Life Sciences Commons^™

Integrating Livestock And Cropping Systems: Interseeding Cereal Rye Into Corn For Late Season Grazing, K. J. Soder

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Corn (Zea mays) grown for grain is harvested too late in the year in many temperate regions to establish a cover crop to provide winter ground cover and an opportunity for late season grazing. The objective of this project is to evaluate the effect of interseeding cereal rye (Secale cereale) into corn for use as grazed forage after corn grain harvest on corn grain yield and additional grazing day/ha. In a 4-year study, corn was planted (64,246 plants/ha) in spring on two, 4.8-ha fields in central Pennsylvania. Cereal rye was interseeded (135 kg/ha) into the corn …

Evaluation Of Corn Agronomic Management Practices Following A Rye Cover Crop, Daniel John Quinn

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Fall implementation of a rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop (RCC) prior to spring corn (Zea mays L.) planting is a management practice used to improve soil conservation, water quality, and limit herbicide dependence. However, corn growth and yield following a RCC is often reduced due to early-season nitrogen (N) stress and decreased plant emergence, which can limit RCC adoption. The objective(s) of this research were to evaluate corn agronomic management practices (e.g., N and seeding rate management, in-furrow (IF) starter use) following a RCC and determine which management practices can be used to limit corn stress following …

Field-Observed Angles Of Repose For Stored Grain In The United States, Rumela Bhadra, Mark E. Casada, Sidney A. Thompson, Josephine M. Boac, Ronaldo G. Maghirang, Michael D. Montross, Aaron P. Turner, Samuel G. Mcneill

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Bulk grain angle of repose (AoR) is a key parameter for inventorying grain, predicting flow characteristics, and designing bins and grain handling systems. The AoR is defined for two cases, piling (dynamic) or emptying (static), and usually varies with grain type. The objective of this study was to measure piling angles of repose for corn, sorghum, barley, soybeans, oats, and hard red winter (HRW) wheat in steel and concrete bins in the United States. Angles were measured in 182 bins and 7 outdoor piles. The piling AoR for corn ranged from 15.7° to 30.2° (median of 20.4° and standard deviation …

Pack Factor Measurements For Corn In Grain Storage Bins, Rumela Bhadra, Aaron P. Turner, Mark E. Casada, Michael D. Montross, Sidney A. Thompson, Josephine M. Boac, Samuel G. Mcneill, Ronaldo G. Maghirang

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Shelled yellow corn is commonly stored in concrete or corrugated steel bins. Granular materials compact under their own weight, primarily due to particle rearrangement, leading to an increase in bulk density and a change in volume when stored. Reliable grain pack factors are needed to estimate storage capacities and to accurately monitor grain inventories. A science-based model (WPACKING) of pack factors is available that uses the differential form of Janssen's equation and takes into account the variation in density caused by pressure variation with height and moisture content of the grain and accounts for the effects of grain type, test …

Using An Active Optical Sensor To Improve Nitrogen Management In Corn Production, Donato Titolo

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Corn nitrogen (N) applications are still done on a field basis in Kentucky, according to previous crop, soil tillage management and soil drainage. Soil tests, as well as plant analysis for N, are not very useful in making N fertilizer rate recommendations for corn. Recommended rates assume that only 1/3 to 2/3 of applied N is recovered, variability largely due to the strong affect of weather on the release of soil N and fertilizer N fate. Many attempts have been made to apply N in a more precise and efficient way. Two experiments were conducted at Spindeltop, the University of …

Corn And Soybean Profitability 2010, Gregory S. Halich

Agricultural Economics Presentations

No abstract provided.

Zinc Fertilizer Rates And Mehlich Iii Soil Test Levels For Corn, Lloyd W. Murdock, Paula L. Howe

Agronomy Notes

Zinc (Zn) is the micronutrient most often deficient for corn in Kentucky. This problem occurs every year but is more commonly seen in years with a cool, wet spring. Although the environment, soil type and past erosion each have an effect, the most important factors controlling plant available Zn are the soil pH, extractable soil phosphorus (P) and extractable soil Zn. While the amount of Zn in the plant increases as the available soil Zn increases, increasing levels of soil P and pH are strongly associated with reduced levels of Zn in the plant.

Comparison Of Weed Management Strategies With Roundup Ready® Corn, J. A. Ferrell, William W. Witt

Agronomy Notes

Corn weed management during the past several years in Kentucky has centered around two herbicide families, the chloroacetamides (Dual, Frontier, Harness, Micro-Tech, Surpass) and the s-triazines (AAtrex, Bladex, Princep). These products have been used widely because they offer acceptable, full season control of many common warm season annual weeds at a reasonable price. This combination has been so popular that several premixtures that contain these types of herbicides (Bicep II, Bullet, Guardsman, Harness Xtra, Surpass 100, FulTime) are used commonly used in Kentucky. The key to this efficacious and economic program is atrazine because it controls most annual broadleaf …

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 …

Lime Source And Rate Effects On Corn Production On An Acid Soil, Kenneth L. Wells, James E. Dollarhide, V. W. Case

Agronomy Notes

Quality of lime available for use in neutralizing soil acidity can be quite variable in Kentucky. This sometimes raises questions of which locally available source is most effective. Information about the quality of individual lime sources is necessary to make such determinations.

Using Poultry Manure From Layers As A Supplemental Nitrogen Source For Corn, Lloyd W. Murdock, R. Darrell Simpson, Tim Gray

Agronomy Notes

The objectives of this study were to try to find an effective inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate to apply to a corn crop when poultry manure has been used on the field and to see if an N soil test at sidedress time could help predict the amount of N needed.

Hybrid Variation For Yield, Crude Protein, Feed Value And Percent Lysine Of Corn Grown In The 1991 Kentucky Hybrid Corn Performance Test, C. G. Poneleit, K. O. Evans, Michael Collins, D. O. Liptrap

Agronomy Notes

These data are the results from the second year of protein analyses of corn hybrids grown at three locations in the Kentucky Hybrid Corn Performance Test. These analyses were supported. by a grant from the Kentucky Corn Growers Association.

Corn Response To Zinc On High Ph Soils, William O. Thom, James E. Dollarhide, Jeff Henderson, Vern Case

Agronomy Notes

Corn is the most responsive to zinc of all agronomic crops grown in Kentucky. Zinc deficiency can occur most often in soil of the Inner Bluegrass and in south central Kentucky. This deficiency is most likely when these soils have a high pH, although such factors as high phosphorus, low organic matter, and loss of topsoil through erosion or construction can increase deficiency symptoms. Also, zinc deficiency is more prevalent during a cool, wet spring with symptoms often disappearing when the soils become warmer and drier. Zinc is a very immobile element, thus roots must grow throughout the root zone …

Hybrid Variation For Yield, Crude Protein, And Feed Value Of Corn, Z. Hu, C. G. Poneleit, K. O. Evans, Michael Collins, D. O. Liptrap

Agronomy Notes

The value of corn as a feed grain depends on the yield per acre, the protein content of the grain, and for some livestock, the lysine level of the protein. Most farmers are aware of yield differences among hybrid corn varieties but may not realize that protein content can also vary significantly. Grain protein level should be accounted for to determine how much protein supplementation will be needed to balance an appropriate animal diet. However, since corn protein is deficient in the amino acid lysine, which is essential for non-ruminant animals, lysine content as well as crude protein content should …

Grass Control In Corn With Accent And Beacon, W. W. Witt, Charles H. Slack, James R. Martin, Jonathan D. Green, M. A. Thompson

Agronomy Notes

The traditional method for grass control in corn is based on using herbicides applied to soil and incorporated before planting or to the soil surface after planting. This approach has been successful in controlling crabgrass, fall panicum and foxtails, but johnsongrass and shattercane control was sometimes inadequate.

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.

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.

Some Effects Of Shifting To Conservation Tillage Systems For Intensive Production Of Corn And Soybean, Kenneth L. Wells, H. C. Vaught, David Heisterburg

Agronomy Notes

About three-fourths of Kentucky's cropland base occurs on sloping land with some degree of erosion hazard. During the past decade, production of soybeans and corn increased rapidly in Kentucky, particularly on sloping land. This resulted in severe erosion on many farms, particularly in the "intensive grain producing counties. Much of this field erosion could be greatly reduced by developing a system for each field that would incorporate use of such agronomic practices as sod waterways, no-till planting, contour plowing, minimum tillage, strip cropping, double-cropping, winter cover crops, crop residue management and rotations. It is believed that the current acreage of …

Effect Of Tillage Tools On Improving Corn Yields From A Compacted Soil, Kenneth L. Wells, John H. Grove, Morris J. Bitzer, B. C. Milam

Agronomy Notes

An experiment was conducted on a 2-5% sloping Mercer silt loam soil on a farm in Bourbon/Harrison Counties where very poor corn was grown in 1984 because of soil compaction and drought. Soil test levels of the experimental area were: pH 4.8. and 99, 316, 2070. and 120 lbs/A of P, K, Ca, and Mg, respectively. Examination of the field showed that the compacted zone occurred uniformly in the 0-5 inch surface layer of soil. Cause of this compacted layer was thought to be due to excessive disk tillage in prior years when preparing the field for tobacco production and …

Hybrid Reactions To Phytotoxic Effects Of The Corn Herbicide, Eradicane Extra, C. G. Poneleit, K. O. Evans, W. W. Witt, R. M. Bullock

Agronomy Notes

Although corn hybrids are primarily evaluated only for yield performance in the Kentucky Hybrid Corn Performance Test, the 1984 test (Poneleit and Evans, 1985) provided a unique opportunity to evaluate hybrid reactions to an unusual hybrid-herbicide interacting Of seven non-virus test locations, four were treated with Eradicane Extra or Eradicane for weed control. At the Princeton location Eradicane Extra, at 8 pints/acre, was used for johnsongrass rhizome suppression and seedling control. In late July, a routine check revealed that numerous plants had unusual appearances that were similar to abnormalities reported earlier as caused by Eptam and Eradicane (Poneleit et aI, …

Effect Of Planting Dates Of No-Till And Conventional Corn On Soils With Restricted Drainage, James H. Herbek, Lloyd W. Murdock, Robert L. Blevins

Agronomy Notes

No-till corn is best adapted to well drained soils. It is on these soils that no-till has been most successful and the practice most widely accepted. On soils that are moderately well to somewhat poorly drained, no-till corn can also be successful but more management is required. Three areas which require more attention are weed control, nitrogen management and planting. It has long been recognized that no-tilling results in cooler soil temperatures which can delay and reduce seed germination and seedling emergence. Additional research also indicates that diseases which attack the corn seedling in the emergence stage are more prevalent …

Efficiency Of Nitrogen Use With Corn On A Tiled And Untiled Soil, Lloyd W. Murdock, John Kavanaugh, Harold F. Miller, Grant Thomas, Monroe Rasnake

Agronomy Notes

Excessive water is one of the largest contributors to the inefficient use of nitrogen in Kentucky. Because of this, nitrogen is often lost by both leaching and,denitrification. The amount, of these losses can be great depending on soil type and weather. Well-drained soils in Kentucky have been shown to lose less nitrogen than poorly drained soils. The nitrogen lost from well drained soils is usually due, to leaching. The nitrogen in the soil, even soon after applying non-nitrate forms of fertilizer N, is mostly in the water soluble nitrate form. When more water falls onto a well-drained soil than the …

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 …

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. …

Relationship Of Weed Control And Soil Ph To No-Tillage Corn Yields, J. J. Kells, C. E. Rieck, Robert L. Blevins, Charles H. Slack

Agronomy Notes

Atrazine and simazine are used for selective control of a broad spectrum of weeds in corn. Over 80% of the U.S. corn production is treated with one or the other of these two s-triazine herbicides. In Kentucky they are used annually on over 800,000 acres of corn, including over 200,000 acres of no-tillage corn. When added to the soil these compounds are ultimately degraded to non-phytotoxic compounds. The rate of degradation is dependent upon the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. Although atrazine and simazine are chemically similar, simazine is considered to degrade slightly slower than atrazine after …

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 …

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 …

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.

No-Tillage -- Suitability To Kentucky Soils, Robert L. Blevins

Agronomy Notes

As more farmers adopt no-tillage methods of farming the questions arises whether or not all soils are suited to this practice. To get an idea of how well suited the no-tillage method of corn production is to wide variety of soils, we made a survey in five different physiographic regions of Kentucky in 1969.