AGRON 550 Final Exam Spring 2026

1. Which is the least common inflorescence in grasses

Raceme

2. Cool season grass that grows best on wet soils

Reed Canary Grass

3. What is the optimum temp for growing cool season forages

65-75 F

4. What are the two most common cool season grasses in Kansas

5. What forage species is good for fall saved pasture

Tall Fescue

6. What is a basic unit of grass inflorescence called

Spikelet

7. What is the optimum temp for growing warm season forages

85-95 F

8. What are the enzymes involved in C3 and C4 forages photosynthesis risk factors

Rubisco and PEP carboxylase

9. What enzyme is used for nitrogen fixation

Nitrogenase

10. Three examples of warm season perennial grasses (except...)

Switchgrass, big bluestem, little bluestem, bermudagrass, buffalograss, indiangrass, Eastern gamagrass, blue grama, sideoats grama

11. Three types of inflorescence in legumes (except...)

Raceme, Head, Umbel

12. Which of the following are factors effects a perfect seedbed except...

Firmness, Fineness, Weed-free

13. Examples of forage brassicas (except...)

Turnips, Forage rape, Kale, Radishes

14. Where do the C3 forage species have chloroplasts

Mesophyll cells

15. Examples of biannual weeds (except...)

Wild carrot, Common mullein, Musk thistle.

16. The following are the most common insects in alfalfa (except...)

Weevil, Leafhopper, Blister beetle, Caterpillar.

17. What is the name of the chemical that comes from blister beetles (spelling)

Cantharidin

18. What nutrient deficiency shows some pale yellow on the younger leaves

Sulfur

19. What insect causes damage that looks like a V shaped chlorosis on the leaves

Potato leafhopper.

20. What kind of nonstructural carbs do cool season grass store

Fructans

21. What kind of nonstructural carb do legumes store

Starch

22. This insect damage looks similar to boron def but has chlorosis

Potato leafhopper

23. The following are the four 4R is nutrient management except...

Right source, right time, right amount, right place STAP

24. What are the energy forms produced in the light reaction in C3 plants

ATP and NADPH

25. Where do the C4 forage species have chloroplasts

Mesophyll cells and bundle sheath cells

26. What does RFV and RFQ stand for respectfully

Relative Feed Value and Relative Forage Quality

27. What organic acid is more common when silage is too wet

Acetic acid

28. What is the most important organic acid in silage fermentation

Lactic Acid

29. What's the optimum moisture content for corn silage

65%

30. What's the optimum chopping length for corn silage

3/8 to 1/2 inch

31. When should corn be harvested for silage in terms of milk line

1/2 to 3/4 down the kernel

32. What three toxic gases are produced in the silage making process (except...)

Nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and dinitrogen tetroxide.

33. What does NIRS stand for

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

34. This system allows juveniles to select the highest quality forage on pasture and access to mother

Creep Grazing

35. What grazing system uses very high stocking density in a short time period

36. This grazing is very common in snow covered pasture in winter

Swath/Windrow Grazing

37. List four stages of silage fermentation process in order

aerobic fermentation, anaerobic fermentation, storage, and feed-out

38. DMI is calculated using this measurement

Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF)

39. The Invitro method and the in suti method are used to measure what

Digestibility

40. What's the factor that effects forage quality the most

Stage of maturity

41. NDF is inversely correlated to what

Feed Intake

42. What forage species is best well known for deferred grazing system (stockpiling)

Tall Fescue

43. Vinegar smell in silage is an indication of too much of this organic acid

acetic acid

44. What's the process of converting inorganic nitrogen to organic nitrogen called

Immobilization.

45. Cool season grass that has a flat stem

Orchardgrass

46. Grass that is used the most as a bioenergy crop in the United States

Switchgrass

47. Grass for excellent first hay in Kansas

Smooth Brome

48. Grass that is the most drought tolerant on the Great Plains

Blue Grama

49. Which of the following is of importance of forages in the United States (1st exam)

Livestock feed, wildlife habitat, bioenergy, and erosion control

50. What's the optimum harvesting time for forage sorghum

Late milk to early soft dough

51. What trait in corn and sorghum can have lower lignin and high digestibility

Brown Mid-Rib (BMR).

52. Three examples of winter annuals except...

Wheat, Rye, Triticale, radish, brassicas

53. The following are the factors affecting nitrogen fixation (except...)

Moisture, temperature, oxygen supply, and fertility in the soil

54. The following are examples of micro nutrients (except...)

Fe, Cl, Zn, B, Mn, Mo, Cu, and Ni.

55. Cellulose 15% Hemicellulose 25% lignin 10% calculate NDF and ADF

NDF - 50%

ADF - 25%

56. Under grazing decreases insect and plant disease problems but increases tillering T/F

False

57. ADF is inversely correlated to what

Digestibility

58. What's the optimum stage of maturity for making tall fescue hay

Late boot stage

59. What kind of non structural carb do warm season grasses store

Starch

60. DDM is calculated using this measurement

Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF)

61. An increase in ADF and NDF does what to intake, energy and nutrients, and feeding valve

They decrease

62. The following are plant attributes that affect grazing animal palatability (except...)

Plant parts, Smell, touch, taste, Succulence, Avoid Hairiness, Nutrient content

63. The crushing stems to allow moisture to evaporate more quickly is called what

conditioning

64. When silage material is too dry starch and fiber digestibility is low T/F

True

65. Calculate one animal unit month based for 1000 lbs body weight 2.6% body weight 30 days

780 lbs

66. Meristems are located in the following areas in range plants (except...)

Leaf Axils and stem ends

67. Calculate number of cow calf pairs that could be grazed on 100 acres for 6 months. .8 AUM per acre. 1.3 Animal unit per pair

10 pairs

68. Calculate stocking rate pair from info. 2500 lbs per acre useable forage. Harvest index 25%. 160 acres. 180 days. Feed intake 2.6% of body weight. 1500 lbs per pair

14 pairs

69. What does BMR stand for

Brown Mid-Rib

70. What's the nutrient that effects the most on alfalfa for winter survival

Potassium

71. What's the most limiting nutrient in grasses

Nitrogen

72. This nutrient def shows chlorosis on the high soil pH

Iron

73. This nutrient def shoes dark purple color on the leaves

Phosphorus.