SOUTHERN INDIANA PURDUE AGRICULTURAL CENTER
RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS
2011
Updated 9/23/11
Jason Tower, Superintendent
11371 East Purdue Farm Road
Dubois, IN 47527
812-678-3401
towerj@purdue.edu
http://www.ag.purdue.edu/arp/pac/Pages/sipac-home.aspx
Dairy Heifer Studies
May 2011:
“Evaluation of feed delivery methods for transitioning prepubertal dairy heifers to higher
forage diets.”
T. S. Dennis, J. E. Tower, and T. D. Nennich, Animal Sciences & SIPAC
The objectives of this study were to evaluate feed delivery methods for transitioning growing
dairy heifers to higher forage diets. Ninety 5 month old Holstein heifers were randomly
assigned by weight to 1 of 15 pens and were given daily rations using a hay feeder and grain
bunk (HF), a top-dressed ration (TDR), or a total mixed ration (TMR) and weight gains, body
condition, skeletal growth, and rumen parameters were evaluated.
June to September 2011:
“Influence of feed delivery method on growth and rumen parameters in growing dairy
heifers.”
T. S. Dennis, J. E. Tower, and T. D. Nennich, Animal Sciences & SIPAC
The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of feed delivery method on growth and
rumen parameters in growing dairy heifers. Ninety 6 month old Holstein heifers were randomly
assigned by weight to 1 of 15 pens and were given daily rations using a hay feeder and grain
bunk (HF), a top-dressed ration (TDR), or a total mixed ration (TMR) and weight gains, body
condition, skeletal growth, and rumen parameters were measured.
June to September 2011:
“Additional protein and mineral supplementation for pasture-raised dairy heifers”
T. S. Dennis, J. E. Tower, H. Schmitz, and T. D. Nennich, Animal Sciences & SIPAC
The objectives of this study were to demonstrate the effects of additional protein and mineral
supplementation on weight gain and skeletal growth in growing dairy heifers. Twenty-eight 6
month old Holstein heifers were allocated to one of two paddocks within a mixed forage species
pasture and either given additional protein and mineral supplement free-choice (FC) or no
additional supplementation (NONE). All heifers were fed a grain mix to achieve a 56:44 forageto-concentrate diet on a DM basis.
Beef Cow Studies
Title: Efficacy of a twice-used CIDR in a 5 day estrous synchronization protocol to induce
estrous cyclicity and improve reproductive performance in beef cows
PIs: Patrick Gunn1, Dr. Ron Lemenager1, & Dr. Allen Bridges2
1
Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University
2
North Central Research and Education Center, University of Minnesota, Grand Rapids
Methods and Procedures of Proposed Research: The proposed research will be conducted
in lactating beef cows during the fall of 2011 at SIPAC (n = 210). Eleven days and 1 day prior to
the start of the estrous synchronization protocol, cows will be subjected to ultrasonography to
determine the presence of a corpus luteum (CL), indicating whether or not that animal is cyclic.
Those cows that do not have a CL at either ultrasound will be classified as anestrus. The 5 day
CO-Synch + CIDR (Figure 1) protocol will be utilized to facilitate timed-AI in all cows.
Cows will be blocked by cyclic status, age, body condition score, and days postpartum and
randomly allotted to receive either a new (NEW) or twice-used (2xUsed) CIDR. Seven days
following timed-AI, bulls will be placed with the cows for the remainder of the breeding season.
Additionally, 7 days after timed-AI, blood samples will be collected and assessed for
progesterone to determine the proportion of previously anestrous cows that initiated estrous
cycles following estrous synchronization. Cows previously classified as anestrus with
progesterone concentrations > 2 ng/mL 7 days after timed-AI will be classified as having
initiated estrous cycles in response to CIDR treatment. To determine timed-AI pregnancy rates,
pregnancy determination will be performed 35 days after timed-AI by ultrasonography.
Fly Control Studies with Cattle at SIPAC
Dr. Ralph Williams, Entomology Department, Purdue University
Each year we evaluate several types of ear tags for fly control in cattle. They may be
commercially available or experimental. Weekly counts are taken of both horn and face flies.
Every few years, resistant tests are done on the horn flies looking for resistance to the different
compounds. This work has been done here each year since the late 1970s.
SIPAC Meat Goat Project
Principal Investigators
Mike Neary, Purdue University
Terry Hutchens, University of Kentucky
Ken Andries, Kentucky State University
Jason Tower, Purdue University-SIPAC
Mark Kepler, Purdue University-ANR Educator
The SIPAC meat goat project is a cooperative multi-state and multi-institution project that
integrates applied and demonstration research and extension programming. Institutions
participating in the project include Purdue University, University of Kentucky and Kentucky State
University. The core of the group working on the project are small ruminant specialists from the
respective institutions, but other subject matter specialists and county staff have also been very
instrumental in program development.
Background
This regionally cooperative effort came about after discussions in 2004/2005 between Purdue
University and the University of Kentucky to meet increased demand in requests for information
and educational programming from the rapidly growing meat goat industry. In 2006, Kentucky
State University joined our efforts. At the time, the meat goat industry was the fastest growing
livestock segment in the United States and that growth was reflected in the Indiana and
Kentucky region.
Two primary events drove the rapid rise in numbers of meat goats and operations with goats.
One was the importation of new genetics and breeds of meat goats into the United States.
Primarily it was the South African Boer Goat, but also the Kiko goat from New Zealand. These
breeds of goats are physically larger, have faster growth rates and more desirable carcass
conformation than the traditional dairy type goat or the indigenous Spanish goat. Secondly,
during this time period the increase in ethnic populations in the U.S. increased dramatically.
Many of these ethnic populations regularly include sheep and goat meat in their diets due to
cultural or faith based traditions.
The regionally cooperative meat goat programming efforts include extension, applied research
and student education. When possible, programs are conducted that also interest and apply to
sheep producers, which furthers the efficiency of program efforts.
Without question, the base of the program is the herd of meat goats maintained at SIPAC.
Without this herd, our efforts would be less effective and the scope of the programming would
be severely curtailed. This herd allows us to generate data we use in the extension programs
and allows us to hold workshops and other educational programs. One of the biggest benefits
is communication between the participants is enhanced, resulting in sharing of ideas and
programming efforts.
The herd started in 2005 with the purchase of 30 does made possible from a College of
Agriculture Mary S. Rice Farm grant. The 30 head was too small to do much in the way of
publishable research, but demonstration and pilot projects were conducted that allowed specific
topic fee based workshops to be held. In 2007 the herd was expanded to the present level of
100 does due to kid in spring of 2011. This expansion accelerated our ability to conduct applied
projects, which also dramatically increased our ability to work cooperatively on extension
programming.
Several factors have been instrumental in these endeavors. One is the support from the Office
of the Purdue Agricultural Centers. Another is the support and encouragement from our
respective department heads in these efforts. The support and work expended by the staff at
SIPAC has been invaluable and very much appreciated. Also, the availability of the competitive
Mary S. Rice Farm grant program has been crucial. Even though the available amounts are
relatively modest, they have allowed us to buy needed equipment to conduct projects. Some of
these projects wouldn’t have been able to be conducted without this funding. Without the
projects, the extension programming would be less, so there has been a cascading effect of
these grants, and the return of investment of these funds has been leveraged into a series of
programs.
Applied and Demonstration Research Activities
The first couple of years when the herd was small there were insufficient animal numbers to
conduct any research of scale. Demonstration projects were conducted and included:
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Developing a system of production based on maximum use of forages and grazing
systems. This includes kidding on pasture in May and following the forage cycle with
production.
Demonstration on using the latest technology in internal parasite control (biggest health
problem with grazing goats). This included demonstration of the FAMACHA system in a
controlled production environment. Integrated with this was the use of the information in
a series of parasite control workshops for producers and the creation of an extension
publication on internal parasite control.
Use of goats as a nonchemical method of control of unwanted vegetation.
Use of brassicas to extend the grazing season for goats.
Expansion of the herd allowed us to conduct projects on a wider scope and scale, increased
numbers of replications, and also allowed multiple projects in a year. This also allowed goats to
be available to other personnel to be used in research and extension programs. A synopsis of
activities are listed at the end of this document.
Extension Activities
A benefit to the cooperative demonstration and applied research programs is the coordinated
extension activities. As the research activity has increased, so has the extension programming.
Some of the extension activities that have been completed include:
Extension Workshops:
 Artificial insemination workshop for goat producers
 Several internal parasite and FAMACHA training clinics for sheep and goat producers
 Forage workshops for goat and sheep producers
 General management workshops for goat and sheep producers at SIPAC
 Presentation of research results at general SIPAC Field Days and for visitor groups
Website Development:
 Meat Goats @ SIPAC http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/caprine/ was developed to help
educate producers and disseminate information generated from the project.
Multi State Goat and Sheep Adobe Connect Webinar Meetings:
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In the fall of 2010 an Adobe Connect webinar series on sheep and goats was developed
and presented in 30 counties in Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan (one county). The
series consisted of three Tuesday nights for three consecutive weeks for 2 hours each
evening. There were eight individual topics presented over the course of the series.
From 20 counties in Indiana at least 212 people attended one of the seminars. This did
not include data from 3 Indiana counties and the counties from Kentucky. A
conservative estimate would be over 300 producers total attending at least one of the
sessions. Evaluations for the program were outstanding. The presentations were
recorded and are archived at http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/SP/MG/ for viewing.
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A series of 3 Adobe Connect Webinar Series will be conducted in March and April of
2011 in Indiana and Kentucky. The series is entitled “The Kentucky Goat College, Direct
Marketing of Lamb and Goat Meat”. It will be recorded and archived on the goat
website for later viewing.
There has been valuable buy in and cooperation from County Educators to conduct these
webinars. Mark Kepler from Fulton County, IN, has been especially crucial to these efforts.
They have allowed us to reach many producers we would otherwise be unable to reach, and to
do so efficiently.
Student Involvement
When at all possible we have included undergraduate student education in our efforts. Several
students have been involved in research projects, extension programming, authoring
publications and website creation.
Lynn Pezzanite (former student who is in Vet School at Cornell) was very involved in a number
of research and education efforts. She presented her research results at the Midwest Meetings
of the American Society of Animal Science in 2010. Lyn was also involved in the creation of
several peer reviewed extension publications on sheep and goats.
Amber Courter did her College of Agriculture Honors project investigating alternative methods of
parasite control in meat goats. She presented her results at the Southern Section meetings of
the American Society of Animal Science in 2011. Amber was also involved in the creation of the
first numbered, peer reviewed, extension video at Purdue on the topic of internal parasite
control in sheep and goats.
Angela Gaesser was involved in a research trial investigating the effect of finishing diet and end
point weight on performance and carcass composition of meat goat kids. Angela will be
presenting her results at the national meetings of the American Society of Animal Science in the
summer of 2011. Angela also helped develop the Meat Goats @ SIPAC website.
Other students have been involved in data collection and laboratory analysis from projects
conducted with the SIPAC meat goats.
Forestry Research & Demonstration Projects
Ron Rathfon, Extension Forester at SIPAC, Forestry & Natural Resources
Title:
Acorn disking to enhance establishment of new advance Oak reproduction
Location: SIPAC, Woods I, N, P
Title:
Late season high volume foliar herbicide application for control of Asian Bush
Honeysuckle
Location: SIPAC, Woods O, P, R, PFP16
Title:
Small-scale, skid steer-based brush cutting equipment for controlling invasive Asian
Bush Honeysuckle
Location: SIPAC, Field 15b (Pond Wildlife Planting)
Title:
Factors affecting efficacy and efficiency of cut surface treatments for grape vine
control in hardwood forest management.
Location: SIPAC, Woods PFP1, PFP8, PFP14
Title:
Red Oak regeneration associated with planting stock-type and harvest opening size
Location: SIPAC, Woods F, I, PFP1
Title:
Growth and yield of upland hardwoods
Location: SIPAC, All tracts
Title:
Integrating GPS, GIS mapping with stand level silvicultural prescription
Development in forest management
Location: SIPAC, All tracts
Title:
Controlled burning to recruit oak regeneration in maturing Pine plantations
Location: SIPAC, Woods Q
Title:
Landscape level non-native invasive species management demonstration
Location: SIPAC, All tracts and fields
Title:
Mid-story removal methods for release of newly established Oak seedlings under
Oak shelterwoods
Location: SIPAC, Woods I, N, P
Aquaculture Projects
Aquaculture Cage Culture Demonstration Project at Southern Indiana Purdue
Agricultural Center – 2007 to current
Principal Investigators
Robert Rode, Manager, Aquaculture Research Lab (ARL), Department of Forestry &
Natural Resources
Kwamena Quagrainie, Aquaculture Marketing Specialist, Department of Agricultural
Economics
Margie Zoglmann, CES County Educator, Perry County Office
Tom Springstun, CES County Educator, Floyd County Office
JJ Newman-Rode, NCRAC Aquaculture Extension Specialist, Department of Forestry &
Natural Resources
Objective
This is a research / demonstration project. The objective is to study the feasibility of growing fish
in cages on existing ponds in southern Indiana. Fish will be reared in cages on one of the
existing ponds at SIPAC. Potential benefits to Indiana farm families include, but are not limited
to, supplemental income from the enterprise, agricultural diversification, in-home consumption of
fish, and economic and biological data collection.
Duration
This is a multiyear project.
 In Year 1, cages and infrastructure will be established and the first crop of fish produced.
Data to be collected include; costs of production, man-hours required, fish growth and yield
rates, and potential impact on other agricultural enterprises sharing the resource. There will
be extension events associated with some of the activities, such as demonstration of
production techniques during the summer and demonstration of harvesting, marketing and
processing in the fall. Potential revenue from the sale of fish produced would help fund
continuing efforts.
 In Year 2, research would focus on different techniques and more in-depth extension
trainings in cage construction, production techniques, harvesting, processing, etc.
 In succeeding years, research needs and extension programming will be evaluated on a
yearly basis. Depending on interest, other aquaculture production systems may be
investigated.
Justification & Relevance
The major justification for this proposal is to study whether or not cage aquaculture is a viable
agricultural enterprise which will help diversify farming and lead to supplemental income from
another on-farm source. Many farms and homes in the SIPAC area already have existing ponds
built for a variety of uses. Cage aquaculture offers the potential advantage of income generation
with low initial cost and impact on pond utilization.
In addition, adoption of cage aquaculture in the surrounding area would increase the availability
of fresh fish. People are becoming more concerned with a healthy diet that includes items such
as fish which is low in calories, saturated fats and cholesterol. A local supply of farm-raised fish
provides the opportunity for the community as a whole to benefit through healthier eating.
Extension programming for this project will take the form of trainings and field days at SIPAC.
Training, as described in the duration section, would be day long affairs with instruction and
hands-on field work. Since cage culture will be a supplemental enterprise in most cases, it
makes sense to make information available (at Field Days) to farmers who are regular SIPAC
clientele looking for new enterprises for their farms.
Management of a Eutrophic Pond for Aquaculture Production – 2007 to current
Principal Investigators
Robert Rode, Manager, Aquaculture Research Lab, Dept of Forestry & Natural
Resources
Jason Tower, Superintendent, SIPAC
Kwamena Quagrainie, Aquaculture Marketing Specialist, Department of Agricultural
Economics
Background
In 2007, funding via a Mary S. Rice Farm grant was secured to establish a fish cage culture
project at the Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural Center (SIPAC). Over the past three years,
the project has produced fish for sale, been part of the SIPAC field days, hosted aquaculture
training, and served as a demonstration project for persons interested in starting an aquaculture
operation. Unfortunately, not everything associated with the project has been positive. In the
late summer/ early fall of both 2008 and 2009, major mortalities of market-size fish occurred
during periods of adverse weather conditions such as storms and high winds. Marketing fish
locally has been a challenge.
Objectives
Many of the objectives of the original proposal are still in place. Potential benefits to Indiana
farm families raising fish include, but are not limited to, supplemental income from the
enterprise, agricultural diversification, in-home consumption of fish, and economic and biological
data collection. The cage culture project has been successful in showing individuals that you
can grow fish successfully in cages in existing farm ponds in Southern Indiana. What is new to
this proposal is:
1. Educating fish farmers in southern Indiana on reducing risk in aquaculture operations that
use older, eutrophic ponds as the rearing site.
2. Continued investigation of potential markets for fresh fish in the southern Indiana area and
3. Providing outreach and technical assistance on fish production and management with a
focus on reducing risk.
Ponds vary highly in terms of nutrient loading. Nutrients load or build-up in ponds several ways.
There is direct loading where nutrients enter pond in the form of fish feed or fertilizers to
increase pond productions. Nutrients may also be loaded indirectly from the surrounding
landscape via animal manures, land applied fertilizers, vegetative runoff. Depending on the
flushing action of rainwater runoff through the pond, nutrients may build up over time. This
nutrient loading is called eutrophication. In eutrophic conditions, the threat of a “turn-over” event
and catastrophic fish losses rises with the nutrient loading. When a pond “turns over”, oxygendepleted water from the bottom is pushed to the surface as the oxygen-rich surface water is
driven to the bottom by the winds. This lack of oxygen in the “new” surface water leads to major
fish losses. Unfortunately, the pond we are using for our demonstration project at SIPAC suffers
from these conditions. The pond has been used for cage culture operations for three years,
with cattle rotations on the surrounding watershed of a pond built in the 1950’s.
Rather than “give up” any thought of raising fish under potentially risky weather conditions, this
provides an opportunity to educate the public on the need for de-stratification strategies which
short circuit pond turn-over conditions. As stated, turnover occurs when the top and bottom
layers of water in a pond flip over. By blowing air into the bottom of the pond continuously over
the summer, bottom water rises up and mixes with the top layers creating more uniform oxygen
and temperature conditions, thereby short circuiting turn-over and hence reducing the risk of
catastrophe. The mechanism for de-stratifying is blowing air from a rocking piston compressor
through a hose to a set of air-stone manifolds on the bottom of the pond. Unfortunately, this
type of equipment is expensive and not within the revolving budget (fish sales money)
established by the initial Mary Rice grant.
We would like to obtain the complete de-stratification package from a 2010 Mary Rice grant.
This would include the compressors, hoses and air manifolds necessary to de-stratify a 5 acre
pond. As part of this project, Robert Rode will be renewing the PACUC protocol for this project
which would cover the project for the next three years. Without said improvements, it is unlikely
that PACUC will renew this project due to fish losses the past two years. Based on the results
to date (both production and educational) this project should continue for at least 2 more years
to show the potential of de-stratification as well as the original objectives.
As stated, we have been able to demonstrate that fish can be grown successfully in farm ponds
in southern Indiana using cage culture. Unfortunately we have not had the best success in
marketing this product live to the consumer in this same region. We have tried to market fish
“on-farm” at SIPAC with little success and in Jasper off of a fish hauling trailer at the farmer’s
market with some success. There appears to be some promise in targeting the local ethnic
markets through farmers markets and potential direct sales to restaurants, etc. In 2008, a study
of live fish demand at ethnic markets in Indiana, which included Bloomington and Evansville
showed some promise. That study was funded by the Indiana Soybean Alliance. Jason Tower
would like to continue investigating these markets but the logistics of borrowing the one large
Purdue fish hauler from West Lafayette does not give much flexibility. Therefore, we would like
to use this Mary Rice grant to also purchase a small pickup size fish hauling tank to be housed
at SIPAC for running up to one hundred pounds of fish to market. Not only does this give
greater flexibility but also is more appropriately sized for the work to be done.
We are also doing marking work of live fish at Farmers Markets and direct sales to consumers.
We even had one local restaurant buy our entire rainbow trout crop one spring to offer as a
special at the grand opening.
Agronomic Studies
Water Movement Through and Over the Soil Profile at SIPAC
Dr. Phillip Owens, Agronomy Department, Purdue University
Overview
This project was initiated in 2006 as part of a partnership with USDA-NRCS Soil Survey. This
project has now grown to a regional project where Illinois and Kentucky have replicated the site
with slightly different soils. The sites will be used to develop soil interpretations for land use for
over 1 million acres.
Specific projects
1. Assess soil hydraulic conductivity for soils with different lords thicknesses and land use.
2. Characterize watershed scale hydraulic conductivity and methods to measure soil
hydraulic conductivity across scales.
3. Determine soil carbon storage related to soils and land use.
4. Develop methods for digital soil mapping to extrapolate point data.
5. Evaluation of fragipan development and the influence on plant available water.
Student Involvement
 One PhD student who graduated that used these sites for research
 Four Master of Science students using the site as well as an additional PhD student.
Also…
 These sites are used to train USDA soil scientists.
 12 abstracts have been published and 2 journal articles are submitted at this time.