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.

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PR-800: 2021 Red and White Clover Report

Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Nov. 23, 2021 (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 2-1/2 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.

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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.

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PR-801: 2021 Orchardgrass Report

Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Nov. 15, 2021 (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.

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PR-799: 2021 Alfalfa Report

Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Nov. 10, 2021 (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.

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AGR-263: Growing Wheat for Forage

Jimmy Henning, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Apr. 14, 2021 (New)

Wheat is a multipurpose crop that can be used for cover crops, stored forage or grazing. As much as 25% of Kentucky's wheat acreage is not harvested as grain but used for cover crop or forage production. Wheat has excellent winter hardiness and can be sown later in the fall than barley. Wheat is a good choice for planting following corn or soybean harvest to capture residual nitrogen, build soil organic matter and prevent erosion. Wheat provides high quality, early spring growth, but has limited fall growth compared to grazing types of cereal rye.

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AGR-48: Bermudagrass: A Summer Forage in Kentucky

Jimmy Henning, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Apr. 6, 2021 (Minor Revision)

Bermudagrass can be used successfully as part of a livestock forage program to supplement summer production of cool-season grasses. It is high-yielding, sod-forming, warm-season perennial grass that is most productive on well-drained, fertile soils. Bermudagrass is widely grown in the southern United States for pasture and hay.

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AGR-232: Crabgrass

Jimmy Henning, Tom Keene, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Apr. 6, 2021 (Minor Revision)

Crabgrass possesses significant potential for supplying high quality summer forage although it is considered a weed by many. A primary advantage of crabgrass is that it is well adapted to Kentucky and occurs naturally in most summer pastures, especially those that have been overgrazed. It is also highly palatable and a prolific re-seeder. Planting an improved variety of crabgrass is recommended because the production of naturally-occurring ecotypes varies greatly. Crabgrass is best utilized by grazing.

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AGR-86: Growing Lespedeza in Kentucky for Cattle, Sheep and Goats

Jimmy Henning, Garry Lacefield, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Apr. 6, 2021 (Major Revision)

Annual and perennial lespedezas are grown in Kentucky for pasture, hay, and soil stabilization. Lespedezas are warm season legumes that complement cool-season grasses in both pasture and hay situations. They are more tolerant of less fertile, more acid soils, but have lower yield potential than other forage legumes such as red clover and alfalfa.

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AGR-264: Improving Kentucky Small Ruminant Pastures

Jimmy Henning, Krista Lea, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Apr. 2, 2021 (New)

For many small ruminants, quality pasture can provide almost all nutrients needed for maintenance or light work for much of the year. Pasture reduces the cost of keeping livestock while minimizing impacts on the environment. Below are some guidelines for improving pastures.