Earth Sciences Commons^™

Alfalfa Hay: Quality Makes The Difference, Garry D. Lacefield, Jimmy C. Henning

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa "Queen of the Forage Crops" is one of the most important forage legumes grown in the U.S. It can be grown over a wide range of soil and climatic conditions, it has the highest yield potential and the highest feeding values of all adapted perennial forage legumes. Alfalfa is a versatile crop which can be used for pasture, hay, silage, green-chop, soil improvements and · human consumption (sprouts, etc.).

A Solution To Some Spring-Seeded Alfalfa Problems, Paul C. Vincelli

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

One of the most important assignments I received when I assumed this position in 1990 was to address the question, "What is the cause of seeding failure when alfalfa is spring-seeded into soils that remain wet after seeding?" Six years of laboratory and field work have finally borne fruit. Based on our research, we can confidently present Kentucky alfalfa producers with three conclusions and a recommendation.

Manure On Alfalfa: Why, When, And How Much?, Monroe Rasnake

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Manure is an excellent source of nutrients for growing crops. Its' value has been recognized for thousands of years. Before the development of chemical fertilizers, it served as the primary source of nutrients. It has decreased in importance as a nutrient source in this century and in some cases has become a disposal problem. This has led many farmers to consider using it on legume crops such as alfalfa that don't need to have nitrogen added, but will utilize it and other . nutrients in relatively large amounts. The first question to be considered, then, is why apply manure to …

Controlling Weeds In New Seedings And Established Stands, Jonathan D. Green

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

The importance of weed control in forage production should not be overlooked, especially when you consider the high investment associated with alfalfa and other legume forages. Weeds may reduce forage yield by competing for water, sunlight and nutrients. For example, yield obtained from the first cutting of alfalfa can be significantly reduced by a heavy infestation of common chickweed. In addition to yield losses, weeds can also lower forage quality, increase the incidence of disease and insect problems, cause premature stand loss, and create harvesting problems. In some cases weeds are unpalatable to livestock or may be poisonous.

What I'Ve Learned From Three Years Of Intensive Experience With No-Till Alfalfa, Jimmy C. Henning, Garry D. Lacefield, Andy Anderson

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Three years ago, a project was begun to better understand the 'hands-on' aspects of no-till establishment of legumes especially alfalfa into fescue sod. Although no-till drills and technology had been around for nearly two decades, farmer feedback on the success of no-till establishment was not uniformly good. The University of Kentucky initiated a program called the 'Establishment Initiative' in partnership with seed companies and Agco-Tye to conduct no-till establishment demonstrations of no-till establishment. These demonstrations focused on getting alfalfa and red clover established into fescue sod which had been suppressed with herbicides. The following are some of the lessons learned.

Foreword [1997], Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

This is the front matter of the proceedings.

A Guide To Mechanical Rangeland Regeneration, J. Addison

Bulletins 4000 -

The main objective of this Bulletin is to describe mechanical methods of promoting rangeland regeneration and how to determine which is the most appropriate to use on any particular site. Mechanical regeneration methods are not 'quick fix' but may be used to advantage in some rangeland regeneration strategies.

Early Season Disease Control In Winter Cereals With Real ® Seed Dressing., R Loughman, J Hodgson

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Establish a rate response for Real on powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis) and determine crop safety of the formulation.

Chemicals applied as seed dressings prior to sowing. Completely randomized block design with four replicates.

Factors Affecting Atrazine Fate In North Central U.S. Soils, W. C. Koskinen, Sharon Clay

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Atrazine (6-chloro-N-ethyl-N′-(l-methylethyl)-l,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) is a herbicide of the triazine family used for controlling broadleaf and some grassy weeds in corn and sorghum. Since its introduction in the late 1950s, atrazine has been a popular herbicide because it is relatively inexpensive and, in most cases, gives good season-long weed control. It can be applied pre-or postemergence and is often tank mixed with grass herbicides, such as alachlor (2-chloro-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl-N-(methoxymethyl)acetamide), metolachlor(2-chloro-N-(2-2ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-l-methylethyl) acetamide), butylate (S-ethyl bis(2-methylpropyl)carbamothioate), or EPTC (S-ethyl dipropylcarbamothioate), or with other broadleaf herbicides, such as dicamba (3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic …

Western Australian Salinity Action Plan, Agriculture Western Australia, Department Of Conservation And Land Management, Department Of Environmental Protection, Water And Rivers Commission

Natural resources published reports

Salinity is one of the State's most critical environmental problems, threatening major economic and social consequences. It is preventable and, in the long term, reversible. Complete elimination is not realistic, but we can dramatically reduce its impact.

Salinity is caused by replacing deep-rooted native plants with shallow-rooted crops and pastures. More rainfall passed below the root zone and accumulates as groundwater so that watertables rise. The groundwater mobilises natural salts in the soil as it rises and carries them towards the surface, eventually degrading land and streams.

Managing Pastures For Long-Term Prosperity, Hugh Pringle, Jenny Riches

Natural resources published reports

A Workshop held by the Sandstone Land Conservation District Committee

Lake Mason Station

April 1994

A workshop hosted by Sandstone Land Conservation District Committee (LCDC) was held at Lake Mason station on 28 April 1994. This workshop was based on two previous workshops hosted by the Kalgoorlie and north-eastern Goldfields LCDCs in May 1991 (Pringle et al. 1992). The success of the earlier workshops prompted the rangeland survey team in association with the Sandstone LCDC and the Kalgoorlie District Office of Agriculture Western Australia to initiate the project.

The aims were to provide a summary of local wisdom regarding pasture …

Bulletin 4329 - Environmental Hazards Of Farming In Western Australia, Greg Hamilton, Ian Foster, Philip M. Goulding

Bulletins 4000 -

This Bulletin is one of a series on crop establishment practices which minimise soil disturbance and improve stubble retention. In partnership with primary producers, Agriculture Western Australia 1s focussed on improved and profitable farming which conserves or improves the quality of the State's soil resources.

Agricultural land in Western Australia is naturally fragile and susceptible to degradation. Salinity and wind erosion are the most visible and significant forms of degradation, but all forms are present over large areas of agricultural land (House of Representatives Enquiry into Land Degradation in Western Australia, 1988).

The fragility of Western Australia's soils has been …

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 …

The Effect Of Salinity Level Upon The Yield, Root Growth, And Water Extraction Of Contrasting Rooting Subpopulations Of Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa) Under Conditions Of Zero Leaching, Laura A. Vincent

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A major problem in irrigated agriculture in the Western U.S. is the gradual accumulation of salinity in the plant root zone. These nonuniformly saline soils contain increasing amounts of salinity with depth, and salt accumulation is accelerated in situations where leaching is minimized. Root growth and thus plant yield is limited in these soils due to decreased water uptake. We studied the root growth of two subpopulations of alfalfa differing in their ability to produce fibrous roots to determine if altering root morphology would increase plant yield and water extraction, in an irrigated saline soil.

Soil profiles for a control …

Esperance Region Catchment Planning Strategy, John Platt, Brendan Nicholas, Rod Short, Stephen Gee

Natural resources published reports

The Esperance Region Catchment Planning Strategy project was initiated by the Esperance Land Conservation District Committee.

This report provides a reference document for farmers and other land managers such as government agencies and local government, and should help them to strategically focus their catchment planning activities.

It will help land managers to identify the major catchments and land systems in their area, management issues for long term sustainability, and a regional strategy for catchment planning.

Catchment planning involves both technical and social processes.

Technically it is a process of planning the sustainable use of water resources within a catchment.

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.

No-Till Sowing : Helping To Keep Cropland Soils In Place, Kevin Bligh, Paul Findlater

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Repeated erosion of tilled land can ;ower crop and pasture yields because of reduced available moisture and nutrient storage. Kevin Bligh and Paul Findlater look at the causes of water and wind erosion and the role of no-till sowing in minimising erosion.

Evaluation Of The Crop Growth Component Of The Root Zone Water Quality Model For Corn In Ohio, Sue E. Nokes, Feliks M. Landa, Jon D. Hanson

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) is a computer model developed to simulate water, chemical, and biological processes in the root zone of agricultural management systems. As of this writing RZWQM is in the beta-testing phase of development. This article reports on a parameterization and evaluation study performed in Ohio on field corn for the crop growth component of RZWQM. The generic crop growth model in RZWQM had not previously been parameterized or tested on field corn. This article reports the results of such a study. One year of data was used to calibrate RZWQM, and two additional years …

Comparison Of Daily Water Table Depth Prediction By Four Simulation Models, Eric D. Desmond, Andrew D. Ward, Norman R. Fausey, Stephen R. Workman

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The Agricultural Drainage And Pesticide Transport (ADAPT) model was compared to the water management simulation models DRAINMOD, SWATREN, and PREFLO. SWATREN and PREFLO are one-dimensional finite-difference models while ADAPT and DRAINMOD are one-dimensional mass balance models. ADAPT, an extension of the computer model GLEAMS, also provides chemical transport information. All four models were tested against field data from Aurora, North Carolina. Observed water table depth data were collected during 1973 through 1977 from a water table management field experiment with three subsurface drain spacing treatments of 7.5, 15, and 30 m.

Both the standard error of estimate and the average …

Bulletin 4307 - Grass Control In Pastures Using Herbicides, Alexandra Wallace

Bulletins 4000 -

This Bulletin discusses three methods for herbicide control of grasses in pastures:

• pasture manipulation, in the early stages of pasture growth;
• spray-topping late in the growing season; and
• hay freezing, late in the growing season.

Arkansas Rice Research Studies 1994, B. R. Wells

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The research reports in this publication represent one year of results; therefore, these results should not be used as a basis for longterm recommendations. Several research reports in this publication dealing with soil fertility also appear in Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 1994, Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series 443. This duplication is the result of the overlap in research coverage between the two series and our effort to inform Arkansas rice producers of all the research being conducted with funds from the rice check-off.