage using two isolates (SRT-SAT and SRT-MRC), while the adult plant stage resistance screening was conducted at the disease hotspot location of Sidi Allal Tazi (SAT) for the cropping seasons of 2017 and 2019. The phenotypic responses were combined with 36,793 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the general linear model (GLM), mixed linear model (MLM), settlement of MLM under progressively exclusive relationship (SUPER), multiple-locus MLM (MLMM), fixed and random model circulating probability unification (FarmCPU), and Bayesian-information and linkage-disequilibrium iteratively nested keyway (BLINK) in GAPIT3, and MLM (K+Q), MLM (K+PCA), and GLM (Q) models in TASSEL to identify genomic regions linked to Ph resistance. Fourteen barley genotypes were resistant (R) at the seedling stage to both Ph isolates, SRT-SAT and SRT-MRC, and twelve genotypes were either resistant (R) or moderately resistant (MR) at the adult plant stage, whereas only one genotype was resistant at the seedling stage, and moderately resistant at the adult plant stage. The genome scan revealed 58 significant marker trait associations (MTA) among which 34 were associated with seedling resistance (SR) and 24 with adult plant resistance (APR). Common genomic regions conferring resistance to Ph were identified at both stages on chromosome 2H (106.53 cM and at 107.37 cM), and on chromosome 7H (126.7 cM). Among the 58 MTA identified, 26 loci had been reported in previous studies, while the remaining 32 loci were regarded as novel. Furthermore, the functional annotation of candidate genes (CGs) adjacent to 36 SNP markers with proteins involved in disease resistance further confirms that some of the SNP markers from our study could be associated with Ph resistance in barley. The resistant barley genotypes and some of the SNP markers from this study with high R2 and additive effects can be converted into high-throughput functional markers for accelerated selection and pyramiding of leaf rust resistance genes in North African barley germplasm.

Abstract Soil nematode community structure and composition can inform crop managers about soil quality. However, few studies have assessed the nematode community under agricultural systems in cool semi‐arid regions such as the U.S. northern Great Plains. We assessed soil nematode community structure of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and barley–pea (Pisum sativum L.) cropping systems from 2016 to 2018 in one tilled and two no‐till field experiments under dryland management in central and southwestern Montana. Soils were sampled prior to planting in the spring and following harvest in late summer and nematodes were classified to genus level via microscopy. Both in season moisture stress and overwinter stress explained decline in nematodes in the central Montana no‐till experiments, although consistent impacts of moisture or overwinter stress on nematodes were not detected in the tilled field experiment. Cropping system or sequence did not impact the nematode population (p &gt; .1), but barley yield was positively correlated with larger nematode populations in both no‐till experiments (r &gt; .60). The percentage of fungivores were negatively correlated (r = –.42) to barley yield under tillage. Plant parasitic nematodes were positively correlated (r = .43) to barley yield under tillage. These results suggest that factors which enhance cereal crop growth and productivity rather than crop diversification drive short‐term nematode community dynamics when crop rotations are established in cool semi‐arid regions. Future work is needed to determine if cropping system changes can impact nematode populations after several years in cool semi‐arid regions and, if so, what ecosystem services result from these transformations.

Nitrogen (N) availability is an important factor affecting the canola (Brassica napus L.) yield. While N fertilization is commonly used to enhance the yield and quality of canola, it is also known to influence the incidence of insect pests in the crop. The flea beetle Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze) and the cabbage seedpod weevil, Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (Marsh), are two economically important pests of canola in the northern Great Plains of the United States. This study investigated the effects of N fertilization (0, 56, 112 and 168 kg/ha) with or without insecticide seed treatment application on P. cruciferae and C. obstrictus injury levels, canola seed yield, and quality in replicated field trials at the two locations (Conrad and Sweet Grass) of north central Montana. The study showed that N fertilization had no influence on P. cruciferae and C. obstrictus injury levels, regardless of the study location or sampling date. However, insecticide seed treatment application significantly influenced P. cruciferae injury ratings at the both locations. In Conrad, insecticide-treated plots had significantly lower injury levels at the four leaf, pre-flower, and pod formation stages but without an effect at the cotyledon stage of canola plants when compared with untreated control plots. Similarly, in Sweet Grass, injury levels were significantly lower in insecticide-treated plots from cotyledon to pre-flowering stages but not at the pod stage of canola plants. In contrast, insecticide seed treatment had no impact on pod infestation rates by C. obstrictus at either location. Insecticide seed treatment, averaged over all the N rates, improved canola seed yield and quality parameters compared to the untreated plots.

In this second of a series on ‘maths talk’ we look at how practitioners can introduce size terminology to children's play. Through free exploration they will discover how size and length affect outcomes.