The use of alternative waste products as organic soil amendments has become increasingly important for researchers and the industrial sector, as they promote environmental protection and sustainable development. The objective of this study was to assess phytotoxicity of different pulp industry sludge rates applied to two soils as soil amendment, based on their effects on seed germination and radicle elongation of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and common wheat (Triticum aestivum). The pulp industry sludge rates applied were 1.31, 1.57, 2.61, 3.27, 3.92, and 5.23 Mg ha^-1, based on soil liming requirements. Absorbent paper and soil without sludge application were used as control treatments. The bioassay was conducted by sowing 20 seeds in 15 g of soil, which were maintained in a germination chamber at 25 °C for 7 days (T. aestivum) and 14 days (F. arundinacea) with a 12-hour photoperiod. Relative germination percentage, relative root growth, germination index, normalized residual germination, and normalized residual root elongation were evaluated. The results highlight the potential of using pulp industry sludge as an organic soil amendment, as it showed significant improvements in germination and root elongation for F. arundinacea. Although phytotoxicity was observed in T. aestivum seeds at lower sludge rates, the toxic effect decreased at higher rates, indicating that the use of pulp industry sludge is promising for agricultural and environmental applications.

Our objective was to compare performance and carcass characteristics of backgrounding steers grazing poor quality pasture, receiving energy or protein supplements during summer, and on subsequent finishing period. Sixty Hereford steers (14 months; 348±33 kg body weight [BW]) were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to one of three treatments (n = 20 per treatment): control (non-supplemented) and supplemented at 0.8% BW with whole grain of corn (CS) or lupin bean (LS) (phase I; 77 days). Over the following [...] ABSTRACT Our objective was to compare performance and carcass characteristics of backgrounding steers grazing poor quality pasture, receiving energy or protein supplements during summer, and on subsequent finishing period. Sixty Hereford steers (14 months; 348±33 kg body weight [BW]) were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to one of three treatments (n = 20 per treatment): control (non-supplemented) and supplemented at 0.8% BW with whole grain of corn (CS) or lupin bean (LS) (phase I; 77 days). Over the following

The intensification of rice–livestock systems has encouraged the integration of forage species into rice cultivation. However, the use of imidazolinone-tolerant rice cultivars (imazapyr + imazapic, IMIs), essential for weedy rice control, may hinder the establishment of sensitive forages due to herbicide residues. This study evaluated the emergence and early growth of six forage species through bioassays in soils with different IMI use histories. Over three years (2021–2023), soils were collected from three rice-growing regions in Uruguay with contrasting soil properties, at depths of 0–15 and 16–30 cm, under three IMI conditions: Control (no prior use), IMI-1 (applied one season before sampling), and IMI-2 (applied in the season before sampling). Emergence, plant height, and shoot and root biomass were analyzed using linear mixed models and principal component analysis. Shoot biomass was reduced by up to 60% in IMI-2 soils. Poaceae species and T. pratense were the most affected, while T. repens and L. corniculatus exhibited higher tolerance. Multivariate analysis indicated stronger residual effects on sandy loam soils. These findings highlight that imidazolinone persistence varies with forage species and soil properties, underscoring the need for careful planning in rice–pasture rotations to prevent adverse effects on forage establishment and system sustainability.