AGR-1: Lime and Fertilizer Recommendations, 2020-2021

Josh McGrath, Edwin Ritchey | Mar. 13, 2023 (Revised)

Recommended nutrient additions, based on a soil test, are only made when a crop yield or economic response has been measured for that crop under Kentucky soil-climatic conditions. Many field studies have been conducted by the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station under Kentucky farm conditions to determine the extent of any primary, secondary, or micronutrient needs. Yield and soil test data from these studies serve as guidelines for establishing recommendations contained in this publication. Recommendations in this publication strive to supply the plant nutrients needed to achieve maximum economic return assuming good management practices.

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AGR-265: Soil Sampling and Nutrient Management in Small Ruminant Pastures

Jimmy Henning, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch, Josh McGrath, Edwin Ritchey | Mar. 13, 2023 (Major Revision)

Pastures for sheep and goats are fertilized to ensure a reliable supply of energy, protein, and other nutrients for a long season of grazing. Management of plant nutrients maintains a balance of improved grasses and legumes and improves forage species’ competitiveness with many pasture weeds.
The most important part of obtaining fertilizer recommendations is collecting a representative soil sample to send to the lab. Soil test results and fertilizer recommendations are based solely on 10 to 20 ounces of soil submitted to the lab for analysis, which are assumed to represent several million pounds of soil in the field. If this sample does not reflect actual soil chemical conditions, the results can be misleading and cause costly over- or under-fertilization.

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ID-163: Agricultural Lime Recommendations Based on Lime Quality

David Ditsch, Josh McGrath, Lloyd Murdock, Edwin Ritchey, Frank Sikora | Mar. 13, 2023 (Revised)

Soil acidity is one of the most important soil factors affecting crop growth and ultimately, yield and profitability. It is determined by measuring the soil pH, which is a measure of the amount of hydrogen ions in the soil solution. As soil acidity increases, the soil pH decreases. Soils tend to be naturally acidic in areas where rainfall is sufficient to cause substantial leaching of basic ions (such as calcium and magnesium), which are replaced by hydrogen ions. Most soils in Kentucky are naturally acidic because of our abundant rainfall.

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ID-249: A Comprehensive Guide to Soybean Management in Kentucky

Ric Bessin, Carl Bradley, J.D. Green, John Grove, Greg Halich, Erin Haramoto, Carrie Knott, Chad Lee, Travis Legleiter, Josh McGrath, Sam McNeill, Javier Reyes, Edwin Ritchey, Montse Salmeron, Jordan Shockley, Claire Venard, Raul Villanueva, Ole Wendroth, Kiersten Wise, Xi Zhang | Jun. 7, 2018 (New)

This publication provides information on soybean growth and development, principles of variety selection, and management practices to maximize soybean profitability in Kentucky.

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AGR-217: Determining Soil Texture by Feel

Josh McGrath, Edwin Ritchey | Jan. 22, 2015 (New)

Soil texture refers to the proportion of sand, silt, and clay in a soil. Texture influences almost every aspect of soil use, both in agricultural and engineering applications, and even how natural ecosystems function. Many scientists consider soil texture the most important soil property as it can influence soil/water relationships, gas exchange, and plant nutrition. Accurately determining soil texture in a lab requires time and money; therefore, it is often necessary to estimate soil texture in the field by feel, which can be very accurate if done correctly.