Numbered Publications by Ray Smith
PR-836: 2023 Red and White Clover and Annual Lespedeza Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 12, 2023 (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 2.5 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-840: 2023 Timothy and Kentucky Bluegrass Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 7, 2023 (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.
PR-841: 2023 Annual and Perennial Ryegrass and Festulolium Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 7, 2023 (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.
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.
ID-274: Economic Efficiency in Organic Dairy Operations
John Allison, Kenny Burdine, Ray Smith | Apr. 3, 2023 (New)
Organic dairy operations have historically commanded a higher milk price than conventional dairy operations (Organic all milk price 2021 average: $31.55 per hundredweight (USDA AMS, 2021), Conventional all milk price 2021 average: $20.25 per hundredweight (USDA ERS, 2021)). However, the economics of decision-making and management still play a pivotal role in farm profitability.
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.
ID-199: Prechilling Switchgrass Seed on Farm to Break Dormancy
Holly Boyd, Cindy Finneseth, Tom Keene, Laura Schwer, Ray Smith | Mar. 13, 2023 (Revised)
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm-season, perennial bunch-type grass native to the North American Tallgrass Prairie. It has been investigated as a renewable energy crop due to its high productivity across a wide geographic range including various environmental conditions and soil types. Switchgrass has also been used for erosion control, summer grazing in pasture and hay systems for cattle, native prairie restoration, wildlife habitat, fiber production, and as an ornamental grass.
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-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.
PR-823: 2022 Cool-Season Grass Grazing Tolerance Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 19, 2022 (New)
Cool-season forages such as tall fescue, orchardgrass, and Kentucky bluegrass are the primary pasture grasses in Kentucky. Other species such as perennial ryegrass and festulolium can also be used in pasture systems. Little is known about the effect of variety on the grazing tolerance of these cool-season grass species.
