A well-run, profitable business is usually more efficient than its competitors. In the case of the beef cattle industry, competition can come from two sources: other producers who sell similar classes of cattle, and other protein-producing species, such as pork and poultry. Measuring efficiency across the entire integrated beef system can be difficult due to the differing classes of cattle, breed differences, and ways in which the biological systems interact. There are a multitude of measures of efficiency in beef production, with feed efficiency being one of the most economic. This 3-page fact sheet is a major revision that covers feed to gain ratio and residual feed intake in beef cattle. Written by Travis D. Maddock, Darren D. Henry, and G. Cliff Lamb, and published by the UF Department of Animal Sciences. Original publication date: May 2009. Revised October 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an217
Author: Amanda Quintos
What Else Can Surface Water Buffer Systems Do?: Exploring Multiple Ecosystem Services
As society confronts the consequences of global warming, deteriorating water quality, and impoverished biodiversity, there is a growing urgency to develop and expand water buffers' multifunctional ecosystem services. However, limited information is available on other potential co-benefits associated with the use of buffers, particularly VFSs. This 5-page fact sheet provides information on buffers' multiple ecosystem benefits, such as niche products production, carbon sequestration, and flood risk mitigation, as well as recommendations on future research needs necessary to enhance multiple ecosystem services and benefits of buffers. Written by Lei Wu, Rafael Muñoz-Carpena, and Yuncong Li, and published by the UF Department of Soil and Water Science, November 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss647
Vegetative Filter Strips: A Best Management Practice for Controlling Nonpoint Source Pollution
Increasing numbers of pollutants have been observed in natural water systems. As awareness of agricultural sources of water pollution has grown, Best Management Practices (BMPs) have been specifically designed to address agricultural water pollutants and protect water quality. This 4-page fact sheet introduces one of the BMPs, Vegetative Filter Strips (VFSs), which efficiently control nonpoint pollution such as sediments, nutrients, and pesticides. The publication covers primary functions, key design factors, and maintenance of VFSs. Written by Lei Wu, Rafael Muñoz-Carpena, and Yuncong Li, and published by the UF Department of Soil and Water Science, October 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss646
Risk Management for 4-H Youth Development Work: Large Animals: Livestock
Most people involved in youth livestock exhibition are familiar with the physical risks of handling and transporting livestock, but public spectators generally need more instruction and supervision to ensure their safety and health. The Risk Management for 4-H Youth Development Work series aims to provide UF/IFAS Extension county faculty, staff, volunteers, and youth with the knowledge they need to implement best practices in risk management strategies. This 8-page fact sheet covers risks in the following categories: injuries to people, injuries to animals, property damage, biosecurity (diseases transmitted to humans and between animals), and general precautions. Written by Chad Carr, Saundra TenBroeck, Wendy DeVito, Chris Strong, Dale Pracht, and Georgene Bender, and published by the UF Department of Animal Sciences, November 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an321
Long Bean: An Asian Vegetable Emerging in Florida
Food diversity, nutritional food supply, and profitability are the priorities of agricultural and horticultural industries. To diversify vegetable products and increase the Florida vegetable industry's competitiveness, a number of new vegetable crops are rapidly emerging in the state. Due to Florida's favorable climate, these vegetable crops grow well and have high market potential. The objective of this 6-page fact sheet is to provide a general overview of long bean, one of the Asian vegetable crops grown in Florida. Written by Kshitij Khatri, Guodong Liu, Qingren Wang, Yuncong Li, David Dinkins, and Bonnie Wells, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, October 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1268
Vida Saludable: Sitios web confiables
The number of resources available online grows every day. Unfortunately, there are no regulations to ensure that the information on these websites is accurate. Older adults can readily access reliable information on the Internet by focusing on government and education sites. This 3-page fact sheet is a major revision of the Spanish version of FCS-8587, Healthy Living: Reliable Websites. It provides a list of trustworthy Internet sources related to nutrition, health, food safety, and general interest for older adults. Written by Linda B. Bobroff and Leigh Ann Martin, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, revised November 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy103
Healthy Eating: Drink to Your Health
Shakes and smoothies are a great and delicious way to incorporate more fruits and nutrients into your diet. This 2-page fact sheet is a major revision which provides a variety of refreshing and exciting smoothie and shake recipes as well as preparation tips. Written by Jennifer Hillan, Emily Minton, and Linda B. Bobroff, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences. Original publication date: March 2004. Revised March 2012 and September 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy696
Sous Vide Cookery: Foodservice Application for Larger, Less Tender Cuts
Meat with an abundance of connective tissue presents a certain challenge to cooks who want to make it more tender while still properly eliminating pathogens that cause foodborne illness. Sous vide cookery provides precise temperature control and tenderness improvement with minimal supervision throughout cooking as well as consistent, almost perfect reproducibility. This 4-page fact sheet introduces the reader to the sous vide method and covers its advantages and necessary equipment. The piece also offers tips on cooking, chilling, storing, and reheating large cuts of meat. Written by Chad Carr, Derek Griffing, Kaylie Madore, Dwain Johnson, Jason Scheffler, and João Neto, and published by the UF Department of Animal Sciences, September 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an320
Avian Diseases Transmissible to Humans
Anyone who keeps birds, whether as pets or as production animals, should be aware that certain avian diseases can be transmitted to humans. The seriousness of the disease in humans varies with human hosts’ age, overall health, and immune status as well as virulence of the organism, infective dose, and route of infection. This 4-page fact sheet is a major revision which discusses causes and symptoms of avian influenza (bird flu), chlamydiosis, salmonellosis, colibacillosis, encephalitis viruses, avian tuberculosis, Newcastle Disease, and cryptosporidiosis. Written by Michael A. Davis, Gary D. Butcher, and F. Ben Mather, and published by the UF Department of Animal Sciences, revised August 2015. Original publication date: August 1997.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps019
Small Flock Poultry Nutrition
Inadequate poultry nutrition results in substandard growth rates as well as decreased egg production and weight. In order to express the genetic potential for which they were selected, meat- and egg-type birds must receive the correct amounts of nutrients and energy through properly formulated rations. This 4-page fact sheet examines the roles of water, carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, lipids (fats and oils), vitamins, minerals, and feed additives in poultry growth and development. It also emphasizes the importance of providing suitable feeds to birds of different ages and discusses common feeding mistakes. Written by Michael A. Davis, published by the UF Department of Animal Sciences, and reviewed and revised August 2015. This fact sheet is a major revision of “Small Poultry Flock Nutrition,” written by B. L. Damron and D. R. Sloan, April 1998.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps033
Understanding Nitrogen Transformations and Cycling for Sweet Corn Production in Sandy Soils
Because sandy soils have low water and nutrient-holding capacities and Florida experiences high rainfall periodically, optimizing fertilizer use efficiency for sweet corn production is challenging. The preparation of nitrogen budgets and the implementation of effective management strategies can help farmers overcome these obstacles. This 4-page fact sheet discusses major concerns which call for nitrogen management in sweet corn production, nitrogen budget preparation and interpretation, and important differences between farm-gate and soil system budgets. Written by Rishi Prasad and George Hochmuth, and published by the UF Department of Soil and Water Science, May 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss643
Creeping Indigo, A Poisonous Plant of Concern in Florida Pastures
A recent rise in suspected horse poisonings has brought new attention to creeping indigo (Indigofera spicata), a toxic plant which has reportedly been in Florida for as long as 90 years. This new 5-page fact sheet covers plant description, signs of creeping indigo toxicity, and roles of creeping indigo’s toxins, as well as treatment and management. Written by Robert MacKay, Ed Jennings, Brent Sellers, Jason Ferrell, and Amanda House, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, August 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag399
Consejos para pleanear contra desastres para gente mayor
FY1462 is the Spanish language version of FY620, Disaster Planning Tips for Older Adults. This 4-page publication offers an abundance of information pertaining to water storage and use, food, first aid, important papers, electronics, medical needs, stress reduction, and evacuation which can help older adults plan for natural disasters and other emergencies. Written by Carolyn Wilken, Linda B. Bobroff, and Emily Minton, and published by the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, May 2003.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1462