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Earth Sciences

University of Kentucky

Soil Science News and Views

1987

Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Nutrient Losses From Conventional And No-Till Cornfields, Robert L. Blevins, Wilbur Frye Dec 1987

Nutrient Losses From Conventional And No-Till Cornfields, Robert L. Blevins, Wilbur Frye

Soil Science News and Views

Farmers must be concerned about both the monetary loss and the threat of groundwater and surface water pollution associated with the loss of plant nutrients from their fields. There is also an increasing public concern about pollution and the role of agriculture in nonpoint-source pollution. Movement of water over the surface of the soil as well as through the soil profile increases the potential for loss of water-soluble nutrients, especially nitrates.

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Potassium Mineralogy Of Kentucky Soils, Anastasios D. Karathanasis Nov 1987

Potassium Mineralogy Of Kentucky Soils, Anastasios D. Karathanasis

Soil Science News and Views

Feldspars and mica minerals are the two primary natural sources of potassium for most agricultural soils in Kentucky. Potassium feldspars are common mineral constituents of loess deposits in western Kentucky. Mica minerals, although dominant in shales, are also found in variable quantities in siltstone, sandstone and limestone parent materials of soils in the other regions of Kentucky. Because most of the soils in the western Coalfields and western Pennyroyal, and to a lesser extent in eastern Pennyroyal and Bluegrass, are covered by a loess cap of variable thickness, their surface mineralogy has been influenced by the feldspar-rich mineralogy of the …

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Using Residual Soil Fertility Effectively, Grant W. Thomas Oct 1987

Using Residual Soil Fertility Effectively, Grant W. Thomas

Soil Science News and Views

During the past 30 years, the use of commercial fertilizer in Kentucky has resulted in increases in the levels of phosphorus and potassium in soils. As might be expected, the soil test levels are higher with tobacco than with any other crop. but all soils for all crops show increases in fertility levels. Comparisons between 1975 and 1985 (the latest year available) show the proportion of samples sent to the University of Kentucky that are medium or high in soil test phosphorus has increased considerably. Even more striking is the decrease in very low values of phosphorus.

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Sludge For Agricultural Land, William O. Thom Sep 1987

Sludge For Agricultural Land, William O. Thom

Soil Science News and Views

Sludge is a product of municipal wastewater treatment with characteristics dependent on both the initial wastewater composition and the subsequent treatment processes used. The sludge composition influences the options that are available its use. For decades, the objective has been disposal. generally meaning that it was buried in a landfill or incinerated. Efforts in recent years have been directed toward application of sludge to agricultural land. Farmers should be aware of several potential problems when deciding whether or not to use sludge for such purposes.

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Soil Microbes And Biotechnology, M. Scott Smith Aug 1987

Soil Microbes And Biotechnology, M. Scott Smith

Soil Science News and Views

There is nothing new about attempts to develop and market microbial products for crop or soil improvement. Several types of microbes have been sold for a variety of agronomic purposes for many years. With the important exception of rhizobial inoculants. these have been generally unsuccessful. Recently however. the scientific revolution in genetics and molecular biology, the need for low cost agronomic inputs. and widespread concern for environmental safety have tremendously stimulated research and commercial activity on microbial products. Claims that cheap, effective microbial inoculants can be developed for pest control, detoxifying pollutants, providing plant nutrients and improving soils have been …

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Seedbed Preparation For Fall Seeded Alfalfa, Kenneth L. Wells, J. Kenneth Evans Jul 1987

Seedbed Preparation For Fall Seeded Alfalfa, Kenneth L. Wells, J. Kenneth Evans

Soil Science News and Views

With the increased interest developed during the past few years on production of alfalfa hay for cash sales, the acreage seeded each year has increased • And. although UK forage specialists prefer spring seeding of alfalfa to fall seeding. some growers will and should opt for fall seeding. This is particularly true on fields which have a history of legumes and/or are contaminated with Johnsongrass. Those who do so should begin planning now to have the seedbed prepared for planting by mid-August to mid-September.

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Basic Steps In Laying Out A Land Tract To Optimize Forage Production And Intensive Grazing Management, Harold B. Rice, Kenneth L. Wells Jun 1987

Basic Steps In Laying Out A Land Tract To Optimize Forage Production And Intensive Grazing Management, Harold B. Rice, Kenneth L. Wells

Soil Science News and Views

Of the four major components of production ... land, labor, capital, and management ... land (soil) is the one which is the most basic. This ls because soil characteristics are largely "fixed" and determine, along with the climatic regime, the crop species which will perform best in a given field. For this reason. It Is basic in planning a cropping system to know root-zone physical and chemical characteristics of soils which occur on the tract being planned. With such information, crops can be matched to sell productivity to "make land as least limiting as possible." A good soils map is …

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Control Measures For Manganese Toxicity Of Burley At Transplating Time, Kenneth L. Wells, J. L. Sims May 1987

Control Measures For Manganese Toxicity Of Burley At Transplating Time, Kenneth L. Wells, J. L. Sims

Soil Science News and Views

Manganese (Mn) toxicity of burley tobacco is viewed by tobacco specialists in Kentucky as the greatest single factor which reduces yields. Estimates are that this problem adds 30 to 50 million dollars to the cost of burley production because of the greater acreage (and all associated costs) required by growers to produce their allotment. And, even though the cause and cure of Mn toxicity has been known for about 50 years, many growers are caught each year at transplanting time with no knowledge as to whether Mn toxicity may be a problem in their fields. The solution to Mn toxicity …

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Is Row Fertilizer Necessary For No-Till?, Lloyd W. Murdock, William O. Thom Apr 1987

Is Row Fertilizer Necessary For No-Till?, Lloyd W. Murdock, William O. Thom

Soil Science News and Views

Row fertilizer is an old practice which has been in and out of favor over the years. The use of row fertilizer and its benefits vary with the conditions. The efficiency of applied fertilizer is greatly increased by putting it beside the row and is very helpful on soils with a low soil test. For soils testing medium or high, a sufficient amount of nutrients exist in the soil so that additional fertilizer applied in the row will not increase yields. Regardless of soil test. row fertilizer will usually increase the vigor and early growth of a crop. Most of …

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Basic Fertilizer Facts, Monroe Rasnake Mar 1987

Basic Fertilizer Facts, Monroe Rasnake

Soil Science News and Views

The "foods" used by green plants for growth and life functions are referred to as nutrients or fertilizer elements. There are 16 nutrients required for plant growth and development (See Table l). Although carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are found in plants in the greatest quantities. they are obtained by plants from air (carbon dioxide) and water rather than from fertilizers or the soil. Of the nutrients provided by the soil or from fertilizers. those required in large amounts are called PRIMARY nutrients. Those required in smaller amounts are called SECONDARY nutrients, while those needed in very small amounts are called …

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Reversible Tile Subsurface Drainage And Irrigation, Monroe Rasnake, Lloyd W. Murdock Feb 1987

Reversible Tile Subsurface Drainage And Irrigation, Monroe Rasnake, Lloyd W. Murdock

Soil Science News and Views

There are more than 900.000 acres of cl ass IIw land and 800,000 acres of class IIIw land in Kentucky. All of this land is suitable for row crop farming if it can be drained. Most of the problems are with internal drainage, some of which can be improved by installing drainage title.

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Acid Rain: A Problem On Agronomic Crops And Soils In Kentucky??, John H. Grove Jan 1987

Acid Rain: A Problem On Agronomic Crops And Soils In Kentucky??, John H. Grove

Soil Science News and Views

Although the general issue of atmospheric pollution is complex, the image of beautiful lakes without aquatic life has focussed public attention on the acidity, or pH, of rainfall. Kentucky does receive acid rain (see map). This discussion will seek to define atmospheric acidity and its deposition and describe reported effects on agronomic crops and soils.

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