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Tangent, Oregon
June 4, 2001
Ampac Seed
Company, Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and
Development Center, USDA-ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Research Unit,
and Penn State University have agreed to collaborate together on a project
entitled "Pasture Species Mixtures For Sustainable Forage Production Under Grazing".
Utilizing a sheep grazing operation and two beef grazing sites, scientists
and evaluators will be able to see how different species interact with
each other when planted together as compared to single-species plantings.
The objective of the study is threefold:
- To determine whether species-rich (high biodiversity) mixtures have
better production than species-poor (low-biodiversity) mixtures in the
first two years from establishment.
- To apply this information to the seed industry for commercial seed
mixtures recommendations.
- To apply this information to farmers for new pasture seedings
recommendations.
Dr. David Barker of The Ohio State University will have overall project
responsibility, but will be working in conjunction with OSU Extension, Penn
State, and USDA-ARS scientists to complete the project. The project was
recently awarded a grant from the Paul C. and Edna H. Warner Endowment Fund
for multidisciplinary research in sustainable agriculture based on a
producer's farm. Awards are usually for 1 year, however this project has
possibility of being granted an extension to 2 years, subject to adequate
progress and reporting.
"We are just thrilled at the level of cooperation for this project!" says
Jonathan Rupert, National Sales and Marketing Manager for Ampac Seed
Company. "These are win-win projects. As a company, we will be able to
improve our Pasture Perfect(R) mixtures, while our university, USDA-ARS,
and extension partners will be able to improve their recommendation abilities.
Farmers doubly win with better advice and better products. Furthermore,
these are not laboratory or greenhouse trials. Nor are they subject to
private study bias. These are on-site field trials conducted and evaluated
under proven scientific, yet realistic study: Sheep on grass, cows on
grass - this is what I call APPLIED SCIENCE!"
As part of Ampac's commitment to only offering the best available products
in their popular Pasture Perfect(R) premium forage seed program, they have
set a standard that at least 70% of each Pasture Perfect(R) formulation
must have been independently tested and proven to be better than common or
public varieties. For further details on Ampac's Pasture Perfect(R) program visit
www.pastureperfect.com
or contact them at 877-778-7880.
Company news release
N3559 |
