Life Sciences Commons^™

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 …

Effects Of Supplementation With Corn Or Dried Distillers Grains On Gains Of Heifer Calves Grazing Smooth Bromegrass Pastures, L. W. Lomas, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Distillers grains, a by-product of the ethanol industry, have tremendous potential as an economical and nutritious supplement for grazing cattle. Distillers grains contain a high concentration of protein (25 to 30%), with more than two-thirds escaping degradation in the rumen, which makes it an excellent supplement for younger cattle. Recent advancements in the ethanol manufacturing process have resulted in extraction of a greater amount of fat; therefore, creating distillers grains that may contain less energy than corn. This research was conducted to compare performance of stocker cattle supplemented with corn or DDG at 0.5% body weight per head daily while …

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

Seeding Rate And Nitrogen Application Effects On Spring Oat And Triticale Forage, A. Obour, J. D. Holman, A. Schlegel

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Spring oat and triticale are important forage crops in dryland and limited irrigated crop production systems in western Kansas. Previous research in western Kansas showed that growing spring forages in place of fallow reduced soil erosion and increased fallow precipitation use efficiency compared to summer fallow, and increased profitability compared to fallow in years with average to above average rainfall. Despite the great potential of spring forages, information on seeding rate and nitrogen fertilizer recommendations are limited. These management practices can affect forage productivity and nutritive value.

Current N fertilizer recommendations for oat and triticale are based on a very …

Variable Response Of Kochia Accessions To Dicamba And Fluroxypyr In Western Kansas, V. Kumar, P. W. Stahlman, R. Currie, R. Engel, G. Boyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The rapid development of glyphosate resistance in kochia has increased the use of auxinic herbicides (dicamba and fluroxypyr) in the US Great Plains, including Kansas. Increasing reliance on auxinic herbicides for controlling glyphosate-resistant (GR) kochia may also enhance the evolution of resistance to these herbicide chemistries. The main objectives of this research were to (1) investigate the variation in kochia response to dicamba and fluroxypyr, and (2) characterize the dicamba resistance levels among progeny of kochia accessions collected from western Kansas. Greenhouse experiments were conducted at the Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center near Hays, KS. Discriminate-dose studies with field-use …

Soybean Evaluation Of Inoculation: A Three-Year Summary, M. A. Secchi, T. M. Albuquerque, O. A. Ortez, G. I. Carmona, J. Kimball, E. A. Adee, I. A. Ciampitti

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The relationships between soybean (Glycine max) seed yield and response to nitrogen (N) fertilization have received considerable coverage in scientific literature. This project aims to quantify the response to inoculation for soybean in a field without previous history of this crop (20 years). To address this objective, field studies were conducted during the 2015, 2016, and 2017 growing seasons at the East Central Experiment Field, Ottawa, KS. The treatments consisted of five different N-management approaches: non-inoculated (NI), inoculation at the recommended commercial rate (I1), a double rate of inoculation (I2), a triple rate of inoculation (I3), and non-inoculated …

Comprehensive Control Of Sericea Lespedeza With Four Consecutive Years Of Prescribed Fire During Summer, 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 annual prescribed burning applied during the growing season on vigor of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) infesting native tallgrass range.

Study Description:We burned nine fire-management units (14 ± 6 acres) at one of three prescribed-burning times: early spring (April 1), mid-summer (August 1), or late summer (September 1). Effects on sericea lespedeza were evaluated annually on July 10, October 10, and November 1.

The Bottom Line:Compared to traditional spring, dormant-season burning, burning during the summer months over four consecutive years resulted in …

Precipitation Data, M. Knapp

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

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

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. …

Forage Type And Maturity Effects On Yield And Nutritive Value, J. D. Holman, A. Obour, T. Roberts, S. Maxwell

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolorL.) and sorghum × sudan (Sorghum bicolor sssp. Drummondii) are important annual forages in the High Plains. Advancements in brown mid-rib (BMR) cultivars will likely affect forage yield and nutritive values. A study was initiated in 2017 at the Southwest Research-Extension Center near Garden City, KS, comparing one variety each of BMR and non-BMR forage sorghum and sorghum × sudan cultivars. Forage type and growth stage affected yield and nutritive value, and occasionally there was an interaction between forage type and maturity.

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.

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).

Occasional Tillage In A Wheat-Sorghum-Fallow Rotation, A. Schlegel, J. D. Holman

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Beginning in 2012, research was conducted in Garden City and Tribune, KS, to de­termine the effect of a single tillage operation every 3 years on grain yields in a wheat-sorghum-fallow (WSF) rotation. Grain yields of wheat and grain sorghum were not affected by a single tillage operation every 3 years in a WSF rotation. Grain yield varied greatly by year from 2014 to 2017. Wheat yields ranged across years from mid-20s to 80 bu/a at Tribune and about 10 (hail damage) to near 60 bu/a at Garden City. Grain sorghum yields ranged from less than 60 to greater than 140 …

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.

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 …

Late Summer Prescribed Fire And Fall Herbicide Application Show Strong Suppressive Effects On Sericea Lespedeza Frequency And Vigor, 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 efficacy of a one-time application of late summer prescribed fire followed by fall herbicide application for substantially reducing sericea lespedeza frequency and vigor.

Study Description:A single 80-acre native tallgrass pasture was divided into 16 units. Each of these units was either burned in early September (burn only), sprayed with Escort XP (DuPont, Wilmington, DE) in late September (spray only), burned in early September and subsequently sprayed in late September (burn + spray), or neither burned nor sprayed (control). Sericea lespedeza frequency and vigor was measured shortly before …

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 …

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 …

Cattlemen's Day 2018, E. A. Boyle

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Full report, Cattlemen's Day 2018.

Interseeding Warm-Season Annual Grasses Into Perennial Cool-Season Western Wheatgrass Pasture, K. R. Harmoney, J. Guretzky

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Conversion of pastureland into cropland has occurred at a rapid rate on the central to northern Great Plains. A reduction in total acreage of pastureland from this conversion has resulted in a decline of total numbers of beef cows in the same region. One method to mitigate the decline in cow numbers is to increase carrying capacity of the remaining pastureland acres. Introducing warm-season annual grass species into perennial coolseason grass pastures to increase dry matter production during the mid-summer time period that perennial cool-season grasses would be most dormant is one strategy that may be able to boost production. …

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.

Effects Of Interseeding Ladino Clover Into Tall Fescue Pastures Of Varying Endophyte Status On Grazing Performance Of Stocker Steers, L. W. Lomas, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Tall fescue, the most widely adapted cool-season perennial grass in the United States, is grown on approximately 66 million acres. Although tall fescue is well adapted in the eastern half of the country between the temperate north and mild south, presence of a fungal endophyte results in poor performance of grazing livestock, especially during the summer. Until recently, producers with high-endophyte tall fescue pastures had two primary options for improving grazing livestock performance. One option was to destroy existing stands and replace them with endophyte-free fescue or other forages. Although it supports greater animal performance than endophyte-infected fescue, endophyte-free fescue …

Including Legumes In Bermudagrass Pastures, J. L. Moyer, L. W. Lomas

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Bermudagrass is a productive forage species when intensively managed. However, it has periods of dormancy and requires proper management to maintain forage quality. Legumes in the bermudagrass sward could improve forage quality and reduce fertilizer usage; however, legumes are difficult to establish and maintain with the competitive grass. Clovers can maintain survival once established in bermudagrass sod and may be productive enough to substitute for some N fertilization. This study was designed to compare dry cow performance on a bermudagrass pasture system that included ladino and crimson clovers (Legume) vs. bermudagrass alone (Nitrogen).

Evaluation Of Tall Fescue Cultivars, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceumSchreb.) is the most widely grown forage grass in southeastern Kansas. Its tolerance to extremes in climate and soils of the region is partly attributable to its association with a fungal endophyte,Neotyphodium coenophialum; however, most ubiquitous endophytes are also responsible for production of substances toxic to some herbivores, including cattle, sheep, and horses. Endophytes that purportedly lack toxins, but augment plant vigor have been identified and inserted into tall fescue cultivars adapted to the United States. These cultivars, and others that are fungus-free or contain a ubiquitous endophyte (i.e. Ky 31 EF and …

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.

Timing Of Side-Dress Applications Of Nitrogen For Corn In Conventional And No-Till Systems, D. W. Sweeney, D. E. Shoup, Dorivar Ruiz Diaz

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Environmental conditions vary widely in the spring in southeastern Kansas. As a result, much of the N applied prior to corn planting may be lost before the time of maximum plant N uptake. Side-dress or split applications to provide N during rapid growth periods may improve N use efficiency while reducing potential losses to the environment. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of timing of side-dress N fertilization compared with pre-plant N applications for corn grown on a claypan soil.

Response Of Soybean Grown On A Claypan Soil In Southeastern Kansas To The Residual Of Different Plant Nutrient Sources And Tillage, D. W. Sweeney, Philip Barnes, Gary Pierzynski

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Increased fertilizer prices in recent years, especially noticeable when the cost of phosphorus spiked in 2008, have led U.S. producers to consider other alternatives, including manure sources. The use of poultry litter as an alternative to fertilizer is of particular interest in southeastern Kansas because large amounts of poultry litter are imported from nearby confined animal feeding operations in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. Annual application of turkey litter can affect the current crop, but information is lacking concerning any residual effects from several continuous years of poultry litter applications on a following crop. This is especially true for tilled soil …

Use Of A Fungicide To Reduce Stomatal Conductance For Production Of Sweet Corn Planted At Different Populations With Limited Irrigation, D. W. Sweeney, M. B. Kirkham

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Sweet corn is a potential value-added, alternative crop for producers in southeastern Kansas. Corn responds to irrigation, and timing of water deficits can affect yield components. Even though large irrigation sources, such as aquifers, are lacking in southeastern Kansas, supplemental irrigation could be supplied from the substantial number of small lakes and ponds in the area. However, this may not be enough to improve the water use of the plant. Reducing stomatal conductance and adjusting seeding rate may also help reduce water stress and/or improve water use efficiency. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of limited …

Crop Production Summary, Southeast Kansas – 2017, G. F. Sassenrath, L. Mengarelli, J. Lingenfelser, X. Lin, D. E. Shoup

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Crop production is dependent on many factors, most notably, environmental conditions during the growing season. Here, we summarize the environmental conditions during the 2017 growing season in comparison to previous years and the historical averages. Information on crop yields is taken from reported values and yields from variety trials in southeast and east central Kansas.

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 …