Numbered Publications: Plant and Soil Sciences
PR-769: 2019 Alfalfa Grazing Tolerance Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 4, 2019 (New)
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is the highest-yielding, highest-quality forage legume grown in Kentucky. It forms the basis of Kentucky's cash hay enterprise and is an important component in dairy, horse, beef, and sheep diets. Recent emphasis on its use as a grazing crop and the release of grazing-tolerant varieties have raised the following question: Do varieties differ in tolerance to grazing? We have chosen to use the standard tolerance test recommended by the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference. This test uses continuous heavy grazing to sort out differences in grazing tolerance in a relatively short period of time. This report summarizes research on the grazing tolerance of alfalfa varieties when subjected to continuous heavy grazing pressure during the grazing season.
PR-770: 2019 Red and White Clover Grazing Tolerance Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 4, 2019 (New)
Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is a high-quality, short-lived perennial legume that is used in mixed or pure stands for pasture, hay, silage, soil improvement, and wildlife habitat. This species is adapted to a wide range of climatic and soil conditions. White clover (Trifolium repens L.) is a low-growing, perennial pasture legume with white flowers. It differs from red clover in that the stems (stolons) grow along the surface of the soil and can form adventitious roots that may lead to the development of new plants.
PR-775: 2019 Kentucky Soybean Performance Tests
Joshua Duckworth, Claire Venard | Nov. 27, 2019 (New)
The Kentucky Soybean Variety Performance Tests are conducted to provide an unbiased and objective estimate of the relative performance of soybean varieties commercially available in Kentucky. This information may be used by growers and seed producers to aid in selecting varieties that will give the highest total production in a specific situation. Soybean cultivars in the 2019 tests were entered by soybean growers, commercial companies, state and federal institutions.
PR-765: 2019 Orchardgrass Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Nov. 27, 2019 (New)
Orchardgrass (Dactylus glomerata) is a high-quality, productive, cool-season grass that is well-adapted to Kentucky conditions. This grass is used for pasture, hay, green chop, and silage, but it requires better management than tall fescue for greater yields, higher quality, and longer stand life. It produces an open, bunch-type sod, making it compatible with alfalfa or red clover as a pasture and hay crop or as habitat for wildlife. This report provides current yield data on orchardgrass varieties included in yield trials in Kentucky as well as guidelines for selecting orchardgrass varieties.
PR-768: 2019 Annual and Perennial Ryegrass and Festulolium Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Nov. 27, 2019 (New)
Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) are high-quality, productive, cool-season grasses used in Kentucky. Both have exceptionally high seedling vigor and are highly palatable to livestock. Perennial ryegrass can be used as a short-lived hay or pasture plant and has growth characteristics similar to tall fescue. Festuloliums are hybrids between various fescues and ryegrasses with higher quality than tall fescue and improved stand survival over perennial ryegrass.
PR-763: 2019 Alfalfa Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Nov. 26, 2019 (New)
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) has historically been the highest-yielding, highest-quality forage legume grown in Kentucky. It is an important part of Kentucky's cash hay enterprise and is an important component in dairy, horse, beef, and sheep diets. Choosing a good variety is a key step in establishing a stand of alfalfa. The choice of variety can impact yield, thickness of stand, and persistence. This report provides yield data on alfalfa varieties included in current yield trials in Kentucky as well as guidelines for selecting alfalfa varieties.
PR-766: 2019 Tall Fescue and Bromegrass Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Nov. 26, 2019 (New)
Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is a productive, well-adapted, persistent, soil-conserving, cool-season grass grown on approximately 5.5 million acres in Kentucky. This grass, used for both hay and pasture, is the forage base of most of Kentucky's livestock enterprises, particularly beef cattle. Much of the tall fescue in Kentuckys infected with an internal fungus (endophyte) that produces ergot alkaloids and results in decreased weight gains in growing ruminants and lower pregnancy rates in breeding stock, especially in hot weather. Varieties are now available that are free of this fungal endophyte or infected with a nontoxic endophyte. Varieties in the latter group are also referred to as "novel" or "friendly" endophyte varieties, because their endophyte improves stand survival without creating animal production problems
PR-764: 2019 Red and White Clover Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Nov. 26, 2019 (New)
This report provides current yield and persistence data on red and white clover varieties included in yield trials in Kentucky as well as guidelines for selecting clover varieties. Tables 14 and 15 show a summary of all clover varieties tested in Kentucky for the past 15 years. The UK Forage Extension website at forages.ca.uky.edu contains electronic versions of all forage variety testing reports from Kentucky and surrounding states and a large number of other forage publications.
PPFS-OR-T-12: Brown Patch in Home Lawns and Commercial Turfgrass
Gregg Munshaw, Paul Vincelli | Oct. 21, 2019 (Minor Revision)
Brown patch, also known as Rhizoctonia blight, is a common disease of turfgrass. All cultivated grasses grown in Kentucky can be affected; however, this disease is usually only destructive in tall fescue and perennial ryegrass. Fine fescues (hard fescue, creeping red fescue, chewings fescue, and sheep fescue) are all moderately susceptible to the disease. Occasionally, Kentucky bluegrass lawns can be affected by brown patch, although this grass is less susceptible than others.
PR-761: 2019 Kentucky Hybrid Corn Performance Test
Cam Kenimer, Chad Lee, Matthew Piersawl, Phillip Shine | Oct. 15, 2019 (New)
The objective of the Kentucky Hybrid Corn Performance Test is to provide relative performance estimates of hybrid seed corn sold in Kentucky. The test attempts to treat every hybrid similarly in an unbiased manner. Agronomic practices that meet or exceed university guidelines are implemented at each location.
