ALBERT

Notes: The main object of the experiment was to assess the effect of the relative proportion of non-protein nitrogen (NPN) to total nitrogen in silage on digestion in the sheep. Four unwilted perennial ryegrass silages were made with the addition of formic acid at 0, 2·2, 4·2 and 5·2 litres t-1 to provide foods with NPN proportions reducing from 0·26 to 0·20 of the total N. The digestion of the silages was studied in a 4 × 4 Latin Square experiment with sheep cannulated in the rumen, proximal duodenum and terminal ileum.Results for organic matter (OM), cellulose and N showed no major difference between silages in their digestion in the rumen, small intestine and caecum and colon, though small differences (P 〈0·25) in rumen fermentation pattern and in the proportion of digestible OM disappearing in the small intestine were observed. Concentrations of ammonia N in the rumen and rates of rumen bacterial protein synthesis did not differ significantly between silages and there were no treatment effects on the passage of individual amino acids to the small intestine. The results indicate that the proportions of NPN to total N in the silages examined had little influence on the efficiency of silage N utilization in the rumen or on the passage of undegraded dietary protein to the small intestine.

Notes: Two experiments were carried out to determine whether the differences in intake and feeding value previously shown between two grass cultivars when offered to ruminants as chopped artificially dehydrated (dried) material could also be demonstrated when the grasses were offered in other forms. Two cultivars of tetraploid Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), Sabalan and Tetila, were established in the same field in 1975. In 1976 they were grazed and conserved (two cuts of primary growth) as dried material or as silage.The composition of the herbage selected at pasture and conserved showed higher concentrations of normal detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre in the dry matter for Tetila than for Sabalan, but differences between cultivars in digestibility were small. In both grazing and winter feeding trials differences in voluntary intake between the two cultivars were not significant, but at pasture young beef cattle spent less time grazing and tended to spend more time ruminating on Tetila than Sabalan. There was no measure of animal performance at pasture but liveweight gain was 15% higher for Sabalan than Tetila when both were offered to young beef cattle as the sole feed of dried grass or of silage. The voluntary intakes of the three forms of feed were very similar, which in part reflected a similarity in digestibility. However, gains were lower for calves given silage than those given dried grass. This may have been due to a lower efficiency in the utilization of the nitrogeneous components of silage for tissue growth than those of dried grass.

Notes: Four grass silages, all made in mid-July from second-harvest perennial ryegrass swards, were compared in a 16-week feeding experiment with twelve Ayrshire cows. Two silages were unwilted and two wilted. All the silages received formic acid (‘Add-F’) at the rate of 3 litres t-1 either with formalin at the rate of 1 litre t-1 or without formalin. The unwilted and wilted silages had mean dry matter (DM) concentrations of 200 and 243 g kg-1, and in vitro D-values of 0·293 and 0·272 respectively. The silages were offered ad libitum plus 6 kg concentrates per cow per day. The daily intakes of unwilted and wilted silage DM were 10·2 and 9·2 kg per cow respectively on the formic acid treatment, and 10·2 and 9·2 kg on the formic acid + formalin treatment. The mean daily milk yield on the unwilted silage treatments was 19·2 kg per cow which was significantly higher than the yield of 17·2 kg per cow on the wilted silage treatments. The formalin had no significant effect on milk yield. The four silage treatments had small and non-significant effects on milk composition. It is concluded that the unwilted silages, which had excellent fermentation characteristics, were superior to the wilted silages as a feed for dairy cows.

Notes: Book review in this article Forage Evaluation: Concepts and Techniques Edited by J. L. Wheeler and R. D. Mochrie Improved Feeding of Cattle and Sheep By P. N. Wilson and T. D. A. Brigstocke Nitrogen Cycling in West African Ecosystems Edited by T. Rosswall Land Evaluation By S. G. McRae and C. P. Burnham

Notes: Three field experiments showed that perennial ryegrass can be successfully slot-seeded into an existing Festuca-Agrostis sward. Ryegrass survival was satisfactory in all cases but was improved on a low fertility site by the application of fertilizer N, P and K in the slot at sowing.The effect of varying inter-row spacing from 37·2 to 15 cm was measured in a 3-year experiment. In year one, involving seven cuts, slot-seeding increased total herbage dry matter harvested by a mean value of 17%; inter-row distances of 22·2-30 cm gave the optimal combination of ryegrass + old sward herbage. Differences in yield between inter-row spacings declined in the subsequent two years, as the rows of ryegrass thickened. Ryegrass digestibility (measured only in year two, from six cuts) was higher than that of the old sward; total metabolizable energy harvested from 15-cm rows was 20% higher than that from unsown controls. Increasing N input from 200 to 400 kg ha-1, starting in year two, only produced a significant increase in total herbage harvested in year three but proved effective in increasing the ryegrass contribution from the wider spaced rows.

Notes: In three separate feeding experiments using a total of thirty individually-housed Ayrshire cows three silages made from perennial ryegrass were given ad libitum together with supplements of four different hays in the long form. The in vitro D-values of the silages ranged from 0·298 to 0·283, and the hays from 0·280 to 0·200. The daily intake of hay DM varied from 0·2 to 4·2 kg per cow and was given either without or with a daily maximum of 2·2 kg concentrate DM containing 379–527 g CP per kg DM. On average, 1 kg hay DM decreased silage intake by 0·24 kg DM with a range of 0·21–1·20 kg. The hay supplements had only small and non-significant effects on total DM intake, milk yield and milk composition, but increased the daily intake of drinking water. In three behavioural studies, the eating and ruminating times expressed as min per kg DM did not differ significantly between the various supplement treatments. It is concluded that hay has only a marginal value as a supplement for grass silage, although the hay could serve as a useful ‘buffer’ feed if the amount of silage was limited.

Notes: Two areas of an early-heading perennial ryegrass cv. Cropper were harvested by either a precision-chop or a flail harvester at around 50% ear emergence (15 May 1978) and 14d later (29 May). Formic acid (85%) was applied at the rate of 2·2 litres t-1. Mature crossbred wethers were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design to determine the effect of stage of maturity and method of harvesting (chop length) on the in vivo digestibilities of formic acid-treated grass in experiment 1 and formic acid silage in experiment 2. Apparent digestibility coefficients were determined at a fixed level of feeding for both grass and silage and at ad libitum access to feed for silage only.There were no significant differences in the concentrations of crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), acid-detergent fibre (ADF) or acid-detergent lignin (ADL) in grass or silages of differing chop lengths but the later cut forages had significantly higher ADF and ADL concentrations and lower CP concentrations than the early-cut forages. The ADF and ADL concentrations were also higher in the silages than in the corresponding grasses.In general, the fermentation characteristics of precision-chopped silage were better than for the corresponding flail-cut silage but date of harvest was a more important determinant of quality and the late, flail-cut silage had the highest butyrate and ammonia N concentrations and the highest pH (411) of any treatment. There was a significantly higher intake of precision-chopped as compared with flail-cut silage with both the early-and the late-cut silage but there were no significant differences attributable to stage of maturity (i.e. date of harvest) or significant interaction between chop length and maturity. The slightly increased intake of early harvested, precision-chopped silage as compared with late precision-chopped silage was not significant.Dry matter digestibility (DMD) of the grass decreased at a rate of 0004 units d-1 post 50% ear emergence. The results of experiment 2 indicated a decrease of 0·207 units d-1 in silage fed at a similar level. The late-cut silage (DMD 0·292, mean of both harvesting treatments) thus had a significantly lower digestibility than the corresponding grass (mean DMD 0·247). Chop length had a variable influence on the DMD of both grass and silage fed at a fixed level but treatment differences were non-significant. However, a trend towards higher digestibility of flail-cut as compared with precision-chopped silage was apparent and this became statistically significant when the animals were allowed ad libitum access to feed. This may be a response to the generally lower intake of flail-cut silage.

Notes: Book review in this article Weed and Pasture Management in South Africa Edited by N. M. Tainton Collecting and testing tropical forage plants Edited by R. J. Clements and D. G. Cameron Herbage Intake by Grazing Dairy Cows By J. A. C. Meijs

Notes: Two experiments were carried out to evaluate propionic acid-treated hay as a feed for sheep in which eighteen ewes (experiment 1) and eighteen ewe lambs (experiment 2) were fed ad libitum on hay only. At feeding, the propionic acid-treated hays had higher D-values and water-soluble carbohydrate concentrations, but a lower dry matter concentration, than the untreated hays. The voluntary feed intake and liveweight gain of the sheep fed on two acid-treated hays and on an untreated hay in experiment 1 were similar. In the second experiment an acid-treated moist hay was eaten in greater amounts by the sheep and liveweight gains were greater than on the corresponding untreated hay, but were not significantly different from those of sheep fed on field-cured hay.

Notes: Six varieties of white clover, each grown with perennial ryegrass, four intervals between cuts and two levels of applied nitrogen in all combinations, were compared in a field experiment during the first 27 months after sowing. Information about yields, crop fractions, heights and ryegrass tillers has been presented in an earlier paper (Wilman and Asiegbu, 1982). The present paper is concerned with the more detailed studies of white clover, which help to explain the yield results and contribute to the understanding of the response of this species to management when grown in competition with grass.Increasing the interval between harvests increased the length of clover stolon per unit area of ground and increased stolon diameter, petiole length, weight per leaf and number of leaves harvested as a proportion of the number present in the sward while only slightly reducing the rate of leaf emergence, helping to explain the positive effect of increasing the interval on clover yield noted in the earlier paper. During regrowth, successive leaves had longer petioles and the length of individual petioles increased beyond the stage at which the leaflets were fully opened. Weight per leaf in clover increased considerably from April to June and declined to below the April value by October. It was shown that weight per leaf can be greatly increased by increasing the interval between harvests without reducing the number of leaves harvested per unit area per year. The stolon length measurements provided some support for the view that medium large-leaved varieties of white clover can with advantage be defoliated rather less frequently than small-leaved varieties. Stolon length was less adversely affected by applied N in the medium large- than in the small-leaved varieties. The small-leaved varieties had thinner stolons than the medium large-leaved varieties but about twice the stolon length when no N was applied, and a relatively high proportion of leaves which escaped defoliation. The application of N reduced stolon diameter, increased petiole length and had little or no effect on weight per clover leaf.

Notes: Data from twenty-two comparisons carried out at ADAS Experimental Husbandary Farms are used to compare untreated and formic acid-treated silages. Additive treatment led to an improved fermentation in some crops, particularly those of low DM concentration (〈262 g kg-1). Where this occurred there were associated benefits in silage digestibility (+0·234 units), intake (+16%) and the growth rate of young cattle (+0·28 kg d-1). Where the fermentation of the untreated silage was good, both digestibility and animal performance associated with treated and untreated silages were similar. It is suggested that the justification for using formic acid in a commercial situation is thus restricted to occasions where the untreated crop would be liable to develop a clostridial fermentation. These may be when crops contain less than 35 g water-soluble carbohydrate kg-1.

Notes: The change in structure of continuously grazed versus infrequently cut swards of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L), cv. S23, was investigated during their first full harvest year. Measurements were made from early May until late September. The intensity of stocking by sheep in the grazed sward was adjusted in an attempt to maintain a high level of radiation interception and the cut sward was harvested at approximately monthly intervals.The herbage mass, lamina area index and radiation interception of the cut sward varied in a cyclic pattern between harvests but in the grazed sward these parameters showed considerably less variation, although they all increased early in the season and then declined later. The proportion of dead material above ground increased throughout the season in both sward types but was more marked in the grazed sward.There were major differences between the grazed and cut swards in the number of tillers per unit ground area; the difference became more marked throughout the season and by September the tiller densities in the grazed and cut swards were 3·204 m-2 and 6·203 m-2 respectively. Divergence in tiller density was associated with differences in specific stem weight and leaf area per tiller.Rates of appearance and death of leaves on tillers in the grazed sward were determined. During May, leaf appearance exceeded leaf death but this was reversed in June. During the rest of the season as a new leaf appeared on a tiller so the oldest leaf died.

Notes: A rising-plate meter was used in a double sampling technique to measure the herbage mass of rotationally grazed perennial ryegrass-white clover swards over a period of 2 years. The meter was calibrated by developing a linear regression between meter reading and herbage dry matter mass as measured by cutting 0·2-m2 quadrats to ground level.There was a strong relationship between meter reading and herbage mass, and correlation coefficients were consistently 0·2 or above. The calibration regression was normally constant for extended periods, especially over the winter and spring. The relationship was more variable over the summer but appeared to follow a pattern that was to some extent repeatable between years. The slope of the regression (kg DM ha-1 cm-1) was 312 and 267 in the two winters and reached values of 800 and 452 in the two summers. The calibration relationship was adequately described by a linear model over the winter and spring but there was a tendency for a curved relationship in mid-to late summer.The standard pooled regression found with winter ryegrass-clover swards was not applicable to the more erect prairie grass, and the standard regression overestimated slightly the yield of heavily grazed swards. There was no evidence of a difference in relationship between irrigated and non-irrigated swards over the summer.The individual meter readings could be used to develop a useful diagrammatic picture of the changes that occurred in sward structure as the pastures were subjected to different managements and this could be used to illustrate problem areas in pasture management.The meter was useful in overcoming the problem of variability of herbage mass within paddocks and could give precise estimates of herbage mass, especially when it was possible to use a pooled regression encompassing a large number of calibration cuts. In these cases the meter could be used to detect differences of about 8%.

Notes: Varieties of Italian, perennial and Italian × perennial ryegrasses, tall fescue and cocksfoot were used to determine the effects of soil moisture on grass growth. Weather conditions were monitored and herbage accumulation, leaf extension rate, leaf appearance rate and tillering were recorded under natural (control), covered and irrigated treatments.Water deficit reduced crop growth rate in the spring and drought was the major factor influencing crop growth rates in all varieties during the summer. The ryegrasses appeared most sensitive to drought, and particularly poor recovery growth was exhibited by the Italian ryegrass RvP and the hybrid ryegrass Snowdon.Leaf extension rate and leaf appearance rate were both reduced by increasing soil water deficit. Herbage accumulation was increased by irrigation when potential soil water deficits were greater than 100 mm. When water deficits were large, irrigation increased leaf extension more than leaf appearance or tiller number. Increasing moisture deficit had a greater effect upon tiller number than on leaf extension.

Notes: Records of grassland productivity were kept for 2 years on 152 dairy and 179 beef farms. Results were collated for six lowland zones, delineated primarily on the basis of average rainfall, and an upland zone. Contemporary and long-term average meteorological records were also collected.In most of the lowland zones stocking rates and use of fertilizer N were similar, but utilized metabolizable energy (UME) output from grass varied; it was 25% higher in the wet, cool zone of north-west England and east Wales than in the dry zone of eastern England. The ranking of zones for utilized output corresponded closely with the ranking for summer rainfall.On upland farms stocking rate was 25% lower and UME output 15% lower than on lowland farms, but this was achieved from little more than half the N input.The differences between zones were similar to those shown in other published farm data. They also showed a similar trend to that demonstrated in grass cutting experiments. This suggests that farmers were, on average, able to exploit the extra grass grown in wetter climates. The incidence of difficult topography and impeded drainage was similar in dry and wet zones, but did have a more serious effect in the wet zones. The much higher level of concentrate feeding in the driest zone may have reduced the utilization of grass.

Notes: Twelve varieties of cocksfoot, Dactylis glomerata L., were analysed for three mineral elements (Na, K, Ca) and their dry matter (DM) yields were measured in pot and field trials. Among these characteristics there were strong varietal differences in Na concentration, whereas in other cases the varietal differences were less significant. The concentrations of individual mineral elements were, in most cases, independent of yield and of one another.Parent plants and their clonal derivatives were highly correlated in Na and Ca concentration as well as in DM yield. Tiller size or position on the parental plant had no significant effects on the mineral concentrations or DM yields of clones derived from separated tillers.Within varieties continuous variation was observed for Na concentration and the range of variation increased with increasing mean Na concentration. When plants were grown under different experimental conditions there was a high repeatability in Na concentration within varieties over cuts and years. This result was taken as an indication of a strong genetic basis for Na concentration. The results obtained in this study show that it is possible to develop grass varieties of defined potential Na concentration.

Notes: Samples of 39 perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and 24 Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) commercial seed-lots used at the Grassland Research Institute between 1974 and 1978 were examined for the presence of seed-borne Drechslera species. The five species of Drechslera isolated from the seeds were D. andersenii, D. siccans, D. nobleae, D. sorokiniana and an unidentified Drechslera sp.A high proportion of the seed-lots were infected but levels of infection were low except in the perennial ryegrass cv. S24. Infection was located more commonly inside the caryopses than externally on the lemmas and paleae, and about 12% of the seedlings growing from infected seeds were infected. The species recovered in the seedlings were the same as those observed on the seeds.There was no relationship between level of seed infection and level of damage observed in the field in the autumn of the first harvest year.

Notes: A high risk of pest damage to seedlings of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) was shown to exist after reseeding with a slot-seeder. Damage varied between years and sites; white clover appeared to be more affected than perennial ryegrass. Insecticides of feasible commercial use (chlorpyrifos granules and γ-HCH seed treatment) were found to prevent damage. There was no evidence of phytotoxicity from any of the pesticides studied at the dose rates used in the field.

Notes: The statistical properties and applicability of the Dry-Weight-Rank (DWR) method of pasture sampling are examined. Formulae for the expected value and variance of the DWR estimates are presented.The extent of bias in DWR is examined using several mathematical models. DWR is shown to break down when estimating multinomial proportions; however it provides good estimates for a subset of models simulated from a class of compound probability distributions.The success of DWR in practice does not rest on a theoretical basis. It appears to be a remarkable empirical discovery that DWR estimates are virtually unbiased on most pasture types. Several cases are considered where difficulties may be encountered in using DWR. Provided the theoretical reservations of this paper are borne in mind, DWR will continue to be a useful practical tool, especially in the absence of non-destructive observational alternatives.

Notes: Three groups of cows were continuously stocked on pasture and offered supplementary concentrates according to the herbage height measured weekly with a grass disc. Concentrates were offered when the mean herbage height fell below 9 cm for treatment A, 7 cm for treatment B and 5 cm for treatment C at a rate of 1 kg d-1 for each 0·2-cm decline below these threshold levels. If the herbage height declined by more than 1·2 cm (8 kg concentrates d-1) hay was offered in addition ad libitum. The stocking rates for all three treatments were 5·2, 3·2 and 3·2 cows ha-1 for three successive 8-week periods. For treatments A, B and C the mean concentrate DM intakes were 3·2, 1·2 and 1·2 kg d-1 (treatment A also received 0·2 kg hay DM d-1), and the mean daily milk yields were 17·2, 16·2 and 15·2 kg respectively. The increasing level of supplementary feeding from treatment C to A also resulted in an increase in liveweight and body condition score change, and a reduction in milk fat.

Notes: The effects of sheep grazing on the development of and production from heather swards and on intake and diet selection by grazing Scottish Blackface wether sheep were studied in an experiment in which sheep numbers were adjusted to remove 0, 40% or 80% by weight of current season's shoots in summer and in autumn for a period of 5 years. All combinations of season and level of grazing were provided. The plots were divided after 2 years and grazing was continued for a further 3 years on one subplot but discontinued on the other.Sward productivity during the 5 years of grazing was unaffected at the 40% level of shoot removal but at the 80% level was reduced by up to 66%.After a season's uninterrupted growth at the end of the experiment heather cover and herbage mass were lower and current season's shoots as a proportion of total mass were higher on those treatments which received the greatest severity of grazing. Weight of current season's shoots was unaffected on treatments which had received the 40% level of shoot removal but was reduced by 40% and 50% on treatments which had received the 80% level in summer and autumn respectively. On the rested subplots sward recovery was such that no treatment effects remained after 3 years except with respect to 80% shoot removal in autumn where herbage mass was reduced compared with other treatments.Intakes of digestible organic matter per sheep were higher at the 80% than the 40% level of grazing in the fifth year of the experiment. This was ascribed to the ingestion of new shoot growth from the twig bases on the 80% level of removal treatments. Intake and digestibility were higher in the summer on those treatments which had received the 80% level of removal in previous autumns. Over the 5 years of the experiment there was a small decline in intake and digestibility values, with the decline being greatest in the summer and at low levels of grazing.Floristic changes differed on the rested and grazed areas. On the rested subplots in the fourth year after grazing stopped, heather height was lower and cover by grasses, sedges and herbs was greater on treatments which previously had received the highest levels of utilization. On bare areas the rate of recovery of heather was rapid where shoots as well as seedlings contributed to recovery growth. On the grazed subplots, with the exception of the low-growing ruderal Rumex acetosella, cover due to grasses, sedges and herbs remained low as species other than heather were selectively grazed.Relationships among stocking rates, grazing behaviour and heather utilization are discussed and guidelines for the recognition of overgrazing are outlined.

Notes: In a study of growth rates and developmental morphology of simulated swards of two contrasting white clover varieties, Katrina and Kent, it was found that both varieties continued to produce dry matter throughout the winter at Aberystwyth. The gross crop growth rate in the coldest periods was about 7 kg ha-1 d-1. The rates of formation and loss of new leaves were approximately equal so that there was no net increase in weight until the latter part of March. This initial net weight increase in both varieties was observed in the same harvest interval, the most important factor being the difference in weight between the new leaf plus petiole unit and the weight of the unit which it replaced. The weight of laminae and petioles throughout the experiment was somewhat higher in Katrina which has come to be regarded as the ‘earlier’ variety.The prospects for improving spring production in white clover by variety improvement are discussed.

Notes: A technique for estimating the rate of disappearance of material from samples of dead herbage protected by simple nylon or wire mesh covers is described. Using this technique on a perennial ryegrass sward in southern England during August-November, relative rates of disappearance close to 0·204 g g-1 d-1 (DM) were obtained, but the variability was high. When herbage killed with paraquat was used, the rate of disappearance was higher and the variability lower. There were only small differences in the temperatures recorded in a normal sward and within samples of dead herbage under mesh covers.

Notes: Electrical capacitance and root diameter techniques for estimating root dry weight were evaluated in one test with red clover plants grown on slant-boards in plant growth chambers for 37–77 d, and in six tests with alfalfa grown in the field for 55–165 d. Root dry weights of red clover were estimated satisfactorily with regression equations from both diameter (R2=90%) and capacitance (R2=76%) measurements. Root dry weights of alfalfa were estimated satisfactorily throughout the entire season from diameter values (R2 from 51 to 92%). Alfalfa root weight was significantly (P 〈0·25) related to capacitance values at the beginning and at the end of the season but not at mid-season. Electrical capacitance measurements were similar for intact root systems and roots severed 4 cm below the crown in separate experiments with red clover and with alfalfa. The root diameter technique provided an accurate, rapid and inexpensive method of estimating root size throughout the first season of growth. The root capacitance method provided satisfactory estimates of roots at certain times during the summer. Neither method would be useful if a large portion of the root was naturally severed.

Notes: Italian ryegrass was slot-seeded into permanent grass in two field experiments at Oxford. In the first experiment August and September proved to be the most reliable months for slot-seeding, with April as a possible alternative. A row-spacing experiment showed that the optimum distance between rows was about 30 cm; seed rate in the row had a lesser influence on increasing herbage growth. In both experiments slot-seeding did not result in any substantial change in earliness of growth or alter total herbage harvested but it did even out the seasonal distribution of growth, particularly by increasing it in the following July.

Notes: An apparatus is described which enables excised pieces of plant material lo be weighed al frequent intervals as they dry in controlled conditions of temperature, humidity and air-speed. The effect of removing the epidermis on the drying rate of red clover (Trifolium pratense) leaflets, leaf petioles and stems is examined. Initially this treatment caused a very large increase in the drying rate of leaflets. Although the effect declined as water content fell, leaflets from which the epidermis had been removed still dried more rapidly than the controls at a water content equivalent to 50% of the dry weight. Removing the epidermis had a greater effect on the drying rate of leaf petioles and stems at low water contents than it did on the drying rate of leaflets.Slow drying at low water contents is a major factor responsible for the undesirably long periods for which hay may lie in the field. Slow drying occurs even though swath microclimate becomes more favourable for drying as water content falls. The results presented here suggest that treatments which reduce cuticular resistance have the potential to reduce field drying time.

Notes: A detailed study of the spring growth curves of two forage grasses, tall fescue and cocksfoot, over three successive years showed a large variability of growth over the vegetative phase. This variability was evident at levels of fertilizer N which were considered to be non-limiting (60 kg N ha-1 in autumn plus 120 kg N ha-1 in February).At this level of N there was a relationship between yield in the vegetative phase and accumulated temperatures from the last cut in the autumn which was described by a regression common to the three years. The slope of this regression represents the potential growth of a variety. At a lower level of N a separate regression was needed in each year to relate growth to accumulated temperature.Variation in spring growth was not related to accumulated net radiation. Growth in the reproductive phase was related to accumulated temperature and accumulated net radiation from the 10-cm ear stage.

Notes: In subtropical latitudes temperate crops can be grown during the cool months but the growing season is restricted by the termination and beginning of hot weather. Postponing sowing date in south Florida from October to November to January resulted in 150, 130 and 110-d growing seasons respectively. Dry matter (DM) yields of turnip, swede, rape and kale were lowered by each later sowing date and shorter growing season, and crude protein (CP) concentration was the same as for, or was increased by late sowing. In vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of turnip, swede and rape leaves was not affected by sowing date, but roots of turnip and swede from the earlier sowings and longer growing seasons were more digestible. Yield of the four species depended on harvest management as well as date of sowing and length of growing season. Total yield of turnip and swede were unaffected by harvest management but multiple cutting resulted in greater leaf yields and smaller root yields, whereas stockpiling resulted in smaller leaf yields and larger root yields. Kale produced more DM when harvested once at the end of the winter growing season but rape produced the greatest DM yield when sown in October and harvested

Notes: Plants of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) cv. Blanca and red clover (T. pratense L.) cv. Hungaropoly were grown singly in controlled environments. The effects of eight treatments on the two species were examined: 16- and 8-h photo-periods × 20/15 and 15/10°C day/night temperatures ×Rhizobium-free plants receiving nitrate N and inoculated plants receiving no combined N. Twice weekly measurements of the main axis leaf size, petiole length, rate of leaf production and the time period between the appearance of a leaf and its final size were carried out for 8 weeks after sowing.Increasing the day/night temperature from 15/10 to 20/15°C, or doubling the daylength from 8 to 16 h (doubling the daylength increased temperature by 1·2°C) accelerated the rate of leaf production and expansion and increased petiole length and the final area of leaves. Most aspects of main axis leaf growth were reduced in the inoculated plants dependent on their own N fixation compared with the nodule-free plants receiving abundant nitrate N. The results suggest that the temperature above which white clover exhibits appreciable leaf growth in the field could be relatively high compared with grasses. Further research is required to define these differences and relate them to seasonal changes in the environment.

Notes: Preharvest application of 1 and 2 litres ha-1 IPA glyphosate (glyphosate) to a seed crop of S24 perennial ryegrass with moisture concentrations of around 400 and 340 g kg-1 (40 and 34% moisture content w/w) failed to significantly lower seed and straw moisture concentration at harvest and consequently did not affect combine rate. Addition of extra surfactants and ammonium sulphate to glyphosate did not significantly increase the rate of desiccation.The quality of harvested seed was impaired at both rates and application times. Germination was significantly lowered through the production of abnormal seedlings. The germination of seed harvested in the previous year from glyphosatetreated plots decreased with storage. Seed vigour, germination rate and field emergence were also significantly decreased as a result of glyphosate application. The effect of glyphosate on seed quality precludes its preharvest use as a desiccant in the ryegrass seed crop.Harvesting difficulties due to the production of secondary vegetative tillers may be overcome by swathing rather than direct combining.

Notes: The fertility of forty-two heifers offered either red clover silage or grass silage prior to and during the period of insemination was compared. Pregnancy rate to first service was significantly higher (P 〈 0·25) on red clover silage at 76% compared with 43% on grass silage. Pregnancy rates from a mating period covering three oestrus cycles were similar on the two silage diets. The ratio of services to pregnancies was lower on red clover silage (1·2) than on grass silage (2·2). In a subsidiary trial with twenty-three heifers, pregnancy rate to first service on red clover silage was 78%.There was no evidence to indicate that herd fertility is depressed by red clover silage.

Notes: An estimate of the level of pest damage on enclosed upland permanent pasture in England and Wales was made by reducing invertebrate populations with insecticides at thirteen well-distributed sites and measuring the effect on herbage growth over a 3-year period. Potential pests were fewer in number than on lowland pastures and there was a wide range in herbage yield between sites. Insecticide treatment significantly increased annual yields at only three of the sites, and significantly decreased yield at two of the sites. Insect damage to grassland appears to be much less important in upland than in lowland areas: this may be due to the relative scarcity of frit-fly in these areas, but this could change if its preferred host, ryegrass, were encouraged by intensification of sward management in the uplands. At all but one of the sites insecticide treatment led to considerable soil compaction, probably as a consequence of suppressing earthworm populations.

Notes: Eight samples of perennial ryegrass-white clover herbage with in vivo dry matter digestibility (DMD) ranging from 0·279 to 0·264 were used to evaluate various cost-saving modifications to the two-stage pepsin–cellulase digestibility technique. The effect of sample size, cellulase quality, cellulase/sample ratio, digestion time and washing of residue following digestion were investigated. The loss of dry matter (DM) in the assay was correlated with in vivo DMD and each variation of the method was evaluated by comparing the s.d. between replicates and r.s.d. of the regression, as well as the convenience of the method for large-scale monitoring of digestibility of mixed ryegrass-clover herbage.It was found that the amount of cellulase used could be reduced by a factor of 25, compared with recently published methods, without increasing s.d. or r.s.d. appreciably. In addition stirring during digestion and washing of the residue could be omitted without any deleterious effects. Increasing digestion time did not reduce s.d. or r.s.d. and the low-grade cellulase proved to be slightly more economical.Increasing the sample size from 0·25 to 0·20 g improved the s.d. and r.s.d. but the residues from the larger samples were generally slower to filter, which made the assay unsuitable for routine use. Substantial reduction of digestion volume and use of a thermostatically controlled water bath instead of an incubator led to a considerable increase in efficiency and throughput of samples. Stirring the samples during digestion was found to be unnecessary, thus allowing more flexibility in the laboratory routine, for example using the weekend for digestion. Using the recommended method modification the repeatability between replicates and r.s.d. of the calibration regression was 0·204 and 0·215 respectively for samples ranging in DMD from 0·279 to 0·264.

Notes: Six varieties of white clover, each grown with perennial ryegrass, four intervals between cuts and two levels of applied nitrogen in all combinations, were compared in a field experiment during the first 27 months after sowing.Increasing the interval between harvests from 3 or 4 to 8–12 weeks increased the yield of white clover and generally did not reduce the proportion of clover in total herbage. Increasing the interval between harvests reduced the number of grass tillers but increased grass yield and the size of grass leaves and increased grass height more than clover height; it also increased the proportion of petiole relative to leaflet in the clover. Differences between varieties in response to interval between harvests were small but supported the view that medium large-leaved varieties can with advantage be defoliated rather less frequently than small-leaved ones. The adverse effect of applied N on clover appeared almost equally great with all four intervals between harvests and further research on this topic is suggested. Applied N increased grass height more than clover height and increased the number of grass tillers, the size of grass leaves and grass yield. The medium large-leaved varieties seemed more tolerant of applied N than the smaller varieties.

Notes: Entrenchment and subsequent filling of a glacial valley have led to localization of iron-enriched ground water in the Silurian carbonate aquifer at the Vistron plant, Lima, Ohio. All production wells are open exclusively to the carbonate aquifer. Water from the saturated glacial deposits of relatively low permeability and high ironcontent is drawn laterally into the more permeable carbonate aquifer containing water with relatively low concentrations of iron. Wells closest to the saturated glacial deposits yield water with iron concentrations greater than 1.4 milligrams per liter. These wells, in the southwestern part of the site, apparently form a sink preventing iron-enriched water from migrating into other pumping wells in the central and northern parts of the area.Iron concentrations have not increased in individual wells between 1971 and 1981. They are not expected to increase in the central and northern wells as long as about 20% of the plant's ground water is withdrawn from at least two of the southwestern wells.

Notes: Nitrate-N concentrations during the Summers of 1980 and 1981 exceeded 10 mg/1 in 68 of the 164 ground-water samples collected from a shallow water-table aquifer underlying a sand plain near Alliston, Ontario. Three extensive zones of nitrate contamination were associated with major potato-growing areas on the sand plain. Nitrate concentrations were positively correlated with both the percentage area of heavily fertilized crops (potatoes, corn, sod and asparagus) and nitrogen fertilizer application rates in the vicinity of ground-water sampling sites. Chloride levels in ground water exhibited a positive association with KCl fertilizer application rates. Ground water under potato fields had relatively consistent C1/NO3-N ratios despite considerable variations in nitrate-N and chloride concentrations. Ground water with a low nitrate content was found beneath forest and permanent pasture. These data suggest that the use of commercial nitrogen fertilizer is a major source of nitrate in the aquifer.

Notes: Abstract. A simple and convenient method for calculating two-dimensional dispersion on a TI 58 or 59 programmable calculator utilizing the normal distribution program available in the Solid State Software Master Library module as a subroutine is presented with an example.

Notes: Three simplistic models are developed for evaluating the transport of organic pollutants through soil to ground water. The models consider mobility and first-order degradation. The first calculates linear sorption/desorption of the pollutant and first-order degradation without considering dispersion. The second is similar to the first but also considers dispersion. The third considers nonlinear sorption following a Freundlich equation and first-order degradation but does not consider dispersion. The models are compared to field data for the pesticides aldicarb and DDT. The models projected a lower mobility for DDT than was observed in the field.

Notes: Darcy's equation and unsaturated-flow theory are used to calculate flow through earth linings that are placed in ponds or channels to reduce seepage. The procedure utilizes the relation between unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and pressure head of the underlying material as calculated from the measured saturated hydraulic conductivity and the relation between water content and pressure head. The method enables the selection of the liner (thickness and hydraulic conductivity) that will keep seepage below a certain maximum limit. Since the hydraulic conductivity of clays is affected by the cationic composition and the salt concentration of the soil solution, the chemical composition of the liquid moving through the liner must be taken into account. This applies also to other chemicals, including solvents and other organic compounds that may be in the water. Travel times of water from the surface impoundment to the underlying ground water are calculated from the seepage rate and the corresponding water content in the vadose zone. Accumulation of solids (mine tailings, for example) can further reduce the seepage from the pond. Proper design of waste-water ponds also requires analysis of the response of the underlying ground water (mound buildup) and the movement of pollutants in the vadose zone and aquifer. In view of the high costs of earth liners, prediction of the seepage is necessary to make sure that the selected lining material, the thickness of the liner itself, and the method of construction will produce the desired results.

Notes: A multidimensional, finite-difference model for ground-water flow and heat transport is used to analyze the thermal energy storage experiment conducted by Auburn University in Mobile, Alabama. The experiment consisted of three stages–namely, injection, storage and recovery occurring for 80, 51 and 41 days, respectively. This application demonstrates the validation evidence that the model adequately and accurately simulates the field experiment. The numerical model includes the effects of: hydraulic anisotropy, thermal convection and conduction, and heat loss to the adjacent confining strata. Observed aquifer isotherms at the end of each stage are compared with predicted values on a cylindrical grid situated about the well. The degree of vertical discretization used in the model is shown to impact the predicted temperature profiles at each stage, but has minimal effect on the recovery water temperature.

Notes: The author has used the concept of depression cone volume to derive type curve equations for large-diameter wells in aquifers of finite extent. Comparisons with the corresponding type curves in an infinitely extensive aquifer have been given. These solutions are based on joint exploitation of the ground-water movement equation (Darcy's law) and the continuity equation for large-diameter wells.

Notes: The majority of well fields in the river region in the Netherlands, where anaerobic water is withdrawn from the shallow aquifer, have problems with well clogging. In order to test the supposition that sulfate-reducing bacteria play a role in this clogging process, sulfate-reducing bacteria in water from wells on well fields with and without the occurrence of clogging were enumerated. In water withdrawn from nonclogging wells, the Most Probable Number of sulfate-reducing bacteria averaged 5 per 100 ml, whereas in wells subject to clogging, the number averaged 25 per 100 ml. A statistical analysis by Wilcoxon's order test confirmed that a significant difference exists between the numbers of sulfate-reducing bacteria in clogging and nonclogging wells. The mechanism whereby sulfate-reducing bacteria contribute towards this type of well clogging is as yet unclear.

Notes: The Kansas Geological Survey is pursuing an effort to automate some of the more common methods of aquifer pumping-test analysis. This paper discusses the results of work done on the leaky artesian aquifer as defined by Hantush and Jacob (1955). The paper covers the basic theory of the aquifer type, the numerical solution of the leaky artesian-well function, and the methodology of achieving the “best fit” parameters in the least squares' sense. Several data sets are used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed technique. These examples indicate the generally satisfactory results produced by the automated analysis documented here.The algorithm has good convergence properties. Initial estimates for the aquifer parameters may vary by about three orders of magnitude above or below the correct values. For typical data sets the rms fitting error should be less than a few tenths of a foot. If this is not the case, one is probably not dealing with a simple leaky aquifer. This method of pumping-test analysis does not eliminate the role of an experienced hydrologist to define the local hydrogeology and aquifer type. However, once the decision is made as to which aquifer configuration is being observed, this program will, in a quick and unbiased fashion, give an accurate assessment of the leaky-aquifer parameters within the limits of the theoretical approximations and the data quality.

Notes: The software for simulation of the three-dimensional ground-water flow, developed by Trescott (1975), is executable only on bigger machines with large memory capacities. To popularize the sophisticated software for easily accessible small machines, the organization is restructured and various programming facilities are availed. The new design is tested with an earlier quoted example. The program requires about 11K bytes of memory as against 72K bytes of the original program on IBM/370. The methodology borne out of the present work to implement large programs for small computers is presented along with the modified code.

Notes: In the design of ground-water heat pump systems the quantitative analysis of heat transport and heat storage is of great interest. A unified finite element approach to the transient nonlinear heat transport and heat storage problem is presented. The theory presented includes nonlinear physical properties and boundary conditions, coupled conductive and convective heat flow, freezing (phase change), and time-dependent heat input and output. The given theory is applied to two problems. The first problem is a transient study during a few years of heat storage in saturated clay. A pure conductive theory is used due to the small amount of convective water flow in clay. The second problem deals with transient heat transport in an aquifer according to coupled conduction-convection theory on a one-dimensional model problem.

Notes: The principal water-bearing units (in descending stratigraphie order) in Pipeline Canyon are the alluvium, the Dilco Coal Member of the Crevasse Canyon Formation, the Torrivio Sandstone Member of the Gallup Formation, and the Upper and Lower Gallup Sandstones. Presently, the alluvium is recharged by a perennial, southward-flowing stream sustained by mine dewatering discharge in addition to natural precipitation and runoff. Localized infiltration has created ground-water mounds in the alluvium. Artesian conditions may exist in sandstone units which are adjacent and hydraulically connected to the alluvium in these areas. Basement faults have produced the Fort Wingate and Pipeline Canyon lineaments which intersect in the area of investigation. Fault-related fracturing of the sandstones allows for significant ground-water recharge via the overlying alluvium. Flow in the sedimentary formations is generally to the northeast, while the alluvial system flows to the southwest. The natural water quality for the aquifers in the area is dominated by sodium and sulfate ions. However, complete characterization of the natural water quality is complex because of ground-water contamination by acidic tailings fluids from a local uranium mill.

Notes: This paper describes a systematic and straightforward method for the estimation of velocity components in three dimensions from hydraulic head data. Groups of four measurement points are connected to form tetrahedrons, and a linear interpolation scheme is used to obtain a head gradient estimate for each tetrahedron. Application of Darcy's law then yields the desired velocity component values. A sample calculation and comparison between this method and a two-dimensional approach are also included.

Notes: Two earthfill sections of Wallace Dam on the Oconee River near Eatonton, Georgia were constructed with vertical drainage filters (chimney drains) in a clay fill zone. In order to evaluate the performance of the filter in the west dike of Wallace Dam, the finite element Galerkin method was utilized in formulating a numerical model to study the steady-state saturated-unsaturated seepage characteristics through the earth dam. The resulting model is applied to Station 58+00 of the west dike of Wallace Dam. Numerical results for the four cases analyzed in this study describe the location of the zero pressure isobar and total hydraulic head values ranging from 425 feet (130 m) to 365 feet (111 m). Model results indicate a maximum seepage velocity of 2.62 feet per day (0.80 m/day) using a saturated horizontal hydraulic conductivity of 0.283 foot per day (8.64 cm/day). A maximum seepage rate is calculated to be 0.266 cubic foot per second (7.52 × 10−3 m3/sec). Analysis of the hydrostatic uplift forces along the base of the dam indicates an average pressure head reduction of 51 feet (16 m) from the upstream to the downstream side of the dam. Comparison of local seepage velocities to the critical seepage velocity upstream of the filter and inside the filter indicate a factor of safety against piping (a factor of safety against a quick condition arising in the soil) ranging from 0.3 to 3.7.

Notes: The ground-water observation well network in many parts of Kansas has been developed and expanded through the years without serious attempt to determine the adequacy of the network for any specified purpose or to assess its cost effectiveness. This study was undertaken to examine the existing well network in northwest Kansas and to determine the arrangement that offers the most satisfactory accuracy for the purpose of monitoring it. To achieve this goal, we have employed the theory of regionalized variables to estimate the amount of spatial variability of the water table. The error analysis produced by universal kriging indicates that a significant reduction in the number of wells could be achieved by employing a regular 4-mile (6.4-km) network, without affecting the present level of accuracy. It also indicates that it is not practical to reduce the estimation error in the water-table surface uniformly throughout the region because to do so would increase the cost of monitoring wells drastically. For example, reducing the presently existing error by 50 percent throughout the area would require 16 times more wells than the currently existing well network.

Notes: In river basins where aquifers are closely interrelated with a stream, large-scale ground-water development can lower water tables near the stream and diminish stream flows. Junior surface right holders are adversely affected. A digital computer simulation of the hydrologic-economic system on the lower South Platte River in Colorado is employed to study economic impacts of two water management policies. Open access management is found to yield high income benefits but imposes substantial costs on surface-water users when water supplies are limited. Incorporation of ground water into the appropriation system can help avoid the losses to surface-water users, but greatly reduces the income of ground-water users.

Notes: Basalts are a major source of ground water throughout the Columbia River Plateau region of the Pacific Northwest. Development and management of ground water in these basalts are complicated by the spatial variability of the hydrologic characteristics of the deep, stratified lava flows, but new irrigation developments and municipal and industrial water needs are placing increasingly larger demands on the ground-water resource. Water management decisions are aided by individual basin studies that contribute to greater understanding of the regional ground-water system. A distributed-system multiple-storage model for the Deschutes River Basin, Oregon, reveals the magnitude of spatial differences in ground-water recharge, storage, and discharge for this watershed. Input-output analysis elucidates the functional characteristics of the basin groundwater system, and it identifies the presence and magnitude of interbasin linkages in the ground-water system. Implementation of ground-water development strategies based on storage and transmission characteristics simulated by the model demonstrates that basin or regional perspectives are necessary to fully utilize ground-water storage in basalts.

Notes: No strategy for countermeasure design or future directions of research in the areas of human behavior which leads to traffic accidents or lifestyle-related diseases can be rationally developed without an acceptable working theory of human behavior in these domains. For this purpose, an attempt has been made to conceptually integrate the available evidence with respect to the role of human behavior in the causation of road accidents. From this integrative effort it would seem that the accident rate is ultimately dependent on one factor only, the target level of risk in the population concerned which acts as the reference variable in a homeostatic process relating accident rate to human motivation. Various policy tactics for the purpose of modifying this target level of risk have been pointed out and the theory of risk homeostasis has been speculatively extended to the areas of lifestyle-dependent morbidity and mortality.

Notes: A probabilistic language based on stochastic models of population growth is proposed for a standard language to be used in environmental assessment. Environmental impact on a population is measured by the probability of quasiextinction. Density-dependent and independent models are discussed. A review of one-dimensional stochastic population growth models, the implications of environmental autocorrelation, finite versus “infinite” time results, age-structured models, and Monte Carlo simulations are included. The finite time probability of quasiextinction is presented for the logistic model. The sensitivity of the result with respect to the mean growth rate and the amplitude of environmental fluctuations are examined. Stochastic models of population growth form a basis for formulating reasonable criteria for environmental impact estimates.

Notes: In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a revised occupational standard for benzene, stating that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had failed to demonstrate that significant health risks existed under the current standard. This decision has been interpreted by OSHA as requiring the consideration of quantitative risk assessments, whenever possible, in the development of regulations for occupational carcinogens. In light of this decision, the available epidemiologic evidence was used to generate a quantitative risk assessment for benzene. Uncertainties regarding the levels and lengths of benzene exposure for the studied cohorts were incorporated into the analysis. Based on the one-hit model, the assessment indicates that a working lifetime exposure to benzene at the current permissible exposure level (10 ppm) poses a substantial excess risk of death from leukemia. This report discusses the calculation of the risk estimates, the basis for relying on certain assumptions, and the inherent limitations of using epidemiologic studies to quantify cancer risks.

Notes: Studies of risk perception examine the opinions people express when they are asked, in various ways, to characterize and evaluate hazardous activities and technologies. This research aims to aid risk analysis and societal decision making by (i) improving methods for eliciting opinions about risk, (ii) providing a basis for understanding and anticipating public responses to hazards, and (iii) improving the communication of risk information among laypeople, technical experts, and policy makers.

Notes: The current fascination with risk acceptability, risk benefit analysis and other devices for relating risk to social gain is a manifestation of the loss of faith amongst certain groups in modern western society with the honesty and competence of those who assess and finally make judgements about public safety. The problem lies as much in a suspicion over the motives of leading personalities and the fidelity of assessment procedures as it does with the collective psychology of individual beliefs and judgements. “Real world” studies involving carefully sampled households monitored over a period of time may well reveal better information on the complexities of risk cognition and evaluation than laboratory investigation of the views of individuals responding in isolation.

Notes: This paper looks critically at the emergence and present status of risk analysis with the aim of assessing its usefulness for policy decisions on risk regulation and the acceptability of risk-bearing innovations. The authors adopt a personal narrative to illustrate their own involvement in risk research and to comment on empirical trends that have resulted in the current fashion for risk workshops. The second part of the paper confronts specific issues in risk research. These are not new problems-indeed several of the questions asked have been taken directly from a list used to structure a recent risk seminar; but the stand taken here is rather less conciliatory than is usual when these issues are discussed. The pessimistic message of this paper is that risk research, especially in the area of risk perception, is being used as a panacea with which to attempt to remedy what are essentially societal and political matters. Risk research is being used as a tool in a discourse which is not concerned with risks per se, nor with the cognitive processes by which people misperceive the risks of new technologies, but whose hidden agenda is the legitimacy of decision-making institutions and the equitable distribution of hazards and benefits. The authors take a subjectivist view, not just of risk but in general, and query the natural science approach to risk perception, with its assumption that universal dimensions of risk perception can be discovered and used in policy-making and setting regulatory standards. Although it is possible to collect subjective data on the wider meanings that risks and benefits associated with technological innovations have for lay publics, the interpretation and recombination of these data into useful policy guidelines is seen as fraught with technical and, above all, political problems.

Notes: Recent concern with the potential for stray carbon fibers to damage electronic equipment and cause economic losses has led to the development of advanced risk-assessment methods. Risk assessment often requires the synthesis of risk profiles which represent the probability distribution of total annual losses due to a certain set of events or activities. A number of alternative probabilistic models are presented which the authors have used to develop such profiles. Examples are given of applications of these methods to assessment of risk due to conductive fibers released from aircraft or automobile fires. These assessments usually involve a two-stage approach: estimation of losses for several subclassifications of the overall process, and synthesis of the results into an aggregate risk profile. The methodology presented is capable of treating a wide variety of situations involving sequences of random physical events.

Notes: It is readily observable that there is a wide gulf between the manner by which the lay public and the manner by which technical experts assess the risks of complex technologies and assimilate these assessments in decisions regarding the acceptance or rejection of technological options. On the public side, this gap in methods and value assessments is a major source of distrust of technical experts and disaffection with the social management of technology. From the viewpoint of the technical experts who introduce or regulate technologies, this gap is both a cauldron of frustration and a perceived justification for paternalistic technocratic decision-making that further alienates important segments of the public. It is the author's belief that unless our society learns how to progress in bridging these gaps within the framework of a comparative mode of risk-cost-benefit analysis of options, the potential net benefits of certain technologies such as commercial nuclear power could well be lost to our society. Research on public risk perception, while potentially an important component in achieving this objective, needs to be restructured from its present static orientation to meet the needs of forward-looking decision-making that accommodates dynamic learning processes of both the public and technical experts as well as the “learning curves” of technological improvements historically accompanying successful innovations. Moreover, no less attention needs to be devoted to improved benefit assessment along with ethical and equity considerations in decision-making involving the reconciliation of conflict between individual and societal interests. This paper examines the vital importance of interdisciplinary analysis in fulfilling these needs.

Notes: It is pointed out that the familiar analytical device of “event tree”, widely used in risk analysis, can be viewed as a transition matrix expressing the likelihood of going from “entry states” to “exit states”. This point of view is shown to have numerous interesting conceptual and computational features which promise to make it a very useful addition to the arsenal of tools for risk analysis. The basic idea is explained first in terms of a simple, made-up example. The application of the idea to a very real and complicated problem, nuclear-plant risk assessment, is then outlined.

Notes: Age-adjusted cancer mortality data (1964) were examined for evidence of independence. Indications were found that substitution of one cancer for another is a common occurrence. The data were interpreted as supportive of the view that natural selection for resistance to cancer in general has occurred with many resistance-related genes common to prevention of cancer of several sites. Consequently, the comparison of age-adjusted incidence or mortality rates of cancer of single sites alone does not provide a satisfactory estimate of the magnitude of an “environmentally induced” cancer risk. It is necessary to examine all causes of death to find indications of a real life-shortening episode.

Notes: A nonparametric estimator of the probability distribution of time-to-tumor is incorporated into an algorithm for calculating linearly extrapolated dosage limits from an animal carcino-genesis bioassay. The procedure is illustrated with tumor data from a mouse bioassay with 2-acetylaminofluorene. Extrapolated dosage limits for an excess risk of 10-6 differ by only a factor of 2 across the six replicates of the experiment.

Notes: Cost/benefit analysis is often an imprecise tool because of assumptions that must be made about matters that are difficult to quantify. The problems become especially acute when lives or serious bodily injuries are at stake because of the serious nature of that which is being risked. Furthermore, the literature on cost/benefit analysis focuses on public decision-making situations and decisions by individuals. This paper examines the distinctiveness of the use of cost/benefit analysis involving putting dollar values on human life by for-profit firms. The argument developed in the paper is that the lack of participation by the affected party (or government representative) in balancing costs and benefits raises special ethical concerns. A formula that was developed by the Ford Motor Company concerning accidents involving fuel leakage and fire with resultant loss of life and serious burn injuries is used as an example of both the imprecision of the method and the distinctive factors of the decision process that raise special ethical considerations. The paper examines why the for-profit-decision is distinct, what the special ethical considerations are, and concludes with a discussion of several alternative procedures to monitor the use of cost/benefit analysis so that it would be an effective business tool while at the same time the individual is provided maximum protection.

Notes: The toxic and mutagenic effects of gamma-irradiated peanut meal contaminated with aflatoxin B1 were studied in Salmonella typhimu-rium strain TM 677, using forward mutation to 8-azaguanine resistance. After treatment with 5 to 10 M-rad gamma radiation, the contaminated peanut meal lost its toxic and mutagenic properties. Irradiation at 0.1 to 1.0 M-rad removed 75–100% of the toxicity but not mutagenicity.

Notes: This paper reports the levels of Pb, Cd, and Zn found in 39 individual canned foods and in samples of ground beef and sugar collected throughout the United States in fiscal years (FYs) 1980 and 1981. The foods were collected in conjunction with the Total Diet Studies program of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but were analyzed separately from the Total Diet samples at the FDA Kansas City District Laboratory. Before analysis, multiple-can samples of each product type were individually composited and thoroughly homogenized with dilute nitric acid to ensure representative subsamples for analysis. Homogenized subsamples were dry-ashed with sulfuric acid as the ashing aid and analyzed by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry for Pb and Cd and by atomic absorption spectroscopy for Zn. Quantitation limits were 0.02 ppm Pb, 0.002 ppm Cd, and 0.1 ppm Zn. The overall mean levels of Pb, Cd, and Zn found in the 19 canned foods that contained sufficient samples for statistical analysis were 0.19 and 0.22 ppm Pb, 0.011 and 0.008 ppm Cd, and 4.3 and 5.0 ppm Zn in FY-80 and FY-81, respectively. These levels are about one-half as high as the levels found for Pb and Cd in an FDA FY-74 survey but are about the same for Zn. The frequency and magnitude of occasionally high levels of Pb in individual samples were considerably diminished in FY-80 and FY-81, compared to those in FY-74. These lower levels are probably due to improvements in canning technology, in quality control by food processors, and in the methods used for analysis. Over the next 3 years the FDA will continue this survey of individual canned foods, focusing on adult canned foods commonly eated by children, to monitor the progress of industry in reducing Pb levels in canned foods.

Notes: The three major secondary metabolites of Penicillium viridicatum, brevianamide, xanthomegnin, and viomellein were tested for mutagenicity by the Salmonella/microsome test and for toxicity and teratogenicity by the chick embryo test. None were mutagenic. Viomellein was mildly toxic and teratogenic, xanthomegnin was the most toxic and was not a teratogen, and brevianamide was not toxic yet was the most teratogenic.

Notes: The alluvial deposits that occupy the Madrid Basin in central Spain form an aquifer system covering an area of 5,000 km2 (2,000 mi2) and with thicknesses of 2,000 m (6,600 ft) or more. Average annual precipitation is 500 mm (15 in.) and average annual temperature is 15°C (59°F). The precipitation is sufficient to provide a net surplus to ground-water recharge which, in turn, supports dry weather flow of major streams in the basin. A distribution of surface recharge and hydraulic conductivities were obtained from a previous study utilizing a two-dimensional finite-difference model of the same vertical cross section as this study. In this study a flow net and a discrete-state compartment (or “mixing-cell”) model were employed to calculate the age distribution of ground water circulating through the aquifer. Carbon-14 decay ages were determined for nine ground-water samples taken from eight locations. The ages obtained with the flow net and with the mixing-cell models are mutually consistent and generally agree with the carbon-14 decay ages. The calculated ages range from zero at the recharge boundaries to over 100,000 years at discharge boundaries in stream channels. The results obtained are to be regarded as preliminary. Their principal value will be to guide future C-14 field sampling programs.

Notes: The objective of this study is to demonstrate the application of a predictive ground-water potentiometric-head model to estimate the profitability of irrigation in contrast to that of dry-land farming. Unit cost per acre-foot of water required for a variety of crops is used to determine the distributive impact of predicted aquifer depletion at 5-year intervals during 20 years of simulated pumping. A land-use planning scheme is proposed for identifying areas (one square mile or less) where various crop types can be irrigated based on benefit-cost criteria for two arbitrary pumping rates as well as on future energy and well development costs. Maps showing areas of profitable production are presented for cotton and alfalfa as examples of crops requiring as much as 1 and 2 ac-ft/ac/yr (0.30 and 0.60 ha-m/ha/yr), respectively. Irrigation-water needs and related profitability are presented as examples for several crops by using the model.

Notes: Stable isotope and fluid chemistry investigations in complex hydrogeologic areas have proven useful in delineating the origin of thermal waters and their interaction with local ground-water reservoirs. The application of these techniques is illustrated using water samples collected from all hot and warm springs and many of the wells in the East Shore area, Utah. These samples were analyzed for major cations and anions, oxygen-18/oxygen-16 and deuterium/hydrogen ratios.The data presented suggest the presence of at least two and perhaps three distinct hydrogeologic regimes. One regime involves fault-controlled deep circulation of waters derived from high elevations in mountains toward the east. These waters evolved into the sodium plus potassium, chloride-enriched hot spring fluids that are high in total dissolved salt concentration (greater than 4,000 mg/1), exhibit oxygen-18 enrichment due to geochemical rock-water interaction at depth and have deuterium/hydrogen ratios similar to high elevation mountain springs. A second hydrogeologic regime is comprised of waters derived from lower elevations that infiltrate into the shallow valley sediments. These dilute calcium plus magnesium, bicarbonate fluids comprise most of the area's ground-water supply.Leakage of thermal waters into overlying cooler aquifers is observed in the vicinity of the hot springs, and is believed to occur in several other portions of the East Shore area. These leakage zones make up the third hydrogeologic regime observed in the East Shore area.

Notes: Abstract From flowmeter interpretation studies using wells with no available caliper data has emerged information which is also pertinent to flowmeter analysis in conjunction with a caliper log. A simple method for interpreting flowmeter and caliper log pairs incorporating this insight has been developed. Location of constant-flow regions, inflow and outflow zones is done by manually comparing the shapes of the caliper and flowmeter logs. A flowrate log is then produced using quantitative volumetric flowrates calculated for several depths in the well. The log contains all the significant flow information without spurious noise and would be suitable for converting to an apparent hydraulic conductivity log.

Notes: Elevated arsenic concentrations were found in ground water near Canal Fulton, Ohio. The hydrologie and chemical properties of the area were studied to determine the source of the arsenic and evaluate the possibility of a similar problem occurring elsewhere. Two major aquifer systems exist within the study area: the Sharon Sandstone of the upland areas; and the outwash sand and gravel deposits of the buried valleys. Ground-water flow is generally from the north, but local variations are caused by the Tuscarawas River valley on the south and west of the study area. Within the study area, there is no evidence for an anthropogenic source of arsenic to the ground water. Agricultural soils, abandoned underground coal mines, industrial impoundments to the north, and an abandoned industrial dump site within the study area were all eliminated as possible sources for the arsenic. The arsenic in Canal Fulton ground water is entirely inorganic, consisting of about equal parts of arsenate and arsenite. Reduction-oxidation (redox) considerations suggest that arsenic is controlled by an adsorption equilibrium with ferric hydroxides, and that the reduction of the ferric hydroxides by a recent lowering of Eh and/or pH in the aquifer has liberated both iron and arsenic to solution. A high correlation between ferrous iron and total dissolved arsenic supports this model. It is hypothesized that Eh conditions have been lowered in the aquifer by either the recent introduction of methane gas or the deposition of a thick layer of till during the last glacial retreat. The methane gas could be leaking from deep underground storage at the site and reducing oxidized compounds. The deposition of till would have eliminated local recharge of oxygenated waters.

Notes: Soils underlain at shallow depths (less than 1 m, 3 ft) by glacial till are generally considered undesirable for irrigation because of their unfavourable internal drainage characteristics. In some areas of southern Alberta, Canada, soils developed upon shallow tills have been irrigated successfully for over 60 years with no adverse effects on the soil. An investigation was conducted to describe the hydro-geologic properties of till under one of these areas and to assess the properties with regard to drainage. Study techniques consisted of detailed test drilling and sampling, excavation of test pits, installation and monitoring of ground-water instrumentation, field and laboratory hydraulic conductivity testing and tritium analyses of ground-water samples. Two fracture sets were found in this till. Both sets of fractures produce secondary permeabilities which mask the low hydraulic conductivity of the till matrix (10−10 m·s−1). Small-scale fractures which have a fracture spacing of approximately 10 mm (0.4 in.) have an apparent mean hydraulic conductivity of 5 × 10−9 m·s−1, whereas large-scale fractures which have fracture spacings from 20 mm (0.8 in.) to over 630 mm(2 ft) have an apparent mean hydraulic conductivity of approximately 2 × 10−7 m·s−1. The high hydraulic conductivity of the large-scale fractures was corroborated by tritium analyses of ground-water samples. Tritium analyses also indicate the presence of recent water at depth in the till. The large-scale fractures, which control the bulk hydraulic conductivity of this till, provide conduits through which infiltrating water can be transmitted to the ground-water regime. These fractures are believed to be the reason why this land has remained irrigable for over 60 years.

Notes: In 1977, the Island Water Association (IWA) on Sanibel Island, Florida, was concerned that the total dissolved solids concentrations in several wells in its well field were increasing and might cause the blended raw water to exceed the design capacity of its electrodialysis plant. Test wells were drilled several miles west of the existing well field, and two pumping tests, one at the site of the test wells and the other in the existing well field, were run. Average values for the transmissivity (T), storage coefficient (S), and leakance (K′/b′) of the lower Hawthorn aquifer were determined to be T = 1,290 ft2/d (119 m2/d), S = 2.7 × 10−5, and K′/b′= 7.47 × 10−6 (1/d). The results of the pumping tests and other findings indicated that pumpage from the lower Hawthorn aquifer was being derived from artesian storage in the aquifer and from vertical leakage into the aquifer from adjacent formations. It was estimated that the IWA would be able to recover usable water from the lower Hawthorn aquifer for about 5 more years by drilling new wells in the vicinity of the test wells and in other nearby areas that might be determined to yield usable water. After this period of time, it likely would become increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to obtain large quantities of usable water from the lower Hawthorn aquifer, unless significant quantities of water could be found in areas in which few data were then available. The principal recommendations, which subsequently were acted upon by the IWA, were to conduct drilling and testing in the lower Hawthorn aquifer several miles west of the test wells and to investigate the underlying Suwannee aquifer and deeper zones as possible sources of large quantities of brackish water.

Notes: Slug and bailer tests are being used increasingly to evaluate the hydraulic properties of “tight” geologic units. Although these pulse methods of stressing a system are used typically only on single wells, the repeated pulse method described here stresses the system in the same manner, but the response is measured in observation wells. This type of pulse test yields much the same information as conventional pumping tests, but it is easier to perform in very low permeability units.The observation well response hydrographs are analyzed by curve-matching techniques. In general, a unique set of type curves must be computed for each pulse test. These type curves are computed easily if the pulsed well is treated as a line-source (or sink). The accuracy of the value of transmissivity (T) determined from the line-source type curves compared to using the finite-diameter well solution depends both on the pulsed well radius (rc) and the time interval between pulses (Δt). If TΔt/rc2 is maintained greater than 50, then T determined from the line-source solution will be within 25% of that determined from more accurate, but computationally inconvenient, finite-diameter well type curves.The repeated-pulse test technique was applied to an experimental well array completed in the Conasauga Shale Formation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Values of transmissivity determined by the repeated-pulse method agreed well with the results of slug tests performed on each well individually, and in addition, provided information on storage coefficients and anisotropy at the site.

Notes: A large portion of northwest Oklahoma is situated over the Ogallala Aquifer. Economic growth in the region has been tied closely to irrigated agriculture which depends on declining ground-water resources in the Ogallala formation.As part of an integrated six-State study, Oklahoma researchers developed a computer model of the agricultural sector of northwestern Oklahoma and estimated irrigated and dryland cropping patterns, farm output and farm income over a 40-year planning horizon. Projections were made for a “baseline” situation, and the sensitivity of these results to alternative assumptions on energy costs, commodity prices and technological development was also analyzed.Preliminary results of the baseline analysis suggest a favorable outlook for irrigated agriculture in the area through the near to mid-term, with increases in irrigated acreage, production, and returns to land and management. However, the baseline case is dependent on several relatively optimistic assumptions regarding future fuel prices, yields, and agricultural commodity prices. Even fairly large changes in fuel prices and yields are not particularly critical for model results, but if agricultural commodity prices are substantially lower than projected, the outlook for irrigated agriculture in the area is not favorable.

Notes: Poly (hexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride) (PHMB), an industrial disinfectant, was evaluated for potential use in the food industry following suggestions in the literature. A colorimetric test based on the reaction with nitro-prusside reagent was found suitable for the dosimetry of this compound. In a bacteriological medium, at a concentration of 20 μg/ml, PHMB was inhibitory to Escherichia coli, less effective against Staphylococcus aureus, and practically ineffective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The bactericidal activity of PHMB was impaired in the presence of milk but little affected upon the addition of blood. Finally, in a toxicological test in vitro, PHMB was found to be toxic toward Chinese hamster cells, at doses similar to those required for antibacterial activity.