Numbered Publications: AGR
AGR-281: Improving Kentucky Horse Pastures
Chris Teutsch, Krista Lea, Ray Smith, Bob Coleman | Feb. 13, 2025 (New)
For many horses, quality pasture can provide almost all nutrients needed for maintenance or light work for much of the year. Pasture reduces the cost of keeping horses while providing safe footing and minimizing impacts on the environment.
AGR-41: Sampling Surface Mine Lands Before And After Mining
Vasilios Evangelou, Richard Barnhisel | Feb. 12, 2025 (Revised)
The purpose of sampling surface mine lands is to gather information on the physical and chemical characteristics of the area to help assure a successful reclamation effort. Laboratory analysis of a soil sample representative of the area can be used to evaluate deficiencies or toxicities for various crops, estimate nutrient needs, determine proper fertilizer applications and identify overburden layers that may be used for a topsoil substitute or rooting medium.
AGR-40: Lime and Fertilizer Recommendations for Reclamation of Surface-Mined Spoils
Richard Barnhisel | Feb. 5, 2025 (Revised)
Recommendations contained in this publication are based on spoil tests values from testing methods used in the Central laboratories operated under supervision of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. Spoil test values obtained by other methods should not be used when making recommendations using this publication.
AGR-198: Sulfur Fertilization in Kentucky
Greg Schwab | Feb. 5, 2025 (Revised)
There are a lot of misunderstandings regarding sulfur (S) nutrition for Kentucky crops. Sulfur is considered a seconda r y pla nt nutrient because, although the crop requirement for S is relatively large, it is usually found in soil at concentrations adequate for plant growth and yield so that no fertilizer S is needed. For many years, soil S was maintained by atmospheric deposition. However, more stringent clean air standards require greater removal of S during burning of fossil fuels. That fact, along with increasing crop yields, has caused many Kentucky grain producers to begin to question if S fertilization will increase yield.
AGR-146: Using Animal Manures as Nutrient Sources
Monroe Rasnake, Bill Thom, Frank Sikora | Feb. 5, 2025 (Revised)
Animal manures can be an economical and effective source of crop nutrients. Land application of animal manures is also a Best Management Practice for protecting water quality when it is carried out properly.
AGR-151: Evaluating Fertilizer Recommendations
Lloyd Murdock | Feb. 5, 2025 (Revised)
Soil testing and making fertilizer recommendations are not the same thing. While soil test results estimate the plant available nutrients in a field, the fertilizer recommendation, which is based on an interpretation of soil test results, determines how much lime and fertilizer are needed by a particular crop species on a particular field. Several philosophies are used in interpreting soil test results for lime and fertilizer recommendations. Each of these philosophies is based on different assumptions about crop needs and how crops respond at different soil test levels and different amounts and ratios of nutrients. For any of these philosophies to have value, they must be correlated to the soil types and climatic conditions present.
AGR-6: Weed Control Recommendations for Kentucky Grain Crops, 2025
Travis Legleiter | Nov. 6, 2024 (Minor Revision)
The use of herbicides suggested in this publication is based on research at the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and elsewhere. We have given what we believe to be the most effective herbicides, with the most suitable rates and times of application.
AGR-277: Using a Rising Plate Meter to Measure Pasture Growth: A Practical Guide
Echo Gotsick, Ray Smith | Oct. 14, 2024 (New)
Knowing pasture yields is very helpful for all livestock operations, especially cattle farms. High animal productivity is only possible with access to adequate quantities of high-quality forage. Previous research has shown a correlation between forage height and pasture yield. Height can be measured with tools as simple as a ruler, but this method often does not produce accurate yield estimates because pasture density is not taken into account.
AGR-282: Warm-Season Native Areas for Kentucky Golf Courses
Kenneth Clayton, Elizabeth Johnson | Sep. 25, 2024 (New)
The average golf course has a median footprint of about 150 acres, and natural or native vegetation covers approximately 17% of these acres. Golf courses often provide large green spaces in urban areas. Not all of these areas are highly maintained turfgrass; some are cultivated as native areas. Native areas may be defined as those areas on the golf course receiving very infrequent mowing and composed of one or more of the following: native warm-season grasses (NWSG), fine fescues, wildflowers, or previously maintained turfgrass allowed to reach maturity. Although golf courses may use species in these areas that are not native to Kentucky, this publication will focus on the utilization of native warm-season grasses. Colloquially, these parts of the golf course are referred to as native areas, native roughs, low-mow areas, or no-mow areas. For the purposes of this publication, they are all considered synonymous.
AGR-280: University of Kentucky Blue Water Farms: Status of the Edge of Field Nutrient and Sediment Monitoring Network in Western Kentucky (Project Years 2018-2023)
Leighia Eggett, Glynn Beck, Brad Lee, Erin Haramoto, John Grove | Sep. 23, 2024 (New)
Rainfall simulations were the common way of collecting agricultural runoff water quality samples four decades ago. In these simulations, surface water runoff flow characteristics and water quality constituents of interest (nutrients, sediment) were determined by sprinkling water ten feet from the soil surface over small area delineated by a frame and gutter system in the soil of cropped field. There were several limitations to this method, including small study areas and lack of repeatability throughout the growing season due to farming activities. Many different research designs have since been developed to remedy some of these limitations, such as edge of field (EOF) monitoring.
To gather continuous and field scale EOF data, researchers from the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the Kentucky Geological Survey are partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service, Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board, the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund, and nine anonymous landowners to establish a network of 29 EOF water quality monitoring stations distributed throughout Western Kentucky, collectively known as Blue Water Farms.
