Big bluestem, indiangrass and switchgrass (1993)

Native warm-season grasses are good, viable options to complement present cool-season pastures in north and south Missouri. Good management at establishment and afterward will result in high-yielding, high-quality forage during the summer months when cool-season grass pastures are at a disadvantage

(How I Think About) Kentucky\u27s Pastures: One of Kentucky\u27s Untapped Resources

One of the privileges of old(er) age is the prerogative to take liberties with assigned tasks. At the risk of confusing producers and offending more scientifically-current forage scientists, the topic of pasture as an untapped resource presented an opportunity to address task from an unexpected angle. Certainly, Kentucky’s pastures are a resource with untapped potential. But the idea that their value as a resource depends on how we think about them is one worth pursuing

Advances in Alfalfa Breeding — What Will the Alfalfa Variety of the Future Smell, Taste, Look and Act Like?

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 the future look like? The purpose of this paper is to offer some ideas of general direction of major breeding efforts of alfalfa and to make farmers aware of what to expect in the near or more distant future

Alfalfa Varieties

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 locations were seeded in 1990, Spindletop Research Farm - Lexington, WKU Research Farm -Bowling Green, and the UK Research and Education Center -Princeton. A total of 37 varieties were included in these tests (fable 1)

How Good Is Our Kentucky Haylage? A Summary of 2017-18 Farm Results

The ability to harvest moist forage as hay gives Kentucky producers many advantages, including timely harvest, higher forage quality, and less weathering loss over hay systems. The baleage system allows producers to utilize commonly available forage equipment (mowers, rakes, balers) rather than requiring choppers and silo structures or bags. Making high quality baleage requires timely access to bale wrappers

Options for Managing Thin Alfalfa Stands

Alfalfa is the highest yielding, highest quality hay crop grown in Kentucky. Well cured alfalfa and alfalfa-grass hay is in high demand for dairy and in particular, horse owners. Alfalfa stands in Kentucky remain productive from four to as long as 8 years or more depending on several factors. Long stand life is favored by: Using an improved variety with high resistance to the major diseases of Kentucky and that is proven to be high yielding in relevant trials such as conducted at the University of Kentucky. Deep, well drained soils, Soils that have been limed to pH 6.8 and that have been fertilized according to soil test. Adequate annual fertility, including P and K, Prudent cutting schedules (allowing alfalfa to reach bud to first flower before harvest, not harvesting in the four to six weeks prior to a killing freeze), Controlling economic insect pests, especially the alfalfa weevil and potato leafhopper

Update on Options for Managing Thin Alfalfa Stands

Alfalfa is the highest yielding, highest quality hay crop grown in Kentucky. Well cured alfalfa and alfalfa‐grass hay is in high demand for dairy and in particular, horse owners. Alfalfa stands in Kentucky remain productive from four to as long as 8 years or more depending on several factors. Long stand life is favored by: 1. Using an improved variety with high resistance to the major diseases of Kentucky and that is proven to be high yielding in relevant trials such as conducted at the University of Kentucky. 2. Deep, well drained soils, 3. Soils that have been limed to pH 6.8 and that have been fertilized according to soil test. 4. Adequate annual fertility, including P and K, 5. Prudent cutting schedules (allowing alfalfa to reach bud to first flower before harvest, not harvesting in the four to six weeks prior to a killing freeze), 6. Controlling economic insect pests, especially the alfalfa weevil and potato leafhopper

Alfalfa Producers: Do You Really Know How Good Your Alfalfa Is? Forage Analysis: Importance and Interpretation

Forages make up over 75% of the diet of all cattle and are the basis of cow-calf industry in the midwest. However, a recent survey of over 1000 livestock producers in Missouri revealed that only 5.6 % had ever had their hay tested. They gave several reasons for why they had not tested hay (Table 1). By a large margin, the greatest reason for not testing was that they did not see a need. This fact highlights the purpose of this paper and presentation at the 10th Annual Kentucky Alfalfa Conference. This paper will explain the terms used in forage quality analyses, the use of Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIR) in rapidly testing forage quality, and the interpretation of forage analysis results

Hay Testing and Marketing Update

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 characteristics such as leafiness, color, maturity, odor, and so on. In the first 11 months of 1990, KDA has tested 303 samples representing over 9000 tons of Kentucky hay

Grazing Alfalfa: Is It Right for You?

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