Soil Science Commons^™

Advances In Developing Better Alfalfa Varieties, Jim Moutray

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa breeders continue to actively pursue the development of varieties that will bring more benefits to farmers. Yield and better persistence are our highest priorities. Other traits under selection can make alfalfa easier and cheaper to grow, better and safer for livestock and more attractive to livestock.

The goal of this paper is to update you on the types of alfalfa research going on in the U.S., time tables on when you may expect to see these new developments and how they may help you in your operation.

Alfalfa Hay Quality: Terms And Definitions, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

At the 22^nd Kentucky Alfalfa Conference we discussed the relationship among Alfalfa - Yield-Quality-Persistence. In our presentation, we indicated that all three components must be considered for best management of alfalfa stands. Over the past week, I have looked through the past twenty-two years of Alfalfa Conference Proceedings. It's interesting, but not surprising that we have focused far more attention on yield than on quality and/or persistence.

Alfalfa yield (quantity) and quality are both important; however, it is easier for producers to recognize problems associated with quantity than quality because quantity can be easily assessed visually. Thus, forage quantity …

Foreword [2003], Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

This is the front matter of the proceedings.

Value Of Nutrients In Poultry Litter When Applied In The Fall, Monroe Rasnake, George Kelley

Soil Science News and Views

The value of nutrients in poultry litter depends not only on how much nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) it contains, but also on how it is handled and applied. The following table compares the value of 19 poultry litter samples from Hopkins County analyzed for N, P & K and the litter then spread in the fall. The samples include pullet, breeder and broiler manures, with storage times up to one year. Nutrient values were based on a comparison with urea (46-0-0) at $199/ton, triple super phosphate (0-46-0) at $215/ton and muriate of potash (0-0-60) at $165/ton.

Precision Farming In Central Kentucky: Evaluating Public And Private Sector Influence On The Adoption Decision, Rod Grusy

Soil Science News and Views

The Cooperative Extension Service is challenged to assess the needs of customers who are unable or unwilling to try new production techniques with the potential to increase profitability. Precision Farming (PF) is a production technique that has the goal of maximizing economic potential by using technology that recognizes variability within fields. Ample research from the last decade shows that precision technologies hold promise for enhanced agricultural profitability. A study conducted in three Central Kentucky counties in 2001 shows that farmers obtain information for decision-making related to PF technologies from their local fertilizer dealer and the Cooperative Extension Service but are …

A Mechanical System For Soil Reconstruction, John Patrick Fulton, Larry G. Wells, Timothy D. Smith

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

One of the most perplexing problems associated with reclaiming surface–mined lands is excessive compaction of soil due to the heavy earthmoving equipment used during the reclamation process. Over the years, some innovative material handling schemes have been devised to limit vehicle traffic during reclamation on reconstructed soil. However, final grading operations can often create root–limiting bulk densities, which affect plant growth and yield. The purpose of this article is to describe a mechanism designed at the University of Kentucky whereby mine soil can be reconstructed without introducing compaction caused by surface traffic in order for the soil to sustain desirable …

A Portable Rainfall Simulator For Plot–Scale Runoff Studies, J. Byron Humphry, Tommy C. Daniel, Dwayne R. Edwards, Andrew N. Sharpley

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Rainfall simulators have a long history of successful use in both laboratory and field investigations. Many plot–scale simulators, however, have been difficult to operate and transport in the field, especially in remote locations where water or electricity is unavailable. This article describes a new rainfall simulator that is relatively easy to operate and transport to and from the field while maintaining critical intensity, distribution, and energy characteristics of natural rainfall. The simulator frame is constructed from lightweight aluminum pipe with a single 50 WSQ nozzle centered at a height of 3 m (9.8 ft). An operating nozzle pressure of 28 …

Package Options For Alfalfa, Michael Collins

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Most of the hay crop in Kentucky is harvested as dry hay and stored in round bales of various sizes for feeding on the farm. Most of the round-baled hay in Kentucky is used on-farm in feeding beef and dairy cattle. When alfalfa hay in round bales is left outside without protection from the weather, large losses in DM yield and in forage quality usually result. We routinely measure DM losses in the range of 20- 35% for a normal length hay storage season. Our research has shown that several economical storage options exist for protecting this hay from weathering. …

Marketing Kentucky Hay, Billy Ray Smith

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

The production of hay and pasture crops is essential to a profitable future for Kentucky agriculture. The Commonwealth ranked seventh in the nation in hay production in the year 2000 with 6.2 million tons. These forages provide the bulk of the feed supply for our livestock industry. In addition, a significant portion of our hay crop is marketed, both to in-state and out-of-state buyers.

Innovative Loading And Stacking Systems For Custom Hay Sales, Tom Keene

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

As the face of agriculture continues to change, so does the hay industry. What was standard operating procedure twenty years ago is now no longer economically feasible in the cash hay industry. This is especially true in the loading and stacking end of the business.

The business has changed because new technology along with the dramatic decrease in the availability of "hand labor" has helped to drive the need for new loading and stacking systems for the hay industry. These two phenomenon will continue to drive us toward total mechanization in the hay industry in fact many hay producers are …

Designing A Grazing System For Alfalfa, Ken Johnson

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

As we think about grazing alfalfa, we should decide why we are considering alfalfa and where it fits. I want to address some of these issues from my prospective as a grazer with several years experience and as an agriculture employee working with many grazers over the years. Alfalfa is the most productive, high quality grazing forage we can grow in Kentucky; we need to be using it more.

Grazing Alfalfa At The Western Kentucky University Farm, Byron Sleugh, Raquel Stiles, David K. Stiles, Amanda Canty, Curtis Mitchell

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa has been around for centuries. In all this time, it was used in many different ways to provide high quality forage to livestock. In fact, in the area where alfalfa originated, the word actually means "horse power". We have come a long way since then and alfalfa is used for a wide range of animals, from rabbits to rhinos.

In order to maximize the efficiency of utilization of alfalfa, it has become necessary to graze it. Grazing is preferred over harvesting and storage for several reasons: less equipment and thus lower cost, less harvest loss, and greater quality forage …

Managing Alfalfa For Yield-Quality-Persistence, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is a premier forage legume that has played an important role in Kentucky's forage-livestock program for many years. It's role at present is increasing and it's most significant role is yet to come.

Advances In Alfalfa Breeding — What Will The Alfalfa Variety Of The Future Smell, Taste, Look And Act Like?, Jimmy C. Henning

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is the highest quality, highest yielding and arguably the highest value forage crop in Kentucky and in the US. It is useful as hay, haylage or pasture for a variety of species of livestock. It is well adapted to Kentucky and is an important part of the forage/livestock system.

Alfalfa breeders are actively working to develop varieties that will meet and exceed farmer expectations for yield and persistence. In addition, other traits are sought after to make the variety meet a special need or to have better marketability or attraction to the customer.

So what will the alfalfa of …

Foreword [2002], Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

This is the front matter of the proceedings.

Monitoring Subsurface Drainage Flow At Remote Locations, Stephen R. Workman, Stephen F. Higgins, Scott A. Shearer

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Laboratory evaluations and field results are presented for a slotted weir used to measure discharge from subsurface drains. The head–discharge curve for the vertical slot is a simple power function with an exponent of 1.5. There was excellent agreement (r² > 0.99 and 1:1 slope) between predicted and observed discharge in laboratory testing of 12 test weirs representing five slot widths. The primary advantages of the vertical slot weir are its simplicity, ease of maintenance, and ability to measure small flow rates. Disadvantages include a tendency for the slot to close a small amount over time as a result of …

Determining Matric Stress With The Modified Cam Clay Energy Relationship, Richard A. Rohlf, Larry G. Wells

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The stress generated by matric suction, or matric stress, was determined at points along the stress path with an analytical and experimental procedure based on the modified Cam clay energy relationship. Matric stress was found to be approximately constant at large strain for constant water content triaxial compression tests. Matric stress was included in both shear and volume relationships in a critical–state soil model that employed the modified Cam clay yield function. Shear was modeled with a constant matric stress. Slope of the normal compression and recompression lines was adjusted for matric stress using a state function that expressed matric …

Alfalfa As A Cash Hay Crop, John Nowak

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Over the years we have all learned of the great potential alfalfa has as a forage crop in Kentucky. We have seen it used as hay, haylage and even pasture. Many aspects of our agri-business community have alfalfa as an important part of their business.

Alfalfa For Beef Cattle, W. Roy Burris

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is sometimes said to be "too good" for beef cattle. Although it's nutritional value may sometimes exceed beef cows' needs, to dismiss it's potential for beef cattle would be a mistake. Alfalfa can be useful as a harvested feed or as a grazing crop.

Alfalfa For Dairy Cattle, Donna M. Amaral-Phillips

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is known as the queen of the forage crops and for good reasons. Alfalfa is an excellent forage for dairy cattle because it provides nutrients needed by dairy cows in a package which is highly digestible and cost effective. Alfalfa can be grazed directly by cattle or harvested as hay, haylage, or batage. Dairy farmers will purchase locally-grown hay if it is high quality (RFV greater than 150). When marketing cash hay one needs to understand that the quality of alfalfa greatly impacts milk production and economics of a dairy operation. This impact is felt even when as little …

Alfalfa Hay For Horses, Laurie Lawrence

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Horse owners frequently mention cleanliness, color and cutting when it comes to choosing hay. Cleanliness should be the most important factor in selecting horse hay. Hay that contains dust or mold can inflame the respiratory tract. It is also possible for hay mold to affect other systems in the horse such as the digestive system and liver. Some horses suffer from a chronic respiratory condition that seriously impairs their ability to breathe normally. This condition, commonly known as heaves, worsens when horses are fed moldy or dusty hay. Horses with heaves are exercise intolerant and thus have little value except …

Reducing The Risk Of Bloat, Patty Scharko

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Bloat refers to excessive accumulation of gas in the rumen. Bloat results when an animal can not eructate or "belch up" gases produced in the process of rumen fermentation. The gas may be in the free form or may be mixed with rumen contents in the form of froth. It occurs both on pasture and in feedlots and can be a major cause of death in cattle wherever intensive farming is practiced. Additional losses can include decreased milk production and reduced rate of gain. Although legumes may increase the opportunity for bloat to occur, fear of bloat should not keep …

Grazing Alfalfa: Is It Right For You?, Jimmy C. Henning

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Grazing alfalfa can be a very profitable and valuable practice for many Kentucky farmers. How do you know if this practice will work for you? First, you must be able to grow alfalfa. Second, you must address the concerns that are specific to grazing alfalfa.

Establishing Alfalfa Using No-Till Techniques, Gary Bates

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

There have been many changes in agriculture over the fast 50 years. One of the greatest has been the use of no-tiff planting methods. The development of drill and herbicides has made no-till seedings as successful as seeding into prepared land.

Am-Pm Cutting Of Alfalfa, Garry D. Lacefield, Michael Collins, Jimmy C. Henning

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Over the past twenty years of this Conference we have spent considerable time discussing "Alfalfa Harvest Management." We have discussed the importance of stage of maturity and its impact on quality on many occasions. We have presented research on many aspects of hay and haylage management. An overall theme for all the discussions has been "harvest for quality," with emphasis on saving the leaves during the entire harvesting process. Our recommendations have, are, and will continue to be centered around those management practices that will result in the greatest opportunity for preserving alfalfa quality from standing crop to feeding. This …

Can We Follow Alfalfa With Alfalfa?, Monroe Rasnake

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

The question of how soon alfalfa can safely be reseeded following an old stand of alfalfa has been debated for many years. It has been a topic of the Kentucky Alfalfa Conference on at least two other occasions (Rasnake, 1995; Rasnake 1999). Recent research has attempted to determine what causes the problem, how it is affected by soil conditions, and whether the problem can be reduced through plant breeding. This paper will review some of the research.

Foreword [2001], Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

This is the front matter of the proceedings.

Changes In Alfalfa Breeding — Where Is Alfalfa Headed?, Becky Greenwald

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa didn't earn the title "Queen of the Forages" just because of its good looks on rolling hills or sweet smell at harvest. Alfalfa was first described nearly 2,500 years ago, in 490 B.C in the desert regions of what is now Iran. From the Middle East, alfalfa was taken into Europe and South America by invading armies, explorers, and missionaries.

Little Known Facts About Alfalfa, Don Ball

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

During the previous nineteen Kentucky Alfalfa Conferences, many topics pertaining to alfalfa have undoubtedly been addressed. In fact, some topics such as establishment techniques, varieties, and factors affecting yield are important enough that they have probably been discussed in one form or another during most of these conferences.

However, a twentieth-year state commodity conference is a milestone that deserves some special consideration, and which should justify inclusion of one or more unique topics on the program. This line of thinking led to idea that for this presentation it might be interesting to discuss some facts about alfalfa that are not …

Reducing Alfalfa Harvesting Losses, Michael Collins

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

In some areas of the country, producers store a substantial portion of their forage for winter feeding as silage or haylage. However, hay remains the most popular storage method for forage. Hay stores well for long periods and is better suited to cash sale and transportation than silage. Mechanical conditioning, which gained acceptance during the 1950's is probably still the greatest single change in hay harvesting and storage technology during this century. However, a number of other noteworthy changes and innovations have occurred in recent years which have helped to reduce the extent of losses during hay harvesting and storage.