Life Sciences Commons^™

Establishment Of Kura And Red Clover On A Soil And Mine Spoil, David C. Ditsch, Michael Collins, Norman L. Taylor

Agronomy Notes

Numerous benefits result from the addition of forage legumes to livestock diets. Superior nutritive value and intake of legume forage generally increase individual animal productivity compared with grass alone. This is particularly important with tall fescue where dilution of the diet with legumes can partially alleviate toxicosis associated with endophyte fungus infected fescue (Acremonium coenophialum). Unfortunately, short-term persistence of most legumes requires periodic reestablishment, adding to the cost of forage production and complicating pasture management.

Indicator Bacteria Concentrations Of Two Northwest Arkansas Streams In Relation To Flow And Season, Dwayne R. Edwards, Mark S. Coyne, Tommy C. Daniel, P. F. Vendrell, J. F. Murdoch, P. A. Moore Jr.

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Concentrations of indicator bacteria such as fecal coliform (FC) and fecal streptococcus (FS) are often used to assess the suitability of waters for their intended use(s) and to allocate resources for water quality improvement measures. There is evidence, however, that concentrations of FC and FS can be influenced by variables such as season and flow rate during sampling, which could lead to biased results. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of season and flow rate on concentrations of FC and FS. Fecal indicator bacteria concentrations were measured for approximately three years at five sites on two …

Particle Size And Temperature Affect Fecal Bacteria Survival In Sediment, Mark S. Coyne, J. M. Howell, P. L. Cornelius

Agronomy Notes

When cattle have direct access to streams, fecal bacteria concentrations in stream sediments increase. If these bacteria persist, and if the sediments are resuspended, fecal bacteria may also appear in surrounding water for extended periods. Why do fecal bacteria persist, since dry conditions, high acidity or alkalinity, sunlight, competition from native microbes, and extreme temperatures all diminish their populations in soil? The effects of these environmental factors are much reduced in sediment. Water protects fecal bacteria from desiccation and ultraviolet light. High temperatures can promote their regrowth in wet environments. Fecal bacteria also survive on fine-sized sediments in streams because …

Can Denitrification Reduce No3 In Shallow Ground Water?, Mark S. Coyne, E. Montgomery, Grant W. Thomas

Agronomy Notes

Systematic sampling of springs, tiles, and wells in Kentucky, as part of a recent statewide program to assess agricultural impacts on water quality, showed that NO₃ concentrations in these shallow ground water sources varied tremendously. The NO₃ concentration could be correlated with flow rate; higher when ground water recharge flushed NO₃ from soil in winter and spring, and lower or non detectable in summer and fall when less NO₃ leaching occurred. Depending on the season, NO₃ concentrations ranged from < 1 to > 10 ppm NO₃-N in almost half of the sites. For example, the water in …

Calibration Of A Water-Quality Model For Herrington Lake Using Empirically Derived Measurements Of Phytoplankton Growth And Nutrient Assimilation, Paul A. Bukaveckas, Angela S. Crain

KWRRI Research Reports

Importance of light limitation, nutrient availability, and hydrology in controlling the abundance and composition of the phytoplankton community of Herrington Lake (KY) was investigated over a two-year period. Selected environmental parameters were measured every two weeks (April-October) at five sampling stations located along the longitudinal gradient of the reservoir. In addition, short-term (48hr) nutrient enrichment experiments were conducted to assess the spatial and temporal variations in nutrient limitation. Phytoplankton growth responses to the combined addition of nitrogen (NO₃) and phosphorus (PO₄) were greater than those resulting from the addition of either nutrient alone. These results indicate …

Role Of Egr-1 Gene Expression In B Cell Receptor-Induced Apoptosis In An Immature B Cell Lymphoma, Subramanian Muthukkumar, Seong-Su Han, Sumathi Muthukkumar, Vivek M. Rangnekar, Subbarao Bondada

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Ligation of B cell receptor (BCR) on BKS-2, an immature B cell lymphoma by anti-IgM antibodies (Ab) caused apoptosis. Here we report that signaling through B cell receptor in wild type BKS-2 cells down-regulated the expression of Egr-1, a zinc finger-containing transcription factor. A reduction in the level of Egr-1 mRNA could be demonstrated as early as 30 min after the ligation of BCR on BKS-2 cells. Immunocytochemical and Western blot analysis revealed that the expression of EGR-1 protein was also inhibited by anti-IgM treatment. Antisense oligonucleotides to Egr-1 caused growth inhibition and apoptosis in BKS-2 cells, suggesting that expression …

Vegetative Filter Strip Removal Of Metals In Runoff From Poultry Litter-Amended Fescuegrass Plots, Dwayne R. Edwards, P. A. Moore Jr., Tommy C. Daniel, Puneet Srivastava, D. J. Nichols

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Runoff from land areas amended with poultry (Gallus gallus domesticus) manure can contain elevated concentrations of metals such as Cu, Fe, and Zn. Vegetative filter strips (VFS) can reduce runoff concentrations of animal manure components, but reported studies have typically focused on nutrients and solids rather than metals. This experiment assessed the impact of VFS length (0 to 12 m) on concentrations and mass losses of Cu, Fe, K, Na, Ni, and Zn in runoff from fescuegrass (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) plots (1.5 m wide × 6 and 12 m long) treated with poultry litter. The runoff was produced from simulated …

Cellular Basis Of Decreased Immune Responses To Pneumococcal Vaccines In Aged Mice, Manju Garg, Wei Luo, Alan M. Kaplan, Subbarao Bondada

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Previously, model systems were developed in our laboratory to study murine immune responses to the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine Pnu-Imune, both in vivo and in vitro (M. Garg and B. Subbarao, Infect. Immun. 60:2329-2336, 1992; M. Garg, A. M. Kaplan, and S. Bondada, J. Immunol. 152: 1589-1596, 1994). Using these systems, we found that aged mice did not respond to the vaccine in vivo or in vitro. Cell separation studies showed that the unresponsiveness of the aged spleen cells to the vaccine was not due to an intrinsic B-cell defect or to T-cell-mediated immunosuppression but resulted from an accessory cell …

Effect Of Sediment Particle Size And Temperature On Fecal Bacteria Mortality Rates And The Fecal Coliform/Fecal Streptococci Ratio, J. M. Howell, Mark S. Coyne, P. L. Cornelius

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Extended survival of fecal bacteria in sediment can obscure the source and extent of fecal contamination in agricultural settings. The variability in fecal coliform/fecal streptococci (FC/FS) ratios with time and discrepancies between observable fecal sources and measured FC/FS ratios in shallow surface water from agricultural watersheds may be explained by examining FC and FS mortality rates in response to ambient temperature and sediment particle size. We measured FC and FS mortality rates at three different temperatures and in three feces-amended sediments with different particle size in a laboratory study. In controlled conditions, using physiological saline to reduce cell death by …

Patch Diseases In Kentucky Bluegrass Lawns, Paul C. Vincelli, A. J. Powell Jr.

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

“Patch diseases” can be very destructive when Kentucky bluegrass is grown under intensive management. Two patch diseases with similar symptoms can occur. Necrotic ring spot often appears in early summer. Summer patch, the more common disease in Kentucky landscapes, develops in middle to late summer.

These diseases are often a concern in lawns under intensive management for two reasons:

1. Improper application of certain lawn management practices, such as close mowing, can aggravate disease development.
2. When a lawn receives significant inputs of fertilizer and irrigation and frequent mowing, the homeowner or landscape manager usually has high aesthetic expectations and tolerates …

Rust Diseases Of Apple, John R. Hartman

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Three related rust diseases occur on apple trees in Kentucky: cedar-apple rust, cedar-hawthorn rust, and cedarquince rust. Crabapple, hawthorn, mountain ash, pear, and serviceberry are also susceptible to these diseases. All three rusts are caused by different species of the fungus Gymnosporangium, each of which must spend a phase of its life cycle as a parasite on Juniperus species such as native red cedars or ornamental junipers.

Although cedar rusts can cause unsightly growths on Juniperus, they do not usually cause serious damage to these plants. Rust diseases can cause serious losses on apples, however, as a result …

Guide For Control Of Annual And Perennial Flower And Ground Cover Diseases In The Landscape, John R. Hartman, Mary L. Witt

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Herbaceous flowering plants are an asset to almost any landscape. Healthy plants are essential to maintaining a desirable aesthetic appearance. This publication suggests ways to control important infectious diseases of flowers and ground covers commonly grown in Kentucky.

Twig, Branch, And Stem Diseases Of Pine, John R. Hartman

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Tip Blight

Tip blight, caused by the fungus Sphaeropsis sapinea (formerly Diplodia pinea), is a serious disease of mature Austrian, Scots (Scotch), and Mugo pines in Kentucky. In the landscape, tip blight is normally not observed until pines reach about 12 years old and begin to bear cones. Severe infections year after year can greatly weaken and eventually kill affected pines.

Anthracnose Diseases Of Shade Trees, John R. Hartman

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Anthracnose diseases occur on many landscape trees; though, in Kentucky, they tend to be most severe on ash, dogwood, maple, oak, and sycamore. They are typically foliar diseases but twigs, branches, and buds may also be affected. Twigs and branches may develop cankers or dead areas that girdle the stem, causing death of distal parts of the stem. Premature leaf drop commonly occurs on infected trees. Anthracnose is not fatal (except for dogwoods in some circumstances); however, severe defoliation from anthracnose year after year can seriously weaken trees. Weakened trees become more susceptible to environmental stresses and secondary pathogens.

Dogwood …

Apple Scab, John R. Hartman

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Apple scab is the most consistently serious disease of apples and flowering crabapples in Kentucky. The most noticeable losses result from the reduced quality or premature dropping of infected fruit, but the disease also causes a general weakening of the tree when infected leaves are shed prematurely. For flowering crabapples, summer defoliation from scab invariably results in fewer flowers the next spring. The best control of scab is provided by use of scab-immune cultivars. A good spray program also can provide excellent control of apple scab, but failure to follow such a program can lead to substantial losses on susceptible …

Formulation Enhanced Transport Of A Soil Applied Herbicide, V. P. Evangelou, Louis M. Mcdonald, Sandra Prima

KWRRI Research Reports

Because pesticides are applied as formulated particles and the affinity of the active ingredient for the formulation is higher than for the bulk water, we hypothesized that a formulation complex could affect active ingredient transport. Our objectives were to investigate the nature and extent of surfactant-atrazine-clay/oxide surface interactions. When atrazine and an anionic surfactant were dried onto plain or Fe-coated sand and leached, atrazine concentrations in the initial leachate were lower in the Fe-coated sand treatment. This was likely due to an electrostatic attraction between the sand and surfactant. When a nonionic surfactant was used, atrazine concentration in the initial …

Metal-Resistance Genetically Engineered Bacteria, Sylvia Daunert, Donna Scott, Sridhar Ramanathan

KWRRI Research Reports

Bacterial-based electrochemical and optical sensing systems that respond in a highly selective and sensitive manner to antimonite and arsenite have been developed. This was accomplished by using genetically engineered bacteria bearing one of two plasmids constructed for our studies. The first plasmid, pBGD23, contains the operator/promoter region (O/P) and the gene of the ArsR protein from the ars operon upstream from the β-galactosidase gene. In the absence of antimonite/arsenite, ArsR binds to the 0/P site and prevents the transcription of the genes for ArsR and β-galactosidase, thus blocking expression of these proteins. When antimonite or arsenite is present in the …

Marketing Options For Quality Kentucky Alfalfa Hay, Tom Keene

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

As today's farmer becomes more and more business like, running his farming operation as a commercial business, the production of alfalfa hay should be treated no differently. When the farmer makes the decision to plant alfalfa, he should have already done a great deal of research and given a great deal of thought into the markets he is going to try to target for his product. Any successful commercial business looks into market potential even before production begins, whether they produce toys, cars, appliances, computers, etc. Alfalfa hay production should be no different in regards to seeking out various markets …

What Leading Alfalfa Growers Do To Produce Quality Hay, Jimmy C. Henning, Garry D. Lacefield, Buddy Sims

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is the highest quality forage legume crop grown in Kentucky and is the number one cash hay crop. Hay raised by Kentucky farmers has been recognized for its quality at local, state (state fair and Kentucky Alfalfa Conference), and national (American Forage and Grassland Council) hay contests. The testing records of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture also document the high quality alfalfa hay of Kentucky. However, little has been written about the farm practices used to produce high quality alfalfa hay in Kentucky. The current practices of top hay growers may be helpful in defining the options available to …

Are We Making Progress With Hay Quality In Kentucky?, Buddy Sims

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

During the Kentucky State Fair, Garry Lacefield asked if I would be on the XVI Kentucky Alfalfa Conference program. Certainly I never miss an opportunity to talk, especially about testing forages. Then in October we communicated again and it was decided that my topic would be "Are We Making Progress With Hay Quality in Kentucky?" Seems like a simple yes or no question! Well ... l elected to think about this under the middle of December. Of course, during this time, the people of the Commonwealth elected a new Commissioner of Agriculture. Your selection was Billy Ray Smith, who throughout …

Role Of Alfalfa In Our Farming Operation, Larry Jeffries

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Our farming operation consists of 214 acres. We raise 14,000 pounds of tobacco, have a purebred beef cattle herd, and sell hay. Alfalfa is the only one of the three sources of income that we can project an increase for 1996.

Our alfalfa cash hay sales have increased for several years due to the increase of suburban horse owners in the Louisville area.

I think it is important to have a written plan for 1996. We wouldn't think of making a long trip without a map, especially into strange territory - we farmers are in strange territory. If you don't …

Utilizing Alfalfa Hay In Horse Diets, Laurie Lawrence

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

All horses need fiber in their diets. Forages, usually as pasture or hay, are the primary sources of fiber in most rations. The exact amount of hay that a horse will eat on a daily or yearly basis will depend on the size of the horse, the class of the horse (pregnant, working, etc) and the type of hay being fed. The type and amount of other feeds in the ration will also impact the amount of hay consumed, but in general, horse owners/managers should try to maximize forage intake and then supplement with grain or other feeds to meet …

Advances In Harvesting And Storing High Quality Alfalfa, Michael Collins

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

On suitable soils, alfalfa produces the highest yields of dry matter and nutrients possible under Kentucky conditions. Limitations to achievement of this potential are often related to losses that occur during alfalfa harvest and storage. We have conducted a number of studies addressing technologies designed to minimize the extent of these losses.

Fencing And Watering Systems For Grazing Alfalfa, Larry Turner

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Controlled or rotational grazing can result in better utilization of the forage resources on your farm. By better forage management through controlled grazing, you can increase profitability of cattle/forage systems. To effectively develop a controlled grazing system, however, fencing must be used to subdivide the pasture into sub-fields or paddocks. The animals may then be rotated among the paddocks to optimize forage and beef or dairy production from the system. Alfalfa grazing can play an important part in such a system. By using alfalfa, additional grazing management options are available, including avoiding high-endophyte fescue in hot summer periods thereby gaining …

Opportunities For Alfalfa As A Grazing Crop In Kentucky, Ken Johnson

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

As we think about the possibilities of alfalfa as a grazing crop, maybe we need to look at some of the limitations and where alfalfa may fit into Kentucky producers programs.

When looking at Kentucky's land area of 25 million acres we see that nearly half is in woodland. Of the 12 million acres remaining; about 3 million is in row crops, 2 million in hay, 2 million in non farm uses, and the rest is pasture. That is about 5 million acres in pasture or at least available to the pastured. With at least 7 million acres in hay …

Grazing Alfalfa: Putting The Puzzle Together, Garry D. Lacefield, Jimmy C. Henning, David Stalion

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Interest in alfalfa as a grazing crop has increased dramatically over the past decade. There are many research and demonstrations being conducted in Kentucky and across the U.S. as we continue to investigate and learn more about alfalfa's role in forage-based livestock production.

Listed below are some of the reasons farmers, researchers and agribusiness personnel are excited about the opportunity for alfalfa as a grazing crop.

Foreword [1996], Garry D. Lacefield, Christi L. Forsythe

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

This is the front matter of the proceedings.

Oxidation Proof Silicate Surface Coating On Iron Sulfides, V. P. Evangelou

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Patents

The present method induces an oxidation-proof ferric silicate coating on iron sulfide such as pyrite and marcasite. The method includes the steps of placing the pyrite to be treated in a reaction vessel and leaching the pyrite with a coating composition including water, an oxidizing agent and a silicate coating agent. Examples of oxidizing agents include hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite, potassium hypochlorite and mixtures thereof. The silicate coating agent may be sodium metasilicate. In order to ensure the formation of the stable coating, the leaching is performed at a pH of 4-6 and more preferably 5. Additionally, the oxidizing agent …

Influence Of Dibble Shape And Depth On The Germination And Seedling Establishment Of Burley Tobacco In The Float System, Robert C. Pearce, M. Cui, Lowell P. Bush

Agronomy Notes

Direct seeding of pelleted tobacco seed into the float transplant system has become common in Kentucky. Direct seeding reduces labor compared to the plug and transfer method, but it increases the risk involved and requires more management by the producer. Uniform germination, and ultimately a high percentage of useable transplants are the keys to success with direct seeding.

Verticillium Wilt Of Woody Ornamentals, John Hartman

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Verticillium wilt is a common problem on maple, catalpa, golden-rain tree, redbud, and tulip poplar trees in Kentucky. In addition, this disease occurs on ash, azalea, barberry, brambles, buckeye, cherry and other stone fruits, Kentucky coffee tree, cork tree, currant, elm, honeysuckle, horse chestnut, lilac, black locust, magnolia, nandina, Russian olive, osage orange, Japanese pagoda tree, persimmon, privet, rose, sassafras, serviceberry, smoke tree, sumac, tree-of-heaven, tupelo, viburnum, weigela, and yellowwood. More than 300 other woody and herbaceous plant species are known to be susceptible to Verticillium wilt.