Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Producing And Marketing Kentucky Hay - A Challenge, Ed Logsdon

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Many of you probably are aware that Kentucky's commodity organizations are working with UK, the Agriculture Department and Farm Bureau in developing a plan to improve farm income in the state. This is a very ambitious project involving more than 40 farm organizations, including the Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council. This group has set a lofty goal of attempting to raise gross farm sales in the state from its current $3 billion level to around $5 billion by the turn of the century.

Alfalfa For Hay And Grazing In Tennessee, Joe Burns

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa has truly had its "ups and downs" in terms of acreage in Tennessee for the last 30 years. Just as the effect of a good fertilizer-lime-soil testing program was increasing the alfalfa acreage, the alfalfa weevil appears and begins to destroy the crop. With the aid of the insecticide heptachlor sprayed on the fertilizer, farmers continued to fertilize the alfalfa and kill the weevil at the same time.

Grazing Alfalfa — National Perspective, Warren C. Thompson

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

The production of alfalfa specifically for grazing is a fairly new practice. But now, farmers all around the USA are beginning to look toward alfalfa for a long living legume to increase yield, quality, and reliability all during the growing and grazing seasons. They also are looking for ways to reduce the cost of harvest, equipment, and storage costs, as well as weather-related harvest losses, and in time, reduced fertilizer costs.

Grazing Alfalfa — State Perspective, W. Roy Burris, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa has been grown in Kentucky for many years, but in the last decade, its acreage has increased dramatically- from 208,000 in 1978 to 350,000 in 1981 (Ky. Agri. Statistics Service). Alfalfa is generally thought of as a hay crop but the practice of grazing alfalfa has received considerable attention recently. Much of this interest was generated by "Graze-More-Beef" demonstrations which have been conducted in the state. Demonstrations in which alfalfa was grazed averaged 791 pounds per acre during 1986-1988. Alfalfa's ability to withstand dry weather and its excellent nutritional qualities make it an attractive grazing alternative to fescue - …

Do's And Don'ts Of Alfalfa Grazing, Ken Johnson

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

I usually start grazing in April when alfalfa is about 10 inches tall. I like to start with enough cattle to graze a paddock clean in two to five days, then move to another paddock, returning to re-graze in about 35 days. I usually need at least eight paddocks in the system. You must rotate cattle on Alfalfa for the stand to persist. It will take seven or eight head of 500 pound calves per acre to keep up with alfalfa growth in the spring. Part of the calves will need to be removed in June and maybe some more …

Grazing Alfalfa — County Perspective, Steve Osborne

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Often the difference between successful farming operations and others is the ability of the producers to manage the available resources to their advantage. The rolling topography and plentiful supply of livestock water in Monroe County is well suited to forage production. The purpose of this program is to introduce new forage species, improve forage production, and increase producer profits.

Grazing Alfalfa — An Overview, Garry D. Lacefield, W. Roy Burris

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is the most important forage legume grown in the United States. Grown over a wide range of soil and climatic conditions it has the highest yield potential and feeding value of all perennial forage legumes. This versatile crop can be used for hay, pasture, silage, green-chop, pellets, cubes and soil improvement. Because of its many merits, especially yield, quality and versatility, it can be used successfully in many animal feeding programs.

Grazing alfalfa has not been practiced to any great extent in the U.S., but has been done extensively in other countries. Research and producer experience has shown excellent …

Quality From The Seed To The Sale To The Animal, Jimmy C. Henning, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Forages in Kentucky have been valued at over $700 million annually. This figure combines receipts from cash hay sales to indirect value from the portion of beef, dairy, sheep, and horse receipts that are attributable to pasture and stored forages. However, the key to the maintaining and even increasing the value of forages to Kentucky lies in Quality: A) Quality of seed B) Quality as it relates to sales, and C) Quality as it relates to the animal.

New Developments In Hay Harvesting, Michael Collins

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Hay and pasture crops are critical to Kentucky Agriculture and to that of the entire temperate region of the US. The sale of cattle, calves and dairy products provide 29% of Kentucky's farm income compared with 23% for tobacco. Beef cowcalf enterprises comprise the majority of cattle numbers in the state, however, dairy production is also significant. A substantial horse industry also exists in Kentucky which is an excellent market for high quality alfalfa hay. At present a substantial amount of alfalfa for feeding horses in the state is imported.

My Observations And Experiences With Alfalfa, Larry Jeffries

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

I was raised on a small dairy farm in Henry County, Kentucky. I'm the oldest of six children and wanted to leave the farm as soon as possible. Upon graduation from Transylvania College in 1956, I was quickly drafted into the U.S. Army. I was sent to El Paso, Texas, for training and remained in the southwest for 11 (eleven) years.

In 1958 I married Carolyn Billman. We have 4 (four) children: Rae Lynne, Janet, Keith, and Joy.

Upon returning home to Henry County to farm and teach school in 1967, I found a catastrophe had happened to the alfalfa …

An Alfalfa Management Program For Optimum Yields And Quality, Bill Griffith

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa popularity is not surprising because it has the highest yield potential and the highest feeding value of all perennial hay crops. While the protein value of alfalfa is of major importance, its energy content is also high and should not be discounted. High yields of alfalfa harvested at the proper stage of maturity compare favorably with corn silage in production of energy.

Alfalfa Production And Trends In Kentucky, David D. Williamson

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is often referred to as the "Queen of U.S. Forage Production". Looking at all hay production alfalfa should be called "The King". In 1991, 83.8 million tons were harvested in the United States -- 55 percent of all the hay harvested in the United States. This total does not include the many tons harvested as green chop, which is an especially common practice among dairy farmers. But, why shouldn't alfalfa be popular? This deep rooted leguminous plant is generally the forage leader in yield, protein, and TDN.

Foreword [1993], Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

This is the front matter of the proceedings.