Life Sciences Commons^™

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 …

A Cropping System For Intensive Grain Production On Sloping Land, Kenneth L. Wells, H. C. Vaught, Morris J. Bitzer, M. W. Russell

Agronomy Notes

From the beginnings of Kentucky Agriculture, soil erosion and related losses in productivity have been major problems for Kentucky farmers. Improved soil conservation practices during the past forty years have been especially significant in the recovery and progress of our agricultural industry. No-tillage methods for crop production, which were pioneered in Kentucky, have proven useful in controlling erosion and holding production at high levels. During recent years, the marketplace has strongly encouraged grain production, with the unfortunate effect that many Kentucky hillsides have been returned to grain production without sufficient erosion control measures. This report describes innovations in use of …

Wind Drag On Burley Tobacco Plants, James H. Casada, Linus R. Walton, Larry G. Wells

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Drag coefficient and center of resistance to wind forces were determined for four varieties of burley tobacco at three stages of growth and using wind velocities ranging from about 3 to 17 m/s. Drag coefficients determined ranged from about 0.024 at the highest velocity to about 0.081 at the lowest velocity. Stage of growth and wind velocity had significant effects on drag coefficient. Variety did not have a significant effect on drag coefficient. Mean center of resistance varied from 42.3 percent of the distance from bottom leaf to top leaf at the early stage of growth to 71.2 percent at …

The Influence Of Harvesting Strategies And Economic Constraints On The Feasibility Of Farm Grain Drying And Storage Facilities, Otto J. Loewer Jr., Thomas C. Bridges, G. M. White, Douglas G. Overhults

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The economic return to on-the-farm grain drying and storage facilities is influenced by many factors including harvesting strategies, facility management, market conditions, energy considerations, and facility design. This study evaluates the influence of these factors on expected net return.

Ground Driven Powered Tillage, Larry G. Wells, E. M. Smith, D. E. Hammett, H. J. Thompson Jr.

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A ground driven powered tillage device is described which utilizes a passive rolling coulter propelled through the soil by a prime mover. The reaction torque imparted by the soil to the coulter is delivered via a torque transfer unit to a powered tillage blade. The tillage blade rotates counter to the direction of the passive rolling coulter and prepares a tilled furrow of some predetermined depth for seed placement and coverage.

Analysis is presented in which the torque developed by a passive rolling coulter engaging the soil is predicted. A relationship is presented for determining the velocity ratio between the …

Analysis And Testing Of Powered Tillage Blades, Larry G. Wells, E. M. Smith, D. E. Hammett

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Fundamental design considerations for powered rotary tillage blades are presented and discussed. The relationship between blade angular velocity and the geometric dimensions of cutting edges is specified for tillage blades rotating counter to the direction of travel and assuming a typical forward speed for tillage.

Analyses showed that a powered blade rotated opposite to the direction of travel can be operated at relatively lower angular velocities than can one rotated in the direction of travel to achieve equivalent blade velocity and acceleration relative to the soil. Furthermore, a blade rotated opposite to the direction of travel requires relatively lower power …

Economic Comparison Of Alternative Burley Tobacco Harvesting Practices By Computer, Thomas C. Bridges, Larry G. Wells, George A. Duncan, John N. Walker

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The computer model CATCH (Computer Analysis of Tobacco Cutting and Housing) was developed to provide the individual tobacco producer with management information concerning alternative methods of harvesting burley tobacco. CATCH utilizes specific producer in-puts to analyze 24 alternative burley production systems and presents up to four economic rankings containing costs, equipment and labor for each system. The economic rankings aid the producer in decision making with regard to his own operation.

Effects Of Organic Compounds On Amphibian Reproduction, Wesley J. Birge, Jeffrey A. Black, Robert A. Kuehne

KWRRI Research Reports

Aquatic toxicity tests were conducted with atrazine, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, methylene chloride, trisodium nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and phenol. Each compound was administered to developmental stages of three to five amphibian species. Exposure was initiated at fertilization and maintained through 4 days posthatching. Test responses included lethality and teratogenesis. Different amphibian species exhibited varying degrees of tolerance to the selected compounds. Greatest tolerance usually was observed for the more broadly adapted semi-aquatic and terrestrial species (e.g., Bufo americanus, Bufo fowleri). The more sensitive amphibians usually included those species which normally are restricted to aquatic or moist habitats (e.g., Rana …

Dynamic Simulation Of Animal Growth And Reproduction, Otto J. Loewer Jr., Edward M. Smith, Gerald Benock, Nelson Gay, Thomas C. Bridges, Larry G. Wells

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A rather unique systems analysis approach has been made to simulate the utilization of dry matter by ruminant animals, and the natural breeding and reproduction process within a herd. Physiological factors occurring over time and the time related effects of these factors are simulated.