Life Sciences Commons^™

N, P, And K Fertilization For Newly Established Tall Fescue, D. W. Sweeney, J. L. Moyer, J. K. Farney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Second-year production of tall fescue was affected by nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization rates at Site 1 in 2014 and only by N fertilization rates at Site 2 in 2015, with little effect from potassium (K) fertilization at either site.

Release Of Ksuz 0802 Zoysiagrass, J. Fry, Ambika Chandra

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A new zoysiagrass cultivar, under the experimental designation KSUZ 0802, was released jointly by the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Texas A&M AgriLife Research in 2015.

Evaluating The Effects Of Simulated Golf Cart Traffic On Dormant Buffalograss And Turfgrass Colorants, E. Alderman, J. Hoyle, J. Fry, S. Keeley

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Percent green cover will ultimately decrease over time when traffic is applied to dormant buffalograss with turfgrass colorants. Data suggests that an additional five weeks of acceptable green cover can be achieved under high traffic situations when Endurant Premium is applied to dormant turf.

Preventative Control Of Brown Patch With Select Fungicides, E. Alderman, J. Reeves, J. Hoyle

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Preventative applications of Velista and Heritage Action fungicides will decrease the percentage of brown patch observed in a perennial stand of tall fescue.

Sudden Death Syndrome And Soybean Planting Date, Eric Adee, C. R. Little, I. A. Ciampitti

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The effect of soybean planting date on the severity of sudden death syndrome (SDS) and yield were evaluated in two studies at the Kansas River Valley Experiment Field in 2015. One study was established to promote SDS and the other to minimize SDS. In both studies the severity of SDS was greatest with the earlier planting dates, except for the more tolerant variety. The yield was greatest with the earlier planting date, except for the most susceptible variety. The severity of SDS was not as great as had been observed in previous years.

Subsurface Drip Nitrogen Fertigation Of Corn, A. Aubert, K. Roozeboom, D. Ruiz Diaz, A. Gipps, T. Wolf

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The efficient management of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and irrigation is of utmost importance because they are two of the greatest expenses for corn production. This project was conducted to determine if yield and efficiency of fertilizer N in corn could be improved by applying N at later developmental stages through a subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system. Experiments in 2014 and 2015 compared a Preplant Surface application that injected fertilizer in bands below the residue at planting, to four versions of SDI fertigation that differed in timing and total amount of N applied. The SDI Sidedress treatment concluded at corn tassel …

Evaluating The Interaction Between Chelated Iron Source And Placement On Phosphorus Availability In Soybean, C. L. Edwards, D. Ruiz Diaz

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

In agriculture, chelating agents are used to supplement micronutrients, such as iron (Fe). However, little research has been conducted at the field-scale level to evaluate chelating agent effects on phosphorus (P). The objectives of this study were to evaluate three commercially available chelated Fe sources on early soybean growth and nutrient uptake. The study was conducted at six locations in 2014 and 2015. The experimental design was a randomized, complete block with a factorial treatment arrangement. The two factors included fertilizer source and fertilizer placement. The fertilizer sources were P only, EDTA-Fe, HEDTA-Fe, and one glucoheptonate product, Cee*Quest N5Fe758 (CQ-758), …

Large-Scale Dryland Cropping Systems, A. Schlegel, L. Haag, D. O'Brien

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study was conducted from 2008 to 2015 at the Kansas State University Southwest Research-Extension Center near Tribune, Kansas. The crop rotations evaluated were continuous grain sorghum (SS), wheat-fallow (WF), wheat-corn-fallow (WCF), wheat-sorghum-fallow (WSF), wheat-corn-sorghum-fallow (WCSF), and wheat-sorghum-corn-fallow (WSCF). All rotations were grown using no-till practices except for WF, which was grown using reduced-tillage. Precipitation capture efficiency was not greater with more intensive rotations. Wheat yields were not affected by length of rotation. Corn and grain sorghum yields were about 60% greater when following wheat than when following corn or grain sorghum. Grain sorghum yields were almost twice as great …

Seeding Rate For Dryland Wheat, A. Schlegel, J. D. Holman, L. Haag

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Four winter wheat varieties (Plainsgold Byrd, Limagrain T158, Syngenta TAM 111, and WestBred Winterhawk) were planted at five seeding rates (30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 lb/a) in the fall of 2014 at Colby, Garden City, and Tribune, KS. The objective of the study is to identify appropriate seeding rates for dryland winter wheat in western Kansas. Averaged across varieties, a seeding rate of 60 lb/a seemed to be adequate at all locations in 2015. The wheat variety T158 was the highest yielding (or in the highest group) at all locations. Other varieties may have been affected by differential response …

Nitrogen And Phosphorus Fertilization Of Irrigated Grain Sorghum, A. Schlegel, H. D. Bond

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Long-term research shows that phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) fertilizer must be applied to optimize production of irrigated grain sorghum in western Kansas. In 2015, N applied alone increased yields 66 bu/a, whereas N and P applied together increased yields up to 92 bu/a. Averaged across the past 10 years, N and P fertilization increased sorghum yields up to 76 bu/a. Application of 40 lb/a N (with P) was sufficient to pro­duce 88% of maximum yield in 2015 which is slightly above the 10-yr average. Applica­tion of potassium (K) has had no effect on sorghum yield throughout the study period. …

Evaluation Of Tall Fescue Cultivars, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Spring 2015 yield was higher for ‘Ky 31 EF’ than for nine of the 19 other entries. Summer production of ‘PBU-B7’ was greater than for five lower-yielding entries. Total 2015 production was greater for ‘PBU-B1’ and Ky 31 EF than for seven other cultivars.

2015 Crop Performance In Southeast Kansas, Gretchen Sassenrath, Jane Lingenfelser, L. Mengarelli, X. Lin

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Crop variety testing determines the production potential of newly released crop cultivars in Southeast Kansas. The genetic potential is moderated by environmental conditions during the growing season as well as soil productive capacity.

East Central Kansas Experiment Field, Eric Adee

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The research program at the East Central Kansas Experiment Field is designed to keep area crop producers abreast of technological advances in agronomic agriculture. Specific objectives are to (1) identify top performing varieties and hybrids of wheat, corn, soybean, and grain sorghum; (2) establish the amount of tillage and crop residue cover needed for optimum crop production; (3) evaluate weed and disease control practices using chemical, no chemical, and combination methods; and (4) test fertilizer rates, timing, and application methods for agronomic proficiency and environmental stewardship.

Long-Term Nitrogen And Phosphorus Fertilization Of Irrigated Grain Sorghum, A. Schlegel, H. D. Bond

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Long-term research shows that phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) fertilizer must be applied to optimize production of irrigated grain sorghum in western Kansas. In 2015, N applied alone increased yields 66 bu/a, whereas N and P applied together increased yields up to 92 bu/a. Averaged across the past 10 years, N and P fertilization increased sorghum yields up to 76 bu/a. Application of 40 lb/a N (with P) was sufficient to produce 88% of maximum yield in 2015 which is slightly above the 10-year average. Application of potassium (K) has had no effect on sorghum yield throughout the study period. …

Weed Control And Crop Injury With Single Or Sequential Herbicide Applications In Grain Sorghum, R. Currie, P. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The preemergence application of Dual II Magnum (S-metolachlor) improved the over­all weed control compared to single postemergence treatments. Excessive rainfall after preemergence application compromised all treatments, producing abnormally low weed control.

Kansas River Valley Experiment Field, Eric Adee

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The 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). The Paramore Unit consists of 80 acres located 3.5 miles east of Silver Lake on U.S. Highway 24, then 1 mile south of Kiro, and 1.5 miles east on 17th street. The Rossville Unit consists of 80 acres located 1 mile east of Rossville or 4 miles west of Silver Lake on U.S. Highway 24.

Timing Of Strobilurin Fungicide For Control Of Top Dieback In Corn, Eric Adee, Stu Duncan

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Significant yield losses can result from top dieback (TDB) in dent corn (Zea mays), which is caused by infection by the fungus causing anthracnose (Colletotrichum graminicola). Research is limited on the effectiveness of fungicide application because of the unpredictable nature of the disease. Two field studies were established to assess the timing of fungicide application on TDB, one in Illinois (2010) and the other in Kansas (2015). Fungicide applications at tasseling (VT) and later were effective in reducing the incidence of TDB 20 to 30% and increasing yield 15 to 19 bu/a, or up to 10%, …

Soybean: Evaluation Of Inoculation, I. A. Ciampitti, Eric Adee, J. Kimball, G. I. Carmona

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A soybean crop can obtain up to 50 to 75% of its nitrogen (N) requirements from the air when the biological fixation is effectively established (Pedersen, 2007). The overall objective of this project was to quantify the response to inoculation for soybean in a field without previous history of this crop. Following this rationale, a field study was conducted during the 2015 growing season at Ottawa (east central Kansas). The treatments consisted in five different N management approaches: non-inoculated, inoculated × 1, inoculated × 2, inoculated × 3 and non-inoculated but fertilized with 300 lb N per acre as the …

Integrated Grain And Forage Rotations, J. D. Holman, T. Roberts, S. Maxwell

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Producers are interested in growing forages in rotation with grain crops. Many produc­ers are interested in diversifying their operations to include livestock or grow feed for the livestock industry. By integrating forages into the cropping system, producers can take advantage of more markets and reduce market risk. Forages require less water to make a crop than grain crops, so the potential may exist to reduce fallow by including forages in the crop rotation. Reducing fallow through intensified grain/forage rotations may increase the profitability and sustainability compared to existing crop rotations.

This study was started in 2013, with crops grown in-phase …

Weed Control With Postemergence Applications Of Status, Armezon, Atrazine, Corvus, Verdict, And Roundup Powermax In Irrigated Corn, R. Currie, P. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

All postemergence herbicides provided greater than 98% control of quinoa, common sunflower, Palmer amaranth, and green foxtail. Crabgrass and Russian thistle were more difficult to control. All postemergence herbicides except Roundup PowerMax (glypho­sate) alone controlled Russian thistle and crabgrass greater than 89%. Diflexx (dicamba) plus Roundup PowerMax was slightly more efficacious on kochia than Status (diflufen­zopyr + dicamba) plus Armezon (topramezone) with atrazine and Roundup Power­Max, and all other herbicides were intermediate for kochia control. Corn yields did not differ between herbicide treatments. However, all herbicides increased grain yields.

Control Of Individual Honey Locust Trees In Grazed Pasture, K. R. Harmoney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is a deciduous tree that produces large brown seed pods and thorny appendages, and is present throughout most of the US. The pods are highly nutritious for livestock and wildlife, and are easily spread by animals in dung pats. Honey locust is typically found in greatest concentrations in the central U.S. in the same general range as historical tallgrass prairie. Fire suppression and introduction of honey locust into shelter belts has allowed honey locust to increase into more arid regions associated with mixed grass prairie. When cut, honey locust is capable of producing abundant …

Annual Summary Of Weather Data For Parsons, M. Knapp

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Weather Data for Parsons, Kansas, 2015.

Effects Of Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum On Crop Yield And Soil Properties In Kansas, Deann Presley

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum was recently approved for use in Kansas as a sulfur (S) fertilizer and as a soil amendment. Gypsum has been known as an effective product used in remediation of sodic soils, as the calcium (Ca) can exchange with sodium (Na) on the cations on clay particles. Marketing efforts have promoted the use of FGD gypsum on non-sodic soils as a means of improving soil health. Two 3-year study sites were established in Kansas in 2013, and no yield effects were observed for any of the site years. Treatment differences for grain quality and soil chemical …

Personnel, Acknowledgments, L. W. Lomas

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Research Center Personnel, Kansas State University Southeast Agricultural Research Center.

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

Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Detect Turfgrass Drought, D. Bremer, Deon Van Der Merwe

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Kansas State University is evaluating the ability of using small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to detect drought stress in turfgrass. Their research indicates high resolution remote sensing with small UAS can detect drought stress before it is visible to the human eye. Preliminary measurements of a golf course revealed interesting differences in fairways, tees, and greens between summer and fall seasons. Additional research will be conducted in 2016.

Weed Control With Single Or Sequential Herbicide Applications In Acetolactase Synthase-Tolerant Grain Sorghum, R. Currie, P. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Palmer amaranth control was best when Resolve (rimsulfuron) plus Harmony GT (thifensulfuron) and Abundit Extra (glyphosate) were applied 15 days preplant fol­lowed by Zest (nicosulfuron) and atrazine postemergence, or by Zest plus atrazine alone postemergence. Palmer amaranth control was less than 80% with all other herbicide treatments. Preemergence herbicides alone provided less than 60% green foxtail control at 53 days after postemergence applications, and Zest plus atrazine alone postemergence controlled green foxtail 70%. Sequential applications of preemergence and postemer­gence herbicides were needed to provide the best green foxtail control. The relatively low weed control provided by these treatments may be …

Preemergence Weed Control With Fultime Nxt And Competitive Standards In Grain Sorghum, R. Currie, P. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

At 71 days after treatment, FulTime NXT (acetochlor + atrazine) at 2.5 or 3.0 qt/a and Lumax EZ (S-metolachlor + atrazine + mesotrione) at 2.0 qt/a were the only treatments to control Palmer amaranth at 90% or more. All treatments provided similar velvetleaf control. Green foxtail control was 75 to 83% with all rates of FulTime NXT or Lumax EZ. Sorghum receiving FulTime NXT at 2.5 or 3.0 qt/a or Lumax EZ yielded significantly more than the control treatments.

Effects Of Intensive Late-Season Sheep Grazing Following Early-Season Steer Grazing On Population Dynamics Of Sericea Lespedeza In The Kansas Flint Hills, J. Lemmon, W. H. Fick, J. A. Alexander, G. W. Preedy, C. A. Gurule, K C. Olson

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata; SL) is a high-tannin, invasive forb in the Tallgrass Prairie ecosystem. In Kansas, sericea lespedeza infests 980 square miles of pasture, primarily in the Flint Hills region. Sericea lespedeza infestations reduce native grass production by up to 92% through a combination of aggressive growth, prolific reproduction, canopy dominance, and chemical inhibition (allelopathy). Herbicides retard the spread of sericea lespedeza, but application is laborious and expensive; moreover, herbicides are lethal to ecologically-important, non-target plant species.

Increased grazing pressure on sericea lespedeza by domestic herbivores may slow its spread and facilitate some measure of biological control. …

Old World Bluestem Seedling Emergence And Vegetative Cover Following Glyphosate Treatment, K. R. Harmoney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Old world bluestems (OWB) are perennial warm-season grasses introduced into the U.S. from parts of Asia, eastern Europe, Africa, and Australia. The two most common old world bluestem species found in Kansas are yellow bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum), otherwise known as King Ranch bluestem, and Caucasian bluestem (Bothriochloa bladhii). These grasses were introduced for soil conservation and forage production in arid regions of the southern Great Plains; however, in Kansas and elsewhere, they have escaped areas where planted and have been invading native rangelands and pastures that were old crop fields seeded back to native grasses. Efforts …

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

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Use of legumes in bermudagrass pastures has often increased summer cow gains. Forage production was greater where ladino clover was used in the Legume system than where Nitrogen (N) alone was used in the first sampling, but the reverse was true in midsummer. Estimated forage crude protein during 2015 was greater for the Legume than the Nitrogen system in the first and last samplings, but similar in mid-summer pasture. Cow performance over the season was increased 68% where legumes were used.