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Effect Of Boron Fertilization On Alfalfa, Monroe Rasnake, Garry D. Lacefield

Agronomy Notes

The need for boron (B) fertilization of alfalfa has been known for many years. An annual application of 1.5 to 2.0 ·pounds of elemental B per acre on alfalfa has been the general recommendation of the University of Kentucky's, Department of Agronomy for at least 20 years. Most states surrounding Kentucky have similar recommendations; however, some indicate that B needs to be applied only once every two years. There has been very little recent research to verify the need for B on alfalfa.

1990 Kentucky Winter Annual Legume Variety Test, L. M. Lauriault, Norman L. Taylor, Jimmy C. Henning, W. T. Edmonson

Agronomy Notes

Cover crops are often used in Kentucky following the harvest of row crops such as tobacco, corn, and soybeans. Living cover crops can prevent erosion, reduce leaching of nutrients, and supply grazing, green manure, or a plant cover in which to no-till the following spring.

1990 Kentucky Red Clover Variety Test, L. M. Lauriault, Norman L. Taylor, Jimmy C. Henning, W. T. Edmonson

Agronomy Notes

Red clover is a high quality, shortlived perennial legume that is used in mixed or pure stands for pasture, hay, silage, green chop, and soil improvement. This species is adapted to a wide range of climatic and soil conditions and therefore is very versatile as a forage crop. Stands are generally productive for two or three years with the highest yields occurring in the year following establishment. Red clover is used primarily as a renovation legume for grass pastures. It is the dominant legume in Kentucky because it is high in seedling vigor, quality, yield, and animal acceptance.

Triazine Resistant Pigweeds In Kentucky Corn Fields, Jonathan D. Green, Michael Barett, Mike Radford

Agronomy Notes

Smooth pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus) control from atrazine and/or simazine (Princep) has been unsatisfactory in some Kentucky corn fields. Many of these fields have grown corn where one or both of these herbicides have been used continuously for several years. These two triazine herbicides, particularly atrazine, are used annually on over 90% of the corn grown in Kentucky. Other areas in the U.S. and around the world have reported. unsatisfactory control from atrazine where triazine resistant pigweed has developed.

Response Of Soybeans To Available Potassium In Three Kentucky Soils, John H. Grove, William O. Thom, Lloyd W. Murdock, James H. Herbek

Agronomy Notes

Soybeans are produced in nearly all of Kentucky's soil physiographic regions. Soybean response to potassium (K) fertilization and soil test Kvaries with soil type and location. This variation may be associated with the wide range in soil chemical and mineralogical properties among the different regions. Of particular interest are differences in that level of soil test Kat which no further yield response to K fertilizer application would be expected. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the soil K-soybean response relationship on three different field sites where soybean yields were increased by fertilizer K. Several measures of soil …

Effect Of Banded Fertilizer On Manganese Toxicity Of Burley Tobacco, J. L. Sims, Kenneth L. Wells, E. C. Greer

Agronomy Notes

Relatively large amounts (1500 to 3000 lbs per acre) of inorganic fertilizers are commonly broadcast preplant in the production of burley tobacco. Such high rates of fertilizer increase both the salt content of the soil solution and soil acidity, often causing reduced stands, manganese toxicity, plant molybdenum and calcium deficiencies, delayed growth and maturity, and reduced yield and quality of cured leaf. Manganese toxicity alone is thought to cost growers 30-40 million dollars each year from yield loss and the costs associated with growing extra acreage the following year to make up their quota¥ Improved fertilizer management systems are needed …

Principle Of Fall Turf Management, C. T. Dougherty, A. J. Powell Jr.

Agronomy Notes

Management of cool-season turfgrasses in the fall is mainly directed toward fertilization, broadleaf weed control and mowing. Fertilizer and weed control recommendations are made with great authority because of a good research base. Fall mowing height has not received as much attention, especially since mowing is often considered a curse by the end of along growing season. In the summer, Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue turf is mowed high (3-4 inches) to insulate the sward against moisture and temperature stress and to prevent germination of light-sensitive seed of crabgrass and other warm-season annuals. In the fall, however, the mowing height …

Potash Studies On Burley Tobacco In Owen County, Kentucky, Kenneth L. Wells, Kim D. Strohmeier, Anastasios D. Karathanasis, V. P. Evangelou

Agronomy Notes

Since the late 1970's, farmers in the Wheatley Community of Owen county have reported seeing potassium (K) deficiency on tobacco during the growing season. Most of them had been following University of Kentucky fertilizer recommendations for burley production. Analyses of cured leaf samples from one such crop in 1980 confirmed K deficiency. It was decided that the problem warranted conducting some field experiments in order to define the problem and hopefully develop a solution. Consequently, we located a field on the Harold Malcomb farm near Wheatly, that tested low in soil K and designed a field experiment with the objectives …

Fertilization Practices For Double Cropping Systems, John H. Grove

Agronomy Notes

Double cropping has become an important practice in the state of Kentucky. While the wheat-soybean grain intensive production system is the most widely used on an acreage basis (approx. 3/4 million acres per year) several other systems are being adopted by Kentucky growers. Most of these involve some silage production for beef and/or dairy cattle. The fall seeded small grain (wheat, barley, triticale) is harvested at an immature stage of growth and ensiled and a subsequent crop for silage (corn, grain sorghum) or grain (soybean, grain sorghum) is planted. The use of reduced and no-tillage management will speed up planting …

An Estimate Of The Soil Fertility Status Of Graves And Todd Counties In Kentucky, Kenneth L. Wells, D. E. Peaslee, Marvin Davidson, William Green

Agronomy Notes

Some concern has developed during recent years that fertilizer is being used by farmers on fields with residual levels of P and K high enough that such use is not justified as a means of increasing crop yields. This has been due to increased "average" soil test values for samples routinely submitted to college soil test laboratories.

For this reason, studies were conducted in Graves and Todd Counties in Kentucky during the period September, 1978 to September, 1980, to determine if soil samples routinely submitted to college test laboratories do or do not accurately reflect the average soil fertility status …

Use Of Molybdenum In The Transplant Water For Burley Tobacco, J. L. Sims, Jones H. Smiley, M. E. Suchy, A. M. Wallace

Agronomy Notes

The need for adding molybdenum to tobacco arises because contents in Kentucky soils generally are on the "borderline" of sufficiency and because amounts of available molybdenum in soil are low when soil pH is low. Soil pH in tobacco fields at midseason often is 0.5 to 1.0 pH unit lower than prior to fertilization. primarily because of the high rates of commercial fertilizers commonly applied to tobacco. This acidity greatly lowers the availability of molybdenum to tobacco plants. That is why we recommend the use of molybdenum when soil pH before fertilization is 6.4 or below.

Corn Yields From Fertilizer Recommendations Made By Some Soil Testing Laboratories Serving Kentucky, Lloyd W. Murdock, William Hendrick

Agronomy Notes

One of the most economically important services available to Kentucky farmers is that of soil testing and fertilizer recommendations. Fertilizer purchases on the order of 150 million dollars per year are currently made by farmers in Kentucky. Until about 30 years ago there was no routine, rapid method for analyzing soils to determine fertilizer needs. Since then, as better methods were developed, soil testing laboratories have been set up for routine farmer use. For many years only the soil testing service provided through the University of Kentucky (UK) was readily available to farmers in Kentucky. Even though the University still …

Soybean Inoculant Quality, J. L. Sims, E. C. Lacefield, Lloyd W. Murdock

Agronomy Notes

Research studies have shown that from 40 to 80 percent of the nitrogen required for a soybean crop comes from nitrogen fixed in the nodules, depending on the degree of nodulation and the level of soil nitrogen. Hence, it is important that soybean plants be well-nodulated for most efficient soybean production.

Effect Of Lime On No-Tillage Corn Yields, Robert L. Blevins, Lloyd W. Murdock

Agronomy Notes

The rapidly growing popularity and adoption of no-tillage systems of corn production have required us to re-evaluate some of our long established soil fertility practices and recommendations. Recent work by researchers at Kentucky and adjacent states show that the soil surface becomes very acid after a few years of continuous no-tillage corn production. This rapid decrease in soil pH is primarily associated with surface application of nitrogen fertilizers. Most lime recommendations and related research information for row crop production are based on plow-down application. Therefore, the effectiveness of surface-applied and unincorporated lime under no-tillage systems becomes a question of concern. …

Zinc Fertilization Of Corn In Kentucky, W. W. Frye, H. F. Miller, Lloyd W. Murdock, D. E. Peaslee

Agronomy Notes

Of the agronomic crops, corn is especially sensitive to zinc deficiency. The major symptom of zinc deficiency in corn is broad white stripes in the leaves at or near the growing point in the early growth stages of the plant. It has been referred to as "white bud" disease because of the characteristic whitish area on one or both sides of the midrib near the base of new leaves. It can be seen as a new leaf unfolds from the whorl. Growth is stunted resulting in shorter than normal internodes. The pith of the stalk may become darkened at the …

Response Of Different Crops To Various Rates Of Furnace Ash Applied As A Soil Amendment, Lloyd W. Murdock, George Everette

Agronomy Notes

Furnace ash from coal fired electrical generating steam plants has increased greatly in the last decade with the increased demand for electricity and increased restrictions on air pollution. The large volumes of ash are presenting disposal and containment problems for management of electrical generating plants. Property adjacent to the generating plants has been exposed to fly ash settling from the smoke stacks and ash over flowing from holding structures. The effects of the material on the land and its production are unknown and concern property owners.

Boron Fertilization Of Corn In Kentucky, Lloyd W. Murdock, Kenneth L. Wells, H. F. Miiller

Agronomy Notes

The need for use of boron (B) for alfalfa production has been recognized for many years in Kentucky and is presently recommended for general use as an annual topdressing on alfalfa fields. Use of B is also recommended in Kentucky for red clover fields which are to be harvested for seed. In recent years, there has been interest in use of fertilizer B for good corn production in Kentucky. Plant available B is greatly affected by soil pH and decreases with increasing soil pH. Because of this, some states recommend use of B on corn grown on soils with a …

Manganese Fertilization Of Soybeans, Lloyd W. Murdock, Harold F. Miller, Doyle Peaslee, Wilbur Frye

Agronomy Notes

Only a small quantity of manganese is essential for plant growth however under certain soil conditions even this is not available to the plant. Depending on severity, manganese deficiency will retard plant growth and may drastically decrease yields. A deficiency of manganese will affect the photosynthesis system of the plant. The visual symptoms of a manganese deficiency on soybeans is interveinal chlorosis of the leaves. The veins remains green until the chlorosis nears the white stage then they also lose their color.

Alfalfa Response To Varying Rates Of Phosphorus And Potassium Fertilization On Deep, Red, Limestone - Derived Soils Of The Pennyroyal Area In Kentucky, H. C. Vaught, Kenneth L. Wells, K. L. Driskill

Agronomy Notes

The Western Pennyroyal area of Kentucky consists largely of deep, well-drained limestone-derived soils occurring on an undulating to rolling landscape. A thin loess mantle overlies the limestone residuum in many areas. Soils on these landscapes are capable of good crop production, providing the basis of the rather intensive grain-hay- tobacco-livestock farming systems common to the Pennyroyal area. Because of the well-suited physical characteristics of these soils, alfalfa is a very important hay crop to this area.

Field Tests Of Some Liming Treatments For Growing Burley Tobacco On Acid Soils, A. M. Wallace, Kenneth L. Wells, J. L. Sims, Paul Gray

Agronomy Notes

A major problem in the production of tobacco on acid soils in Kentucky is manganese toxicity, despite the fact that it can be easily prevented. Since manganese toxicity is caused by high levels of soil acidity, prevention of soil acidity by liming is the best method of control. And soil testing is the only way to determine how acid a field has become.

Relationship Between Soil Ph And Yield Of Burley Tobacco, J. L. Sims, W. O. Atkinson, Kenneth L. Wells

Agronomy Notes

Historically, use of soil with a pH of 5.6 to 5.8 has been recommended for producing best quality burley tobacco. This recommendation for a relatively low pH resulted from the reported increases in the incidence of certain diseases, notably black root rot (Thielaviopsis basicola) and black shank (Phytophthora parasitica), in soils with pH greater than 5.8. Additionally, some researchers have reported undesirable chemical properties of cured leaf grown on soils that had been limed. However, workers at the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station generally have reported favorable effects from use of lime on both yield and quality of tobacco grown in …

Effect Of Lime And Source Of Nitrogen Fertilizer On Yield And Chemical Composition Of Burley Tobacco, J. L. Sims, W. O. Atkinson, Kenneth L. Wells

Agronomy Notes

Current trends in the fertilizer industry indicate a shift to greater production of ammonium forms of nitrogen fertilizer in comparison to nitrate forms. Reasons for these trends are many, but both economic and energy conservation are major factors. Generally, ammonium forms are produced with less, total energy and have higher nitrogen contents that permits lower production and transportation costs per unit of N. Agronomically, ammonium forms are less readily leached from soils, but produce acid as they are converted to nitrates by soil microorganisms. Thus, ammonium sources of nitrogen have both advantages and disadvantages as fertilizers for crops.

Growth Response Of Kenhy Fescue To Nitrogen Fertilizer, Kenneth L. Wells, Robert C. Buckner, George Armstrong, Paul Gray, C. E. Wyatt

Agronomy Notes

Kenhy fescue is a new, improved variety of tall fescue which has recently been released by the University of Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and the U.S.D.A. Agricultural Research Service (see University of Kentucky publication AGR-60, "Kenhy A New Tall Fescue Variety"). Seed of this variety should become available to farmers in limited quantities in the summer 1977. The purpose of this report is to provide information on how this newly developed fescue variety produces as affected by time and rate of nitrogen application.

Influence Of Time Of Application Of Nitrogen Fertilizer On Corn Yields, Harold F. Miller, Kenneth Wells, Morris J. Bitzer, G. W. Thomas, R. E. Phillips

Agronomy Notes

Soil moisture conditions can have a large effect on crop responses to nitrogen fertilization. Kentucky's usual climatic pattern of periods of heavy rainfall and relatively warm temperatures during the winter and spring seasons influences expected yield responses of corn to applied nitrogen. If nitrogen fertilizer is applied in late winter or early spring, some of it may be lost before the plants have made sufficient growth to take up appreciable quantities. The amount of loss that might be expected will be influenced by the amount of rainfall, temperature, amount of organic matter and drainage of the soil.

Effect Of Topdressing Different Forms Of Nitrogen Fertilizer On Corn, Doyle Peaslee, Morris J. Bitzer, Harold F. Miller

Agronomy Notes

Nitrate nitrogen is the dominant form of plant-available nitrogen in soils, since even ammonium nitrogen is rapidly converted to nitrate nitrogen under Kentucky field conditions. Nitrogen in the nitrate form can be lost by leaching in the drainage water and by denitrification when the soil is saturated with water for a relatively short period of time. With the increased cost and short supply of nitrogen fertilizers, it is especially important that applications be made at a time and in a way that will minimize losses.

Tall Fescue Seed Production In Kentucky, Dennis M. Tekrony, C. J. Kaiser, Warren C. Thompson, Robert C. Buckner

Agronomy Notes

Producing tall fescue seed has traditionally been a profitable venture for many Kentucky farmers. It can still provide additional income if: (1) it is properly managed and fertilized and (2) it is integrated into a total farming program which in most cases includes livestock.

Preliminary Report, Soybean Performance Tests - 1971, Dennis B. Egli

Agronomy Notes

The data presented below represent the preliminary results of the 1971 Soybean Performance Tests. A more complete version of the data, including data from previous years, will be published at a later date in "Results of the Kentucky Soybean Performance Tests - 1971."

Fertilizing No-Tillage Corn And Soybeans, George D. Corder

Agronomy Notes

Planting corn and soybeans in sod (commonly referred to as "no-tillage" planting) is increasing in parts of Kentucky, and interest in this practice in other parts of the state is growing.

One question is often asked: 'What is the best method of liming and fertilizing no-tillage corn and soybeans?"

Since no-tillage planting is a comparatively new practice, only a limited amount of research on methods of fertilization has been done. However, research designed to find out how well plants can recover phosphorus and potassium applied on the surface of the soil will be started by the Department of Agronomy at …

Fertilizer-Insecticide Mixtures On Corn, R. L. Miller, George D. Corder

Agronomy Notes

Soil fertility and insects are major factors that affect corn yields. The proper kinds and amounts of fertilizers and insecticides properly placed will make corn production more economical on fields where either or both are needed.

Spring And Summer Management Of Forage Crops, Warren C. Thompson

Agronomy Notes

The late summer and early fall drought affected forage crops throughout the state. What can be done this spring and summer about the situation?