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Aphanomyces-Resistant Alfalfa: A Solution To A Common Problem In Spring Seedings, Paul C. Vincelli, Jimmy C. Henning, Tim Hendrick, Gerald D. Brown, L. J. Osborne, Beth Prewitt, Val Shields, Don Sorrell, Kim Strohmeier, Ray Tackett, Joe Wyles

Agronomy Notes

For several decades, farmers have experienced a common stand-establishment disease syndrome when spring-seeded alfalfa was followed by extended periods of wet weather. Seedlings affected by this syndrome exhibit severe stunting as well as yellowing and reddening of seed leaves (cotyledons), but they do not wilt or collapse, as they might from a damping-off disease. Commonly, the problem affects most or all of the field.

Based on research that began in the 1980's, we suspected that a fungus called Aphanomyces euteiches (hereafter simply called Aphanomyces) was responsible. This root-rot fungus can be found in the majority of alfalfa fields we …

Common Pokeweed Management In Corn And Soybeans With A Conservation Tillage Cultivator And Herbicides, Jonathan D. Green, William W. Witt

Agronomy Notes

Common pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L.) is a warm-season perennial that grows well in nondisturbed areas such as fence rows and woodland borders. In recent years it has begun spreading to com and soybean fields where no-tillage practices are used. The deep taproot that is characteristic of common pokeweed, makes this weed difficult to manage, particularly in no-till plantings. The green leaves, fleshy stems, and purple berries of common pokeweed can inhibit the harvesting process and lead to discounts at the elevator for high moisture and stained seed.

The equipment industry has developed cultivators with large sweeps capable of operating …

Do Cover Crop Residue And No-Till Increase Poultry Litter Runoff?, M. A. Cooprider, Mark S. Coyne

Agronomy Notes

Manure and litter produced during broiler production are an environmental issue in Kentucky. The most common and practical disposal method is to apply the poultry wastes to pasture and crop land. If the wastes are incorporated by tillage immediately after application to crop land, nitrogen that might otherwise be lost by ammonia volatilization is conserved. However, incorporating wastes is not possible in no-till, which is a best management practice (BMP) used by 51% of Kentucky's farmers to control soil erosion. One question is whether surface application of poultry wastes onto no-till fields could increase fecal bacteria contamination of surrounding waterways …

Evaluation Of Soilless Media Used In Tobacco Float Systems, Robert C. Pearce, Jack M. Zeleznik

Agronomy Notes

A wide range of soilless media is currently available to tobacco growers utilizing the float system for transplant production. Most of the media are predominantly made up of peat moss with varying amounts of perlite, vermiculite,and coconut fibers (coir). One of the most difficult problems for growers has been inconsistency in the media from year to year. Because peat is a natural product, some year to year variability is unavoidable. However, many manufacturers of soilless media have procedures in place to ensure that the final product is as consistent as possible.

Field Evaluation Of Super Urea® For Production Of No-Till Corn, Kenneth L. Wells, James E. Dollarhide, H. E. Burkwhat

Agronomy Notes

Nitrification inhibitors and urease inhibitors have been commercially available to farmers for several years. Nitrification inhibitors are intended to minimize losses of nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) from soil due to leaching and denitrification, by slowing the activity of soil bacteria which convert ammonium nitrogen (NH₄-N) to the more easily lost NO₃-N. This has the potential to make NH₄-N or urea fertilizer sources of N more effective, particularly during late spring and early summer when soil and climatic conditions are usually more favorable for leaching or denitrification of NO₃-N. Urease inhibitors slow …