PR-842: 2023 Alfalfa, Red Clover, and White Clover Grazing Tolerance Report

Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | December 18, 2023 (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? To answer this question, 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.

PR-837: 2023 Alfalfa Report

Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | December 18, 2023 (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.

PR-843: 2023 Cool-Season Grass Grazing Tolerance Report

Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | December 18, 2023 (New)

Cool-season forages such as tall fescue, orchardgrass, and Kentucky bluegrass are the primary pasture grasses in Kentucky. Other species such as perennial ryegrass and festulolium can also be used in pasture systems. Little is known about the effect of variety on the grazing tolerance of these cool-season grass species.

PR-836: 2023 Red and White Clover and Annual Lespedeza Report

Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | December 12, 2023 (New)

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is a high-quality, short-lived, perennial legume used in mixed or pure stands for pasture, hay, silage, green chop, soil improvement, and wildlife habitat. This species is adapted to a wide range of climatic and soil conditions. Stands of improved varieties generally are productive for 2.5 to 3 years, with the highest yields occurring in the year following establishment. Red clover is used primarily as a renovation legume for grass pastures and hay fields. It is a dominant forage legume in Kentucky because it is relatively easy to establish and has high forage quality, yield, and animal acceptance.

PR-846: 2023 Long-Term Summary of Kentucky Forage Variety Trials

Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | December 12, 2023 (New)

Forage crops occupy approximately 7 million acres in Kentucky. Forages provide a majority of the nutrition for beef, dairy, horse, goat, sheep, and wildlife in the state. In addition, forage crops play a positive environmental role in soil conservation, water quality, and air quality. There are more than 60 forage species adapted to the climate and soil conditions of Kentucky. Only 10 to 12 of these species occupy the majority of the acreage, but within these species there is a tremendous variation in varieties.

PR-841: 2023 Annual and Perennial Ryegrass and Festulolium Report

Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | December 7, 2023 (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. In Kentucky, winter survival can be an issue for many annual ryegrass varieties, so before planting, review winter survival results in this publication.

PR-840: 2023 Timothy and Kentucky Bluegrass Report

Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | December 7, 2023 (New)

Timothy (Phleum pratense) is the fourth most widely sown cool-season perennial grass used in Kentucky for forage - after tall fescue, orchardgrass, and Kentucky bluegrass. It is a late-maturing bunchgrass that is primarily harvested as hay, particularly for horses. It also can be used for grazing or wildlife habitat.

PR-834: Kentucky Corn Silage Hybrid Performance Report, 2023

Cam Kenimer, Chad Lee, Dalton Mertz, Phillip Shine | December 6, 2023 (New)

The objective of the Silage Corn Hybrid Performance Test is to provide unbiased forage yield and quality data for corn hybrids commonly grown for silage in Kentucky.

PR-835: 2023 Kentucky Hybrid Corn Performance Test

Cam Kenimer, Chad Lee, Dalton Mertz, Phillip Shine | November 15, 2023 (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.

AGR-275: Tall Fescue Novel Endophyte Varieties and Establishment for Livestock and Horse Farms

Krista Lea, Stephanie Smith, Ray Smith | November 2, 2023 (New)

"Endophyte" refers to a fungus that lives within the fescue plant, meaning it cannot be seen with the naked eye. The endophyte found in tall fescue is beneficial to the plant: It gives tall fescue insect resistance, enhanced grazing tolerance, and greater persistence in stressful environments. The major disadvantage of some of the endophytes of tall fescue is that they produce toxic alkaloids that have detrimental effects on many types of livestock.