Agricultural literacy programs —now underway in a few California schools — are designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of how our agricultural system works, including its relationship to natural resources and the environment. In statewide surveys, public school administrators and CE county directors agreed such programs should be incorporated into science or social studies classes during late elementary and middle grades. District administrators identified the most important topics to be toxics in the environment, toxics in the food supply, and water quality and policy. Groups surveyed expressed differing opinions, however, about the plant Of teaching the topic in schools.

Agricultural literacy programs —now underway in a few California schols — are designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of how our agricultural system works, including its relationship to natural resources and the environment. In statewide surveys, public schol administrators and CE county directors agred such programs should be incorporated into science or social studies clases during late elementary and midle grades. District administrators identified the most important topics to be toxics in the environment, toxics in the fod suply, and water quality and policy. Groups surveyed expresed difering opinions, however, about the plant Of teaching the topic in schols.

A study was undertaken to investigate the effects of surgical procedures on food and water intake and spontaneous locomotor activity in laboratory rats. The influence of anaesthesia with halothane and administration of the opioid analgesic nalbuphine was investigated in normal rats and in animals which underwent either unilateral nephrectomy or jugular vein cannulation. Both nephrectomy and jugular cannulation were associated with a significant reduction in food and water consumption and a depression in locomotor activity levels. The reduction in activity following nephrectomy was reversed by administration of 6 doses of nalbuphine at 4 hourly intervals. Administration of nalbuphine at the same dose rate following halothane anaesthesia in normal rats resulted in a stimulation of activity. The prevention of the depressant effects of surgery by this opioid appears to be due to its stimulatory effect rather than a specific analgesic action. The degree of depression of food and water consumption after nephrectomy was significantly reduced following 6 doses of nalbuphine. This beneficial effect of repeated administration of an opioid may be related to the compound's analgesic action.

Eight multicannulated heifers (average BW 415 +/- 34 kg) were used in a replicated 4 X 4 Latin square to evaluate fluid milk processing wash water solids (WWS) as a dietary N source. Heifers were fed corn/cottonseed hull-based diets containing soybean meal (control, 0% WWS N) or WWS replacing soybean meal at 33, 67, or 100% of supplemental dietary N. Total tract and ruminal DM and OM digestibilities decreased linearly or cubically (P < .05) as dietary WWS N increased. Total ruminal VFA concentration (P < .05) and propionic acid molar proportion (P < .10) were greater in heifers fed 0 vs 100% WWS N. Heifers fed 0% WWS N had the greatest (P < .05) ruminal ammonia concentration at all sampling times. Dietary WWS did not affect (P > .10) ruminal pH, fluid dilution rate, fluid flow, fluid volume, or turnover time. Total tract N digestibility decreased quadratically (P < .10) with increasing WWS N in the diet. Supplemental WWS N did not affect (P > .10) flow of duodenal ammonia N or bacterial N, or efficiency of microbial N synthesis. Diets containing WWS N resulted in a cubic increase (P < .10) in duodenal flow of essential amino acids compared with 0% WWS N; however, there were no differences in small intestinal amino acid disappearance. Data indicate that WWS can replace 33% of the soybean meal N in a corn/cottonseed hull-based diet without decreasing ruminal fermentation, fluid digesta kinetics, microbial efficiency, or small intestinal amino acid utilization.