Numbered Publications: Plant and Soil Sciences
PR-809: 2021 Annual Grass Report: Warm Season and Cool Season (Cereals)
Bill Bruening, Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 21, 2021 (New)
Summer annual grasses provide an important forage crop option for producers in Kentucky. These grasses are mainly used as emergency or supplemental hay and pasture crops, but little information is available on their yield potential. The purpose of this publication is to summarize the University of Kentucky 2008-2021 forage yield trials with sudangrass, sorghum/sudangrass, millets, teff, and cereal crops. Cool season annual grasses (specifically cereal crops) are also used as forages crops for hay, baleage or grazing. The cereal crops used in this report are wheat (Triticum aestivum), rye (Secale cereale), oats (Avena sativa) and triticale (Triticum secale).
PR-810: 2021 Long-Term Summary of Kentucky Forage Variety Trials
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 21, 2021 (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 an environmentally friendly role in soil conservation, water quality, and air quality. There are over 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. This publication was developed to provide a user-friendly guide to choosing the best variety for producers based on a summary of forage yield and grazing tolerance trials conducted in Kentucky over the past twenty years.
PR-807: 2021 Cool-Season Grass Grazing Tolerance Report
Joao Costa, Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 7, 2021 (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. The purpose of this report is to summarize current research on the grazing tolerance of varieties of tall fescue, orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass, and other species when they are subjected to continuous, heavy grazing pressure by cattle within the growing season. Overgrazing is not a recommended practice, but is done in these studies to determine how different varieties perform under conditions that are worse than occur during the life of a typical pasture. Varieties are primarily rated for percent survival but data on seedling vigor and grazing preference are also presented.
PR-808: 2021 Cool-Season Grass Horse Grazing Tolerance Report
Jimmy Henning, Laurie Lawrence, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 7, 2021 (New)
Cool-season forages such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and orchardgrass are dominant pasture grasses for horses in Kentucky. Variety evaluations for yield have been carried out for many years, but little work has been done to evaluate varieties of these grasses for persistence when subjected to close, continuous grazing by horses. The purpose of this report is to summarize current research on the grazing tolerance of varieties of tall fescue, orchardgrass, and other species when subjected to continuous heavy grazing pressure by horses within the growing season. The main focus will be on stand survival but data on seedling vigor and grazing preference are also included
PR-805: 2021 Alfalfa Grazing Tolerance Report
Joao Costa, Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 3, 2021 (New)
This report summarizes research on the grazing tolerance of alfalfa varieties when subjected to continuous heavy grazing pressure during the grazing season. A summary of all alfalfa varieties tested in Kentucky during the last 20 years and information about distributors, fall dormancy ratings, and disease resistance is included at the end of this report.
PR-806: 2021 Red and White Clover Grazing Tolerance Report
Joao Costa, Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 2, 2021 (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-802: 2021 Tall Fescue, Bromegrass, and Meadow Fescue Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 2, 2021 (New)
Selecting a good variety of tall fescue and bromegrass is an important first step in establishing a productive stand of grass. Proper management, beginning with seedbed preparation and continuing throughout the life of the stand, is necessary for even the highest-yielding variety to produce to its genetic potential.
PR-803: 2021 Timothy and Kentucky Bluegrass Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Nov. 30, 2021 (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. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is a high-quality, highly palatable, long-lived pasture plant with limited use for hay. It tolerates close, frequent grazing better than most grasses. It has low yields and low summer production and becomes dormant and brown during hot, dry summers. Kentucky bluegrass is slow to establish.
PR-812: 2021 Kentucky Hybrid Corn Performance Test
Cam Kenimer, Chad Lee, Phillip Shine | Nov. 28, 2021 (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. The hybrids submitted for testing are those most likely to be available for sale in 2022.
PR-804: 2021 Annual and Perennial Ryegrass and Festulolium Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Nov. 23, 2021 (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.
