Numbered Publications by Gene Olson
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-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.
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.
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.
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.
PR-796: 2021 Kentucky Small Grains Variety Performance Test
Bill Bruening, John Connelly, Gene Olson, Phillip Shine, Sandy Swanson, Dave Van Sanford | Jul. 12, 2021 (New)
The objective of the Kentucky small grain variety performance test is to evaluate varieties of wheat, oat, barley, triticale, and cereal rye that are commercially available or may soon be available to Kentucky farmers. New varieties continually are being de-veloped by agricultural experiment stations and commercial firms. Annual evaluation of small grain varieties and selections provides farmers, seed producers, and other agricultural workers with current information to help them select the varieties best adapted to their locality and individual requirements.
PR-792: 2020 Long-Term Summary of Kentucky Forage Variety Trials
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 8, 2020 (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-791: 2020 Annual Grass Report: Warm Season and Cool Season (Cereals)
Bill Bruening, Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 4, 2020 (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 2013-2019 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).
