Numbered Publications by Smith, Ray
PR-837: 2023 Alfalfa Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 18, 2023 (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.
PR-843: 2023 Cool-Season Grass Grazing Tolerance Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 18, 2023 (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.
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-846: 2023 Long-Term Summary of Kentucky Forage Variety Trials
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Dec. 12, 2023 (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 a positive environmental role in soil conservation, water quality, and air quality. There are more than 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.
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.
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.
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.
