Date of Award:

5-1977

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Wildland Resources

Department name when degree awarded

Range Science

Committee Chair(s)

John P. Workman

Committee

John P. Workman

Committee

John C. Malechek

Committee

Lorin E. Harris

Committee

Jay C. Andersen

Abstract

This paper entails the economic and biological responses of both rangeland grasses and livestock grazing rangeland grasses to nitrogen fertilization. Five sites received graduated rates of fertilizer in previous studies. Analysis showed all sites failed to exhibit a significant carry-over response to fertilization. Determination of optimum rate or optimum reapplication schedule was not possible due to residual nitrogen present in the soil. Spring application of fertilizer produced the greatest returns from one site while the other site studied failed to produce a profitable response from either spring or fall application.

Calf weight gains were shown to be curvilinear and resulted in the production function:

Y = 13.99 + .2049N - .00087N2

where Y is the total pounds of calf gain per acre and N is the pounds of nitrogen applied per acre. Economic analysis of costs and returns of both cow-calf operations and estimates of costs and returns from yearling stockers operations indicated that neither operation was economically feasible.

Checksum

2714bd7b58e92d855e71f76f060ca120

Included in

Dairy Science Commons

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