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Sericea Lespedeza Control Strategies Differ In Their Impacts On Overall Range Health And Native Plant Species Composition, G. A. Gatson, W. H. Fick, W. W. Hsu, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) control strategies of late summer prescribed burning and fall her­bicide application on soil cover, native plant populations, and biological diversity.

Study Description:We established 16 individual units within an 80-acre native tallgrass pasture. Each unit was assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: control, spray only, burn only, or burn-plus-spray. Burn only and burn-plus-spray units were burned in early September. Spray only and burn-plus-spray units were sprayed with metsulfuron methyl (Escort XP, DuPont, Wilmington, DE) in late September. The change in …

Exploring The Physical, Chemical And Biological Components Of Soil: Improving Soil Health For Better Productive Capacity, G. F. Sassenrath, K. Davis, A. Sassenrath-Cole, N. Riding

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

“Soil health” is a term that is used to describe soil quality. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has defined soil health as “The continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans (NRCS 2018).” For a farmer, soil health is the productive capacity of the soil, or the capacity of the soil to produce a crop or pasture. Healthy soils produce more and with better quality.

Soil health is critical for water and nutrient cycling. Soil captures rainwater and stores it for use by plants. Soil health is …

Effect Of Drilled Seeding And Nitrogen Rate On Grain Sorghum Yield In Southwest Kansas, A. J. Foster, A. Schlegel, I. B. Cuvaca, J. D. Holman, I. A. Ciampitti, C. Thompson, D. Ruiz Diaz, R. Currie

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Drilled sorghum is normally done at the super-high population at row spacing between 7.5 and 10 inches, compared to rows planted at the spacing between 15 and 30 inches. Thompson (1983) growing super-thick sorghum at the Hays Research Station from 1974-1977, found that sorghum planted in narrow rows (12-18 in.) often produced higher yields than when planted in wide rows (24-40 in.). Norwood (1982) in Garden City repeated Thompson’s work and also came to the conclusion that yield of high population narrow row sorghum could exceed that of the low population-wide row when subsoil moisture and precipitation were adequate. The …

Effect Of Fungicides On Southern Rust Of Corn, E. A. Adee, S. Duncan

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The decision to apply fungicides to corn is not an easy decision in Kansas, especially when grain prices are low. Numerous factors determine what diseases are present, and whether the plants will be defoliated enough to reduce yield. Correctly identifying the disease, knowing what environmental conditions favor the development of an epidemic, and knowing the hybrid’s resistance to the diseases can be known before making the decision. However, knowing if the conditions will be favorable for the spread of the disease up the plant is very unpredictable. A situation like a ‘perfect storm’ for foliar diseases defoliating corn occurred in …

Tillage And Nitrogen Placement Effects On Yields In A Short-Season Corn/Wheat/Double-Crop Soybean Rotation, D. W. Sweeney, Dorivar Ruiz Diaz

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Many crop rotation systems are used in southeastern Kansas. This experiment was designed to determine the long-term effect of selected tillage and N fertilizer placement options on yields of short-season corn, wheat, and double-crop soybean in a rotation.

Growth, Forage Quality, And Economics Of Cover Crop Mixes For Grazing, J. K. Farney, G. F. Sassenrath, C. Davis, Deann Presley

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Cover crops offer many potential benefits to crop production. They diversify the plant system, increase soil organic matter, and reduce erosion. However, they can be expensive to plant. By grazing the cover crops, farmers can recover some of the expenses associated with growing cover crops. Grazing also increases the nutrients to the field, further enhancing the productive capacity of the soil.

Many cover crop mixtures are currently available on the market. However, it is not clear how useful the multi-species cover crops mixtures are, or their potential impact on economics of production. Moreover, many of the cover crop mixes being …

Effects Of Fallow Replacement Crops On Wheat And Grain Sorghum Yields, J. Holman, A. Obour, T. Roberts, S. Maxwell

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Interest in replacing fallow with a cash crop or cover crop has necessitated research on soil, water, and wheat yields following a shortened fallow period. Fallow stores moisture, which helps stabilize crop yields and reduces the risk of crop failure; however, only 25 to 30% of the precipitation received during the fallow period of a no-till wheat-fallow rotation is stored. The remaining 75 to 70% of precipitation is lost, primarily due to evaporation. Moisture storage in fallow is more efficient earlier in the fallow period, when the soil is dry, and during the winter months when the evaporation rate is …

Efficacy Of Zest, Resolve, And Harmony Tank Mixes Used Sequentially In Irrigated Acetolactase Synthase (Als)-Resistant Grain Sorghum, R. S. Currie, P. W. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Palmer amaranth control was best when Cinch was applied preemergence (PRE) fol­lowed by Zest plus atrazine postemergence (POST) or when Cinch ATZ was applied early postemergence (EPOST) with Zest and atrazine. Most herbicides provided excellent crabgrass control. Shattercane control was excellent with all herbicides except Cinch ATZ applied PRE. Minor sorghum stunting was observed with some treatments three days after application, but sorghum had completely recovered within one week. Herbicide-treated grain sorghum yielded 48 to 93 bu/a more grain than untreated sorghum. Sorghum yields were best when Cinch or Cinch ATZ was applied PRE followed by Zest and atrazine POST, …

Weed Control And Injury With Non-Labeled Herbicides In Grain Sorghum, R. S. Currie, P. W. Geier, W. Keeling, B. Bean

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Palmer amaranth control at Garden City, KS, was good with Acuron or Lumax EZ. At Lubbock, TX, Palmer amaranth control was excellent with all herbicides except Surestart II and Valor at 1 oz/a. Surestart II and Valor provided only fair control of kochia and Russian thistle late in the season at Garden City. No visible sorghum injury from any herbicide was observed at Garden City, and sorghum yields were not affected. Very dry conditions during the experiment at Garden City likely minimized sorghum injury and limited sorghum yields. At Lubbock, minor sorghum injury was observed early with Acuron and Valor. …

Effect Of Late Nitrogen Applications On Grain Filling In Corn, J. A. Fernandez, I. A. Ciampitti

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

In order to evaluate the effect of nitrogen (N) with late-season fertilizer applications in corn, grain yield and grain filling parameters were evaluated for three genotypes under three N levels. Hybrids with different release years (3394, 1990s; P1151, 2000s; and P1197, 2016) and contrasting N application scenarios (zero-N, N at flowering, and N two weeks after flowering) were evaluated in two studies (dryland and irrigated) at the Ashland Bottoms Research Farm, Manhattan, KS, 2017 season. Results showed that under N stress conditions, the absence of N fertilization in corn significantly reduced yields, by affecting both grain number (GN) and grain …

Impact On Soybean Yield From Sudden Death Syndrome And Soybean Planting Date, E. A. Adee, C. Little, I. A. Ciampitti

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) is a disease caused by the soilborne fungusFusarium virguliforme. This fungus prefers wet conditions and thus is usually most severe in irrigated fields. SDS tends to be most severe on well-managed soybeans with a high yield potential. It also tends to be more prevalent on fields that are infested with soybean cyst nematode (SCN) or planted early when soils are wet and cool. Historical yield losses from this disease are generally in the range of 1–25%.

Soybean planting dates have been moving increasingly earlier in much of the soybean growing region, including Kansas. Yield …

Plant Population And Fungicide Treatment Reduce Winter Wheat Yield Gap In Kansas, B. R. Jaenisch, R. P. Lollato

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Despite the large winter wheat yield gap in Kansas, limited research is available on integrated agronomic practices to increase grain yield. Our objective was to quantify the contribution of individual and combined management practices to reduce wheat yield gap. An incomplete factorial treatment structure established in a randomized complete block design was conducted in three locations in Kansas during 2016–2017 to evaluate the impacts of 14 treatments on yield and grain protein concentration of the modern wheat variety ‘Everest.’ We individually added six treatments to a low-input standard control or removed from a high-input intensive control, which received all treatments. …

Kansas Field Research 2018

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The research program at the Kansas State University East Central Kansas Experiment Field is designed to keep area crop producers abreast of technological advances in agronomic agriculture.

The Kansas State University Kansas River Valley Experiment Field was established to study management and effective use of irrigation resources for crop production in the Kansas River Valley (KRV).

Weather Information For Tribune, H. D. Bond, J. Slattery

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Summary of weather for research conducted at the Tribune field location.

Weather Information For Garden City, 2017, J. Elliott

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Summary of weather for research conducted at the Garden City field location.

Determining Profitable Forage Rotations, J. D. Holman, A. Obour, A. Schlegel, T. Roberts, S. Maxwell

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Annual forages are an important crop in the High Plains, yet the region lacks recom­mended annual forage rotations compared to those developed for grain crops. Forages are important for the region’s livestock and dairy industries and are becoming increasingly important as irrigation capacity and grain prices decrease. Forages require less water than grain crops and may allow for increased cropping system intensity and opportunistic cropping. A study was initiated in 2012 at the Southwest Research-Extension Center near Garden City, KS, comparing several 1-, 3-, and 4-year forage rotations with no-tillage and minimum-tillage. Data presented are from 2013 through 2017. Tillage …

Efficacy Of Mesotrione-Based Tank Mixtures And Application Timings Compared To Standards In Irrigated Corn, R. S. Currie, P. W. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Kochia, Russian thistle, and quinoa control was excellent regardless of treatment or rating date. Sunflower control at 10 DAPT was very good when Anthem Maxx (pyroxasulfone + fluthiacet) + Solstice (fluthiacet + mesotrione) + atrazine and glyphosate were applied EPOST, while green foxtail control was 94% with the same treatment at 68 DAPT. Palmer amaranth and green foxtail control at 68 DAPT was 93 and 91%, respectively, when SureStart II (acetochlor + flumetsulam + clopyralid) + atrazine and glyphosate were applied PRE followed by glyphosate POST. All herbicide-treated corn yielded 34 to 69 bu/a more grain than the untreated control. …

Vida Alone And In Tank Mixtures For Spring Kochia Control In Fallow, R. S. Currie, P. W. Geier, G. W. Boyer, P. W. Stahlman

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

No herbicide treatment provided more than 50% kochia control at Garden City, KS, or 80% kochia control at Hays after the first week of application. At Garden City, KS, treatments of Vida (pyraflufen) plus glyphosate and 2,4-D or dicamba, glyphosate alone, or glyphosate plus 2,4-D or dicamba provided greater than 89% kochia control. At Hays, glyphosate alone or with 2,4-D, and Vida plus dicamba alone or with glyphosate had greater than 85% control of kochia.

Tank Mixtures Of Vida For Late Summer Weed Control In Fallow, R. S. Currie, P. W. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Kochia control at soon after application was best when Vida (pyraflufen) was tank mixed with glyphosate, 2,4-D amine, and/or dicamba. However, no Vida treatment controlled kochia more than 60% one month after treatment. Treatments containing glyphosate, 2,4-D, and/or dicamba without Vida did not control kochia more than 33% during the first month. Similarly, Russian thistle control was best regardless of evaluation date when Vida was applied alone or tank mixed with another herbicide. Vida treatments provided 90 to 94% Russian thistle control one month after treatment. Treatments without Vida controlled Russian thistle no more than 63%.

Sericea Lespedeza Control From Growing-Season Prescribed Burning Causes No Collateral Damage To Non-Target Species, J. A. Alexander, W. H. Fick, J. Lemmon, G. A. Gatson, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 4 consecutive years of prescribed fire applied to native tallgrass range in either April, August, or September on forage biomass production, soil cover, and basal plant cover.

Study Description:Nine fire-management units (14 ± 6 acres) were burned at 1 of 3 prescribed times: early spring (April 1), mid-summer (August 1), or late summer (September 1). Plant species composition and soil cover were assessed annually each July using a modified step-point technique.

The Bottom Line:Burning during the summer for 4 consecutive years resulted in …

Naive Yearling Steers Consume Little Sericea Lespedeza In The Kansas Flint Hills, C. A. Sowers, J. D. Wolf, W. H. Fick, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to characterize diets selected by steers grazing sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata)-infested native tallgrass pastures.

Study Description:The experiment was conducted on eight native tallgrass pastures located in Woodson County, KS, at the Kansas State University Bessner Range Research Unit during the 2015 and 2016 growing season. Pastures were burned annually in April and stocked with yearling steers (n = 281/year; initial body weight = 582 ± 75 lb) at a relatively high stocking rate (2.7 acres/steer) from April 15 to July 15. Basal frequency of sericea lespedeza was 2.9 …

Annual Summary Of Weather Data For Parsons – 2017, M. Knapp, L. W. Lomas

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Weather Data for Parsons – 2017

Research Center Personnel, Acknowledgments, L. W. Lomas

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

We thank the following individuals, organizations, and firms that contributed to this year’s research programs through financial support, product donations, or services.

Southwest Research-Extension Center Field Day 2018, R. Gillen

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Kansas agricultural research from the Southwest Research-Extension Center.

Grazing Diets Of Mature Ewes In The Flint Hills Contain A Significant Proportion Of Sericea Lespedeza, C. A. Sowers, J. D. Wolf, W. H. Fick, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Objective:The objective of this study was to characterize diets selected by sheep grazing sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) infested native tallgrass pastures and contrast these diets to those of cattle grazing the same range earlier in the grazing season. Multi-species grazing may provide an additional tool to aid landholders in the control of sericea lespedeza compared to cattle grazing only.

Study Description:The study was conducted on 8 native tallgrass pastures grazed by more than 800 mature ewes. Pastures were infested with sericea lespedeza (basal frequency = 2.9 ± 2.43%) and stocked with yearling steers at a relatively …

Effects Of Various Grazing Systems On Grazing And Subsequent Finishing Performance, L. W. Lomas, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

MaxQ tall fescue, a wheat-bermudagrass double-crop system, and a wheat-crabgrass double-crop system have been three of the most promising grazing systems evaluated at the Kansas State University Southeast Agricultural Research Center in the past 20 years, but these systems have never been compared directly in the same study. The objective of this study was to compare grazing and subsequent finishing performance of stocker steers that grazed these three systems.

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Potassium Fertilization For Newly Established Tall Fescue, D. W. Sweeney, J. L. Moyer, J. K. Farney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Tall fescue is the major cool-season grass in southeastern Kansas. Perennial grass crops, as with annual row crops, rely on proper fertilization for optimum production; however, meadows and pastures are often under-fertilized and produce low quantities of low-quality forage. Even when new stands are established, this is often true. The objective of this study was to determine whether N, P, and K fertilization improves yields during the early years of a stand.

Electrical Resistivity Tomography Of Claypan Soils In Southeastern Kansas, M. A. Mathis Ii, S. E. Tucker-Kulesza, G. F. Sassenrath

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Claypan soils cover approximately 10 million acres across several states in the central United States. The soils are characterized by a highly impermeable clay layer within the profile that impedes water flow and root growth. While some claypan soils can be productive, they must be carefully managed to avoid reductions to crop productivity due to root restrictions, water, and nutrient limitations. Clay soils are usually resistant to erosion but may exacerbate erosion of the silt-loam topsoil.

Soil production potential is the capacity of soil to produce at a given level (yield per acre). The productive capacity is tied to soil …

Searc Agricultural Research 2018, L. W. Lomas

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Agricultural Research 2018, Southeast Agricultural Research Center, Kansas State University, April 2018

Precipitation Data, M. Knapp

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Precipitation for the 2016-2017 growing seasons for experiment stations in Kansas.