Publications

Chickens of all types use vocalizations to communicate with each other and express their needs. We can gain insight into chicken health, behavior, and overall welfare by understanding how and why chickens vocalize. Authors: Zoie McMillian and Shawna Weimer; Title: Relationships Between Chicken Vocalizations and Health, Behavior, and Welfare (FS-1177)

Blue Catfish has a slate blue body with smooth skin, a silverwhite belly and four pairs of black, whisker-like barbels around its mouth. Its smooth skin lacks scales. Adults usually grow to be less than two feet long but can be up to five feet and weigh more than 100 pounds.

Non-native Phragmites australis can negatively impact wetlands by altering hydrology, displacing plants and animals, and increasing fire potential. Researchers are trying to understand if eradicating Phragmites without replanting the marsh with native plants can result in negative impacts to the marsh. Authors: Eric Buehl, Andrew Baldwin, Sylvia Jacobson, Karin Kettenring, Melissa McCormick, Dennis Whigham; Title: What Happens after Phragmites is Killed? (EBR-59)

During 2020, the COVID 19 Pandemic forced University of Maryland Extension (UME) into teleworking. Although UME offices were closed, programming continued. To support staff and faculty in programming for the general public, a rapid response group was assembled to address distance learning and teaching needs. Faculty and staff insights of the experience are shared which could have implications on future Extension programming approaches. Authors: Jeff Howard, Amy Rhodes, and Chenzi Wang; Title: Continuing Extension Programming During a Pandemic: University of Maryland Extension Adapts to Dynamic Learning (EBR-58)

A 4-H virtual activity club (VAC) meets over the internet to provide a focused learning experience on a single topic for a short period of time. During the COVID-19 pandemic that started in March 2020, 4-H programming was forced to adapt quickly to a virtual environment. Activity clubs are one of Maryland 4-H’s established delivery modes. Offering them online was a natural fit for filling the void created by cancelled 4-H club meetings, summer camps, and other out-of-school-time activities due to the pandemic. Author: Jessica Mellon; Incorporating the Essential Elements of 4-H into Online Environments through Virtual Activity Clubs (FS-1173)

This publication is created to provide tips and suggestions on ways you can use the Zoom platform to implement successful online community education programs. It takes readers through visual illustrations of pre-meeting, during-meeting, and post-meeting features that can be used to seamlessly educate your clientele, collect feedbacks and extend outreach by broadcasting your programs on social media. Authors: Dhruti Patel and Mona Habibi; Title: Visual Guide for Using Zoom for Community Education Program (EM-9)

This seven-page fact sheet, describing homeowner landscape management best practices, is a checklist used by Maryland Master Gardeners to certify small urban gardens as “Bay-Wise” conservation landscapes.

The fecal egg count reduction test is a tool that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a dewormer. This tool should be incorporated into the parasite management program on the farm to monitor the development of dewormer resistance. Authors: Sarah Potts, Ph.D., Amanda Grev, Ph.D., Susan Schoenian, and Jeff Semler; Title: Gastrointestinal Parasite Control in Cattle: The Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FS-1175)

Despite reports of phosphorus (P) deficiencies in corn grown on soils with high P concentrations in Maryland, the scientific literature does not consistently demonstrate a yield increase with the use of starter P fertilizer. In this study, we evaluated corn yields with and without starter P application on soils across a wide range of soil P concentrations in Maryland to determine if our local conditions are consistent with the literature.

Deep row entrenchment (DRE) is a biosolids beneficial reuse system suited to strip mine reclamation using biosolids and hybrid poplar trees. This publication provides best management practices resulting from years of research by the University of Maryland on a private gravel spoil site in southern Maryland. Application of the technique to coal mine spoils is discussed with examples of commercial applications.