Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may play an important role in ecological succession, but few studies have documented the effectiveness of mycorrhizal inoculation at restoration/reclamation sites. At a roadside prairie restoration in Shakopee, Minnesota, we compared AMF root colonization and resulting vegetative cover among four inoculation treatments. After 15 mo of growth, we found that AMF colonization was high in all treatments but was significantly higher in treatments that received AMF inoculum propagated from a local prairie site or commercially available inoculum than the uninoculated control. For the prairie inoculum, this increase in colonization occurred whether the inoculum was applied with seeds in furrows or broadcast with seeds on the soil surface. However, increased colonization did not discernibly affect the restored vegetation; neither total vegetative cover nor the proportion “desired” prairie vegetation differed among inoculation treatments. By the end of the third growing season (27 mo after planting) there were no longer differences in AMF colonization among the inoculation treatments nor were there differences in vegetative cover. It is likely that natural recolonization of the plots by remnant AMF populations at the site limited the duration of the inoculation effect. This natural recolonization, in combination with relatively high soil phosphorus levels, likely rendered inoculation unnecessary. In contrast to previous published studies of AMF inoculation in landscape restorations, this study shows that AMF inoculation may not be warranted under some circumstances.

This study compared water-heated mats (WM) and electric-heated mats (EM) with heat lamps (HL) as supplemental heat sources for suckling piglets. Forty-two litters were studied in 3 trials. In all trials, behavior of piglets was video-recorded on day 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 postpartum. Videos were scan-sampled to register postures (lying and standing) and locations (on or away from mat) to assess piglet use of heat sources. Litter size and weight at birth and weaning, and pre-weaning mortality were recorded. Data were analyzed using Glimmix Procedures of SAS. Piglets spent more time on WM than under HL (67.5% vs. 51.0%, p = 0.002). No difference in piglet performance between WM and HL was observed, except mortality tended to be higher in WM (22.9% vs. 8.9%; p = 0.06). Piglet performance and use of the heat source were comparable for HL and EM. When comparing WM with EM, piglets provided WM spent more time on the mat compared to those provided EM (21.8% vs. 17.1%; p = 0.02). No difference in pre-weaning mortality, litter weight, and individual daily gain was observed between WM and EM group. These results suggest EM and HL were comparable to maintain performance and postural behaviors of piglets.