Soil Science Commons^™

Chemical Preservation Of Alfalfa Hay And Silage, Charles T. Dougherty, J. Kenneth Evans

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

A wide range of substances are being marketed throughout the forage world to enhance, preserve and otherwise modify hay and silage. Some of the products are ineffective, while the benefits of others depend on the correct application and some are used at rates far below that which is effective. Alfalfa can be made into high quality hay and silage without the use of additives if recommended practices are employed, however, when the use of best management practices is not enough, additives may make economic sense. Such is the case in N.W. Europe where the weather prevents haymaking, and the high …

Harvest Management, Harold Vaught

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Harvest management is not an easy topic to address. Every farm or field may present a different situation, thus, decisions must be made by the grower as to the harvest schedule he uses. Most everything I will discuss has research to back it up but I will not reference it. I must say that some of my comments have come from experience and observation over a period of many years.

Managing Leaf Spot Diseases Of Alfalfa, William C. Nesmith

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Approximately 25-30 diseases attack and reduce the yield, quality or stand longevity of alfalfa in Kentucky. The largest number of these diseases are leaf spot. Generally, the leaf spots diseases are more important in reducing quality due to leaf loss than direct killing of plants. Some of the leaf spots are severe enough to warrant specific controls aimed directly at them while others are managed through more general practices.

Weed Management In Alfalfa, William W. Witt

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Weeds compete with alfalfa for water, nutrients, light, and space. This competition can decrease yields, lower forage quality, increase disease and insect problems, create harvesting problems, and initiate or poison the animals which will consume the forage. Premature loss of alfalfa stands is usually the result of the interaction of the pest complex - diseases, insects, and weeds.

Kentucky's Ipm Program For Alfalfa, Chris M. Christensen

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a concept that encourages the use of a variety of strategies in the management of crop pests. It is very important to have an indepth understanding of the crop production system when implementing an IPM program. An IPM program is dynamic requiring a continual evaluation of the status of the crop, the associated pest complex, the effects of the pests and the biological deterrents to those pests. If a pest population gets "out of hand" and begins to cause economic damage, pest management techniques may need to be applied. These pest management measures may be …

Soil And Fertility Management, Lloyd W. Murdock

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is a high producing, labor intensive, high cost and high return crop. Therefore, it only makes sense not to limit its production or longevity by establishing it on unsuitable soil or by the use of unsound fertility practices. It is the aim of this paper to propose practices which will not limit the production of alfalfa, but, also allow it to be done as efficiently as possible with only the necessary inputs.

Kentucky Alfalfa Variety Testing Program, Roy E. Sigafus

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

In the 1950's and 60's alfalfa variety trials were conducted by the Lexington staff at 5 to 7 locations. Trials are now limited to Lexington and Princeton, but numerous demonstration seedings are established by the Extension Service personnel throughout the state.

Establishment And Early Management Of Alfalfa Stands For Hay And Silage Production, J. Kenneth Evans, Charles T. Dougherty

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

To achieve high levels of productivity and long-lived alfalfa stands, farmers must treat alfalfa as a crop and not as a pasture on the back forty. In this paper we present current recommendations for establishment and early management of alfalfa stands in Kentucky. See AGR-76, Alfalfa-The Queen of Forage Crops, and AGR-64, Establishing Forage Crops, for more detailed information.

Alfalfa In Kentucky — Situation And Challenge, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is one of the most important forage crops in the United States. Of all commonly grown forages, it is among the highest in feeding value and has the highest yield potential of all adapted perennial forage legumes. Alfalfa is grown over a wide range of soil and climatic conditions and can play an important role in soil conservation. Alfalfa is a versatile crop which can be used as pasture, hay and silgage. As a result of its versatility, yield potential and quality, it can be used successfully in all livestock feeding programs.

Foreword [1983], Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

This is the front matter of the proceedings.

Effect Of Fertilizer Salts On Crop Production, V. P. Evangelou

Soil Science News and Views

Soil consists largely of mineral and organic matter, air, and water. Plants obtain nutrients from mineral and organic matter, oxygen from air, and they use water as a carrier of nutrients from the soil into the root and to the above ground portion of plants.

Since soil water functions as a carrier of nutrients from solid fractions of soil into and through plants, it plays a very important role in plant nutrition. Because of this importance, correct chemical balance of the soil solution is necessary for best crop performance. This means that pH of the solution should be in the …

Seedbed Preparation For Pasture Renovation, Harold B. Rice

Soil Science News and Views

In Kentucky renovation has come to mean the re-establishment of legumes in grass pastures and meadows. Many acres of grassland do not contain enough legumes to fill the amount of nitrogen needed and to improve the nutritional value of the forage. A good stand of white clover, for example, has the capacity to fix about 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Because of this, pastures containing around 40 percent clover can produce about as much meat or milk as grass pastures fertilized with 150 pounds of nitrogen per acre. For best results in seeding clovers into grass sods, fields should …

Infiltration Through Reconstructed Surface Mined Spoils And Soils, A. D. Ward, Larry G. Wells, R. E. Phillips

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

An extensive series of tests involving reconstructed profiles of spoil and topsoil material from a Western Kentucky surface mine site was conducted with a laboratory infiltrometer system. Infiltration through the reconstructed spoil profiles was very slow despite the coarse nature of the material. Low infiltration rates could be attributed to the material having a well-graded texture and to the high densities of the profiles. Infiltration through topsoil horizons was controlled, for the most part, by conditions at the surface. Following wetting, infiltration rates were primarily controlled by the hydraulic characteristics of the less permeable sub horizon of the spoil material. …

Energy Conservation In Corn Production, Wilbur W. Frye

Soil Science News and Views

On-farm production of food and fiber uses about 3% of the annual U.S. energy consumption. About one-third of this energy is directly from fossil fuels used in farm tractors and trucks and for crop drying, while about one-fourth is used in manufacturing and transporting fertilizers. Tillage and N fertilizers are the two largest uses of energy in non-irrigated product ion of crops which are not dried artificially. Thus, the greatest effects of energy conservation can be achieved in these two areas.

Does No-Till Change Soil Management Practices?, Robert L. Blevins

Soil Science News and Views

Successful no-tilling requires a different approach to soil management practices. Since continuous no-tillage systems leave residues on the soil surface without mechanically mixing them into the plow layer and since lime and fertilizer are surface-applied, no-tilled soils have biological, chemical and physical properties contrasting with those of a plowed soil. For any crop production system to be widely accepted and used it must provide and maintain desirable physical properties of the soil, control erosion and replace nutrients removed by crops and other losses. This can be accomplished in a no-till system if proper management is used.

Soil Ph: What It Is, How It Is Measured, Why It Is Important, John H. Grove

Soil Science News and Views

Soil pH is related to the hydrogen ion (H⁺) activity of the soil-water system. The chemical definition of pH is as follows: pH=-log (H⁺). In other words, for a pH drop of 1 unit (e. g. from pH 6 to pH 5) there will be a ten~fold increase in H⁺ activity in the soil solution. If pH 1 rises by 1 unit, only one-tenth as much acidity will be present in solution. As such, pH is only a measure of the active acidity in the soil water solution bathing plant roots. This fraction of total …

Liming Tobacco Soils, J. L. Sims

Soil Science News and Views

Control of soil acidity by liming is very important in successful tobacco culture. Adding lime to an acid soil increases the availability of nearly all plant nutrient elements, increases the efficiency of added fertilizers, and prevents the toxic effects of high concentrations of soluble aluminum, manganese, and iron. It is a natural tendency for most Kentucky soils to become acid with time due to losses of bases (calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium) from soil by rainfall, However, tobacco soils possess certain unique problems that warrant careful monitoring of soil pH every two to three years.

Fall Fertilization Programs, William O. Thom

Soil Science News and Views

Achieving recommended fertility levels for the next season's crop is important enough that it should not be subject to all the uncertainties of spring weather. Fall offers more time for careful planning of fertilizer and lime requirements based on good soil tests. Fields are generally in good condition to support application equipment without creating excessive soil compaction.

Seasonal And Yearly Fluctuations Of Soil Tests, Lloyd W. Murdock

Soil Science News and Views

One of the most important management tasks of a good farmer is taking a good soil sample. The recommendations based on these samples will help determine yield and profitability. A number of factors have an effect on the soil test results.

Fertilization Of Double-Crop Soybeans, Grant W. Thomas

Soil Science News and Views

The improvement of minimum-and no-tillage methods has helped increase the double-cropped acreage of soybeans in Kentucky to about 700,000 acres. Similar increases have been observed in our neighboring states. Most double-cropped soybeans in Kentucky follow winter wheat harvested for grain. Thus, they are at a disadvantage if the wheat leaves the soybean crop with a nutrient-deficient soil.

Use Of Molybdenum For Soybean Production, Monroe Rasnake

Soil Science News and Views

Molybdenum (Mo) is a micronutrient that is required by soybeans in very small amounts. As little as 0.5 parts per million of Mo in soybean tissue is sufficient for normal growth. Compare this with a phosphorus sufficiency level of about 2,000 parts per million. However, even though only small amounts are needed, a Mo deficiency can drastically reduce yields of soybeans.

You Can Make Money Producing And Marketing Alfalfa In The 80'S, David C. Petritz

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

We are today, as we were during most of the 70's, concerned with the future of the forage enterprise and the livestock species that depend on it. Will they survive an environment in which the emphasis is on grain exports? Will they survive in an environment in which consumers are not able (but hopefully willing) to pay prices for red meats which are profitable for all segments of the livestock industry? Will they survive in the 80's when real interest rates will be relatively high?

Marketing Alternatives For Kentucky Alfalfa: Needs, Challenges And Opportunities, J. Kenneth Evans

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

There are unquestionable needs for more high quality alfalfa in the Southeastern U.S. From these needs arise the challenge and opportunities for those who are researching, informing, teaching, and even promoting alfalfa. Likewise, there are income opportunities for those who own resources which could be used in producing and marketing alfalfa. This paper will discuss some of the factors which should be considered in hay marketing, i.e., (1) a dependable supply of hay; (2) producing high quality hay; and (3) planning to supply the highest quality hay to the highest priced market.

Hay - The National And International Traveler, Harry D. Gates Jr.

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Prior to 1883, packing, shipping and hauling hay was an irregular business. There was no established custom to govern, and every transaction was typical of the parties engaged in it.

The hay crop had become the leading agricultural product in value, and its importance commercially was appreciated. The amount of hay leaving the farm had steadily increased, but trade environment did not offer much encouragement for businessmen of regular methods, or the capitalist to embark in the business, and it was apparent to every thinking person that for the proper development of so important an industry it was necessary in …

Development Of Local Hay Association, Roger Sparrow, Eric Hinton, J. H. Ragland

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

The need for a Hay marketing "system" had been obvious to hay sellers and agricultural leaders in Larue County for some time. Five or six hay producers had been selling mainly alfalfa hay to truckers, who would transport the hay to a buyer and reap the profit. Hay was mostly sold by the bale and at a low price. Because of the land and soil type, Larue County had a good potential to produce alfalfa as a cash crop. The development of this potential was being limited by an unreliable and unprofitable market. Given these conditions, the development of a …

Alfalfa From The Consumer Standpoint, John Williams

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Traditionally, horsemen in this part of the United States have fed grass hay mixed with good red clover hay to their horses in training as well as their horses on the farm. Knowing that legume hay is high in protein, horsemen found this is a good source of the needed protein for their animals no matter what activity they were engaged in. A few problems were found with clover hay. First of all, it was usually dusty and, if not made under ideal circumstances, the hay was dark and in some cases moldy. The hay could never be purchased in …

Innovations In Hay Harvesting And Storing, V. L. Lectenberg, D. A. Holt

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Haymaking in the humid parts of the U.S. is the most risky operation that farmers engage in. Standing hay is extremely high in moisture and must be dried to at least 25% moisture less before it can be stored without spoilage. Most farmers rely on natural field drying processes to cure their hay. Natural drying is often slowed by high relative humidity. Rainfall frequently occurs before the hay has dried which further slows the drying process and can result in serious nutrient and yield losses. Haymaking is also a labor-intensive farming operation and, until recently, involved a large amount of …

Breaking The Alfalfa Yield Barrier, J. Paul Mueller

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

During the past one-hundred or so years, alfalfa production has spread and flourished in the United States. It has contributed to progress in many phases of the livestock industry.

No-Till Establishement Of Alfalfa, Harlan E. White, Dale D. Wolf

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

The no-till concept has been widely accepted in Virginia for corn and soybean production. However, alfalfa is still commonly established by plowing and tilling the soil into a fine seedbed. Each year many tons of productive topsoil is eroded by rainfall on those prepared seedbeds. The resulting gullies remain in the hayfield for the life of the stand to damage equipment and "rattle the teeth" of the operator.

Current Disease Problems In Alfalfa, William C. Nesmith

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is attacked by many fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes which USDA estimates reduces hay yields by 24% annually in the U.S. Even greater losses occur in Kentucky. However, it is the diseases of the root and crown which cause the greatest damage because they limit the number of years a stand can remain productive.