Earth Sciences Commons^™

Foreword [1992], Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

This is the front matter of the proceedings.

Water Quality In The Kentucky River Basin, Daniel I. Carey

Information Circular--KGS

Data gathered up to 1990 suggest that water pollution problems existed throughout the Kentucky River Basin. Fecal coliform bacteria in streams was a widespread problem because of the inadequate treatment of municipal wastes, failing septic systems, and agricultural runoff. Iron, lead, manganese, mercury, and silver exceeded State standards and Federal guidelines for drinking water and aquatic life at most of the sample sites for a majority of samples. Aquatic life in many smaller streams in the Knobs region was reduced by chloride discharges from oil and gas operations, according to the Kentucky Division of Water. Organic enrichment and high nutrient …

Current Research On Soil Nitrate Testing For Corn In Kentucky, John H. Grove

Soil Science News and Views

Concern has been expressed that growers do not have the "slte-specific" information they need for more efficient nitrogen (N) fertilizer management on a field-by-field basis. Soil testing has routinely been used to guide recommendations for phosphorus, potassium, and lime additions to individual fields, but effective soil N test procedures have long eluded soil scientists working in warm, humid regions with substantial winter rainfall. Now, recent research suggests that a new soil test procedure has some potential to guide fertilizer N applications for corn. The purpose of this report is to define the concept of soil nitrate testing; to describe how …

Effects Of Tillage And Grass Filter Strips On Surface Runoff Of Water, Nitrate, Sediment, And Atrazine, C. E. Madison, Robert L. Blevins, Wilbur Frye

Soil Science News and Views

The contamination of streams and other natural bodies of water through agricultural runoff has become a very important environmental issue. Surface water runoff can contain heavy loads of sediment and/or agricultural chemicals, such as nitrogen and atrazine. Conservation tillage methods with vegetative filter strips downslope from cropped fields help· to combat this problem. Conservation tillage has proven effective in decreasing erosion by decreasing exposure of the soil surface to rainfall. Vegetative filter strips provide an area where sediment and agricultural chemicals from cropland can be deposited before the runoff reaches a body of water.

Poultry Litter As A Nitrogen Source For Corn, Monroe Rasnake, Larry Reber

Soil Science News and Views

Development of an intensive poultry production industry in western and south-central Kentucky will make poultry litter available to many farmers. It is estimated that 45, 000 tons per year will be produced just in the Jackson Purchase Area. One of the most efficient uses of this litter is as a nitrogen fertilizer source for corn.

Use Of Fluorogypsum To Reduce Subsoil Acidity In A Fragipan Soil, Grant W. Thomas, Gerald R. Haszler

Soil Science News and Views

In western Kentucky, there are several million acres of fragipan soils which are characterized by both acid subsoils and fragipans which commence at depths of 20 to 30 inches below the soil surface. The combination of subsoil acidity and a fragipan with massive structure impedes root growth and water movement, diminishing, somewhat, the usefulness of the soils for crop production. Alfalfa, a crop which is very sensitive to soil acidity and to poor drainage, was chosen as a test crop to measure the effects of adding fluorogypsum to Sadler silt loam, a soil representative of the fragipan soils found in …

Factors Affecting Crop Response To Liming, Kenneth L. Wells, J. L. Sims

Soil Science News and Views

Soil acidity levels directly affect the rate, kinds, and degree of chemical reactions which take place in soil. Crops respond to varying degrees to these chemical reactions. For the most part, these reactions affect the solubility of mineral elements in soil and the activity of the soil's biological processes. As a result, the availability of many plant nutrient elements is regulated by soil acidity. The level of availability of plant required nutrients can be adequate, deficient, or toxic to the plant, depending on the nutrient, soil acidity, and the crop. That is why measurement of soil acidity is regarded by …

Developing Efficient Crop Production Systems, Kenneth L. Wells

Soil Science News and Views

Land is initially the most limiting resource to consider in setting up a farm system aimed at maximizing returns. This is because soil, its topographical features, and its physical and chemical properties are largely fixed. There is little which can be done about them except to manage soil fertility and control erosion. Over the long run, crop production from any land tract will be directly influenced by the nature and character of the soils in that land tract. For this reason, the most basic step in initiating or redesigning a farming operation is to get an evaluation of the soil …

Geology And Stratigraphy Of The Western Kentucky Coal Field, Stephen F. Greb, David A. Williams, Allen D. Williamson

Bulletin--KGS

The Pennsylvanian rocks of the Western Kentucky Coal Field produce between 40 and 55 million tons of coal a year from as many as 45 coal seams; however, three seams produce more than 75 percent of the total. In addition, Pennsylvanian strata contain numerous oil and natural gas reservoirs, tar-sand reservoirs, and industrial minerals. Pennsylvanian sandstones are also some of the most important bedrock aquifers in the coal field. Because of the economic importance of the Pennsylvanian strata to the region and the Commonwealth as a whole, a better understanding of these rocks is needed. This description of the nomenclature …

Low-Silica And High-Calcium Stone In The Newman Limestone (Mississippian) On Pine Mountain, Letcher County, Southeastern Kentucky, Garland R. Dever Jr., Thomas L. Robl, Jack R. Moody, Frank H. Walker, George W. Ellsworth Jr., Lance S. Barron

Information Circular--KGS

The coal industry of Kentucky is an important market for limestone. Coal producers use limestone as rock dust for explosion abatement in underground coal mines and as a neutralizing agent in surface-mine reclamation and acid-drainage control. Haulage-road construction and maintenance require crushed stone.

Coal-bearing rocks of Pennsylvanian age in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field generally do not contain limestones that are sufficiently thick to quarry or mine economically, but in the southeastern part of the coal field, fault movement has brought the Newman Limestone to the surface along Pine Mountain. The Newman was sampled at three sites in Letcher County …

Geologic Highway Cross Sections: Interstate Highway 75 Conway, Kentucky, To Jellico, Tennessee, Donald R. Chesnut Jr.

Map and Chart--KGS

Highway roadcuts along Interstate Highway 75 from Conway, Kentucky, to Jellico, Tennessee, expose Mississippian and Pennsylvanian rocks in south-central Kentucky (Fig. 1). The roadcut exposures offer easy access and stratigraphic variety for educational purposes, and are ideal for high school, university, and professional geology field trips. Several national and international field trips, and many out-of-State university field trips have examined these exposures. In addition, scientific studies involving elastic and carbonate sedimentology, coal geology, paleontology, biostratigraphy, and karst (cave) development have been undertaken along this road.

Design, Construction, And Monitoring Of The Ground-Water Resources Of A Large Mine-Spoil Area: Star Fire Tract, Eastern Kentucky, David R. Wunsch, James S. Dinger, Page B. Taylor

Report of Investigations--KGS

By the year 2010, the Star Fire mining operation in Knott, Breathitt, and Perry Counties in eastern Kentucky, which uses mountaintop-removal and hollow-fill mining techniques, will have created approximately 5,000 acres of gently rolling terrain that could support alternative land uses. The present research is centered on approximately 1,000 acres of spoil created since mining began in 1981. An aquifer fed by both ground and surface water will be created within the spoil. Spoil-handling techniques such as cast blasting, dragline placement, end dumping by trucks, and surface grading have created porous coarse-rock zones within the spoil through which ground water …

Row Cleaners In No-Till Corn, Lloyd W. Murdock, James H. Herbek, Tim Gray

Soil Science News and Views

Row cleaners are planter attachments mounted in front of the double-disc openers on planters. They are designed to move most of the surface residue to the sides of the row, allowing no-till planting into a band with a fairly clean surface. This attachment is best suited for wet, cool soils to allow a more rapid warming of the soil surface, on rough soil to allow some smoothing before planting, and in heavy residue to prevent "hairpinning" of residue into the planting slot. There is evidence that cleaning the residue from the row raises soil temperatures which results in quicker corn …

Geologic Highway Cross Sections: Interstate Highway 64 Farmers To Catlettsburg, Kentucky, Donald R. Chesnut Jr.

Map and Chart--KGS

Highway roadcuts along Interstate Highway 64 from Farmers to Catlettsburg, Kentucky, provide scientifically significant exposures of rocks of Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian ages in northeastern Kentucky. The roadcut exposures offer easy access to a variety of stratigraphic units and are ideal for educational field trips. However, Kentucky law prohibits vehicles from stopping on the shoulders of limited- access highways except in case of emergency, so any planned field trips must be coordinated with State authorities. Several national and international field trips, as well as many out-of-State university field trips, have examined these exposures. In addition, scientific studies involving carbonate sedimentology, …

Stratigraphic And Structural Framework Of The Carboniferous Rocks Of The Central Appalachian Basin In Kentucky, Donald R. Chesnut Jr.

Bulletin--KGS

A series of seven cross sections across the Central Appalachian Basin in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio was constructed in order to determine a stratigraphic and structural framework of the Carboniferous rocks for the basin. Oil and gas well logs, coal-company core descriptions, measured sections, and mapping of surface geology were used to construct these sections. New surface and subsurface faults, folds, and flexures were identified.

New, formal and informal lithostratigraphic nomenclature was introduced to clarify the stratigraphic framework. Formalized nomenclatural changes are (1) elevating Breathitt Formation to Breathitt Group, (2) dropping the Lee Formation, (3) elevating four …

Available Coal Resources Of The Booneville 7.5–Minute Quadrangle, Owsley County, Kentucky, Gerald A. Weisenfluh, R. E. Andrews, John K. Hiett, Stephen F. Greb, Richard E. Sergeant, Donald R. Chesnut Jr.

Information Circular--KGS

The Booneville Quadrangle lies within the Southwestern Reserve District of the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field. Six coal beds in the quadrangle have been commercially developed, mainly by surface mining methods, and comprise the basis of this Coal Availability Study. These beds are, in descending stratigraphic order, Copland, Whitesburg, Amburgy, Upper Elkhorn No. 3, Jellico and Manchester. A computerized Geographic Information System (GRASS) was used to calculate estimates of original, mined-out and remaining resources, restrictions to mining and available resources.

Evaluation Of Gamma Ray Attenuation For Measuring Soil Bulk Density Part I. Laboratory Investigation, Xiwen Luo, Larry G. Wells

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Gamma ray attenuation was evaluated as a means of determining soil bulk density. Experiments were conducted using clay, silt, and sandy loam soils wherein samples were compacted to uniform densities at various moisture contents. We determined the attenuation characteristics of dry soil to be independent of soil texture while being significantly different from that of water. Comparison of gamma density measurements with known soil sample densities indicated that the gamma gauge provided reliable measurement of soil bulk density, provided that the effect of soil moisture on attenuation was accounted for and the manufacturer-prescribed calibration procedure was followed daily. Further, we …

Evaluation Of Gamma Ray Attenuation For Measuring Soil Bulk Density Part Ii. Field Investigation, Larry G. Wells, Xiwen Luo

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A field investigation was conducted at sites near Lexington and Central City, Kentucky, to evaluate the use of gamma ray attenuation for measuring soil bulk density. Experiments were conducted whereby the gamma gauge was calibrated by various means and compared with volumetric cores collected from the field soils. Calibration by the manufacturer’s recommended procedure was determined to be as accurate as more rigorous laboratory calibration or calibration via regression of soil bulk density data, provided that the effect of soil water on gamma attenuation is correctly considered. We also developed a linear regression equation to correct for the occurrence of …

Kinetics And Mechanisms Of Atrazine Adsorption And Desorption In Soils Under No-Till And Conventional Management, V. P. Evangelou, W. W. Witt, E. Portig, Mike Barrett

KWRRI Research Reports

Both soils (Maury silt loam and Sadler) exhibited three apparent mechanisms of atrazine adsorption. The first two mechanisms were very rapid (10 minutes) and were assigned to soil-clay surface adsorption reactions via hydrogen bonding. The quantity of atrazine involved in these two reactions for the 0.5 mg/1 solution atrazine varied, depending on the soil, from 67 μg/100 g clay to 219 μg/100 g clay. The reason there were two possible atrazine sinks in this range of atrazine adsorption was believed to be the presence of two types of reactive surfaces, the clay inorganic phase and the organic carbon phase. The …

Grazing Alfalfa, Harlan E. White

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa has tremendous potential as a pasture plant. The characteristics such as high yields, high quality, persistence, and drought tolerance that make it so valuable for hay and silage production also make it extremely useful for grazing. Properly managed so it has adequate recovery periods after being grazed, it can provide grazing over a six-month grazing season.

Hay Testing And Marketing Update, Jimmy C. Henning

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

The hay testing program of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture continues to be actively involved across the state. Presently, there are stationary NIR labs in Frankfort, Glasgow, and Paducah. These labs operate somewhat differently from traditional forage testing labs because, for the price of analyzing the forage sample ($10), they will actually come to the farm and sample your hay! To get your forage analyzed, call the Department of Agriculture in Frankfort at 1-800-248-4628. They will find a convenient time to meet with you at your bam for sampling. The KDA. samplers will also rate your hay for several visual …

The Role In Alfalfa In Soil Conservation, Glenn D. Johnson

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Due to its many benefits, alfalfa has earned its reputation as "Queen of the Forages". Some of alfalfa's advantages are 1) very high nutritional value for all classes of livestock, 2) adaptability to a wide range of soils and growing conditions, 3) flexibility in being able to be grown alone or with grasses, 4) to be harvested for hay, silage or pasture, 5) strong seedling vigor and 6) high yields.

Alfalfa also should be rated "Queen of the Forages" as a crop for the soil. In addition to its many other benefits, alfalfa is an excellent choice for soil improvement …

Weed Control Strategies For Alfalfa Production, James R. Martin

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

The importance of weed control in alfalfa production should not be overlooked especially when you consider the high investment associated with this crop.

Management Options For Thinning Alfalfa Stands, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa "Queen of the Forage Crops", is the most important forage legume grown in the United States. It is widely adapted and is grown over a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. Alfalfa has the highest yield potential and highest feeding value of all adapted perennial forage legumes. It is a versatile crop which can be used for pasture, hay, silage, green-chop, soil improvements and human consumption (sprouts, etc.). As a result of this crops many merits, especially yield, quality and versatile use, it can be used successfully in many animal feeding programs.

Alfalfa Varieties, Jimmy C. Henning

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Few areas of forage agriculture are changing faster than variety development in alfalfa. The 1990 revised "Alfalfa Varieties" publication of the Certified Alfalfa Seed Council listed 26 new alfalfa varieties. Of the available certified alfalfa varieties, only 10 to 15% are public varieties. The remainder are developed and marketed by commercial companies such as Agripro, Dairy land, FFR, Pioneer, Vista, W-L Research, and others. The need for yield and performance information on alfalfa varieties therefore increases yearly. In 1990, the alfalfa variety testing program was re-started under the leadership of the University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University (WKU). Three …

Procedures For No-Till Alfalfa, Harlan E. White

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Technology is now available to successfully establish new stands of alfalfa without the need for tillage and preparation of a fine seedbed. Establishing new stands of alfalfa no-till essentially eliminates the threat of soil erosion while the new seeding is becoming established as well as the resulting ruts and gullies which damage equipment and can be dangerous to equipment operators. In addition to conserving soil, no-till seedings conserve moisture already present in the seedbed. This, plus the dramatic reduction in water run-off, improves the moisture supply for new seedlings. Less time and fuel are required to seed using no-till methods …

Foreword [1991], Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

This is the front matter of the proceedings.

A New Concept In Treating Wastewaters ... "Constructed Wetlands", Anastasios D. Karathanasis

Soil Science News and Views

During the last few years a new technology for treating municipal and industrial waste water has emerged, which also shows some potential for treatment of farm and home wastewaters. This technology involves the construction of "artificial wetlands" and establishing a dominant vegetation of Typha (cattails), Sphagnum (moss), certain algae, and other plant species which have the potential to beneficially affect small flows of waste water moving through them by biochemical processes. Interest in these systems has steadily increased because of their low cost (1/10 to 1/2 that of conventional treatment), efficiency, and near nonexistent maintenance. These "constructed wetland" biochemical-treatment systems …

Geologic Highway Cross Section: Kentucky Highway 80, Hazard To Prestonburg, Donald R. Chesnut Jr.

Map and Chart--KGS

Highway roadcuts along Kentucky Highway 80 from Hazard to Prestonsburg are scientifically significant exposures of the Pennsylvanian coal-bearing rocks of the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field, and provide an excellent educational opportunity. The coals exposed along this road are the most economically important of the coal field, and the roadcut exposures offer easy access and stratigraphic variety. They are ideal for high school, university, and professional geology field trips (Cobb and others, 1981). Several national and international field trips and many out-of-state university field trips have examined these exposures. In addition, studies in coal geology and petrography, paleontology, biostratigraphy, and elastic …

The Relationship Between Soil Properties And No-Tillage Agriculture, Robert L. Blevins

Soil Science News and Views

I am highly honored to be invited to present the 3rd annual S.H. Phillips Distinguished Lecture on No-Tillage Agriculture. My interest and subsequent research efforts in the area of no-tillage agriculture began in 1969. Shirley Phillips encouraged my efforts through his interest and enthusiasm for this rather radical and new approach to farming without the use of tillage equipment. At that time, Harry Young, a western Kentucky farmer and pioneer of no-tillage agriculture along with Shirley, Jim Herron, Charlie Slack and other co-workers were excited about the potential of this new, innovative farming system and what it could do for …