Numbered Publications: AGR
AGR-204: Soils and Fertility: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 4
Brad Lee, Edwin Ritchey | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)
Soil is a mixture of weathered rock fragments (minerals) and organic matter at the earth's surface. It is biologically active - a home to countless microorganisms, invertebrates, and plant roots.
AGR-275: Tall Fescue Novel Endophyte Varieties and Establishment for Livestock and Horse Farms
Krista Lea, Stephanie Smith, Ray Smith | Nov. 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.
AGR-273: Soil Acidity: What It Is, How It Is Measured, Why It Is Important
John Grove, Edwin Ritchey | Apr. 13, 2023 (New)
Soil chemical health is strongly related to soil acidity. This acidity consists of acidic cations, hydrogen (H+), aluminum (Al3+), and in some soils, manganese (Mn2+). The acid cations are neutralized by basic anions, carbonate (CO32-), hydroxyl (OH-), and oxide (O2-) provided by materials such as agricultural, hydrated/slaked, and quick/burnt limes, respectively. Lime application rates are based on the amount of acidity measured in your soil sample.
AGR-270: Restoring a Flood-damaged Lawn
Kenneth Clayton, Paul Andrew Rideout, Jason Vaughn, Beth Wilson | Mar. 14, 2023 (New)
Flooding across Kentucky has been an increasing problem in recent years and has caused significant damage to many properties, including home lawns. The deterioration or death of turfgrass is often caused by grass being smothered with silt and sand deposits left from the flood or grass being submerged under water for prolonged periods. Lack of oxygen to the plant can cause death when submerged, and the rate of death is often worse with higher water temperatures. Repairing these areas is important for reducing chances of erosion as well as allowing a return to the regular use of the lawn.
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.
AGR-16: Taking Soil Test Samples
Lloyd Murdock, Greg Schwab, Frank Sikora, Bill Thom | Mar. 13, 2023 (Revised)
The most important part of making fertilizer recommendations is collecting a good, representative soil sample. Soil test results and fertilizer recommendations are based solely on the few ounces of soil submitted to the laboratory for analysis. These few ounces can represent several million pounds of soil in the field. If this sample does not reflect actual soil conditions, the results can be misleading and lead to costly over- or under-fertilization. It is necessary to make sure that the soil sample sent to the laboratory accurately represents the area sampled.
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.
AGR-271: Frost Seeding Clover: A Recipe for Success
Jimmy Henning, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Mar. 2, 2023 (New)
Legumes are an essential part of a strong and healthy grassland ecosystems. They form a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria in which the bacteria fix nitrogen from the air into a plant-available form and share it with the legume. Clover also increases forage quality and quantity and helps to manage tall fescue toxicosis. In the past, the positive impact of clover on tall fescue toxicosis has always been thought to simply be a dilution effect, but new research from the USDA's Forage Animal Production Unit in Lexington shows that compounds found in red clover can reverse vasoconstriction that is caused by the ergot alkaloids in toxic tall fescue. The primary compound found in red clover is a vasodilator called "Biochanin A."
AGR-272: Preemergence Herbicides for Kentucky Lawns
Kenneth Clayton, Jason Vaughn, Beth Wilson | Feb. 16, 2023 (New)
Herbicides are used to control unwanted plants in many different locations. Postemergence herbicides are sprayed on actively growing weeds. In turfgrass, several herbicides are used to control weeds before they germinate and begin to grow. These are called "preemergence herbicides" and are commonly sold as "weed preventers." They control germinating weed seeds and subsequent growth. Therefore, to be effective, preemergence herbicides must be present in the upper soil surface before weed seeds germinate.
AGR-268: Evaluating Cool-season Perennial Grass Pastures using the UK Horse Pasture Health Score Card
Krista Lea, Ray Smith | Dec. 19, 2022 (New)
Providing quality forage is essential to horse health, and pasture can provide a significant portion of the horse's forage needs. Objective evaluation of a pasture's condition can help determine appropriate pasture management practices. The UK Horse Pasture Health Score Card can be used to evaluate horse pastures and determine what improvements should be made.
