Effect of Soil Additives on Water Infiltration on Kentucky Soils

Many products are advertised and sold in Kentucky as soil additives to aid the movement of water into and through the soil. Most of these additives contain compounds that reduce the surface tension of water. That means that they change the way water is absorbed onto surfaces that have a tendency to repel water. However, their effectiveness in this regard has been questioned due to the huge volume of soil to be effected and the fact that our Kentucky soils are not hydrophobic. In order to determine the effectiveness of these types of products, an experiment was designed to test one of these products on the infiltration of water into the soil

Subsoiling of No-Tilled Corn

No-tillage corn production has become very popular in Kentucky because of the advantages it offers producers. Currently, over half of the corn in Kentucky is planted by this method and even a higher percentage is no-till planted on erodible lands. Because of this, many fields have received little tillage in the last 10 to 20 years. Many producers wonder if soil compaction increases with time on these long-term no-tilled fields due to annual trafficking by heavy equipment. Subsoiling implements have become available that allow subsurface tillage while preserving the surface mulch layer. This practice allows for continued no-till planting while introducing some tillage into the cropping rotation. Some producers are subsoiling every second fall after soybean harvest in a corn-wheat-soybean rotation

Fertilizing Alfalfa for Optimum Production

Alfalfa is a high producing crop. Therefore, it only makes sense not to limit its production or longevity by establishing it on unsuitable soil and 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

Comparative Effectiveness of Urea, Ammonium Nitrate, and Urea Ammonium Polyphosphate on Fescue Production

In the past, nitrogen (N) fertilizers used on grass pastures in Kentucky have largely been ammoniated phosphates in mixed fertilizers and ammonium nitrate. Due to the economic advantage of producing solid urea as opposed to ammonium nitrate, availability of urea is becoming greater and, in some areas, is the only source of solid nitrogen. If urea is not incorporated into the soil immediately after application, some of the nitrogen may be lost as ammonia gas. The loss is called volatilization. The amount of loss depends on a number of conditions. High soil and air temperatures and a moist soil which is undergoing drying are contributing factors to volatilization losses. Presence of organic residues on the soil surface and a high soil pH (6.5 or above) are also thought to increase the expected loss. Based on these conditions we would expect N losses from top dressed urea to be greater when applied to pastures than when applied to row crops and the rate might be different at different times during the season

Seasonal and Yearly Fluctuations of Soil Tests

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

Effect of Irrigation on Corn, Soybeans and Alfalfa Yields in Kentucky

Irrigation is not widely used in Kentucky for two reasons: 1) high average yearly rainfall, and 2) lack of easily accessible and dependable water sources. However, even with the high yearly rainfall, droughts do occur during the growing season. According to past history, they are more likely to occur in West Kentucky than Central Kentucky and least likely to occur in East Kentucky

Pelletized Lime - How Quickly Does It React

Pelletized lime is made by granulating finely ground agricultural (ag) lime. It may be dolomitic or calcitic depending on the nature of the original limestone. The fine lime particles are bonded together with lignosulfonates during the pelletizing process. In general, the pelletized lime contains about 9% lignosulfonates. Pelletized limestone is a product that has been on the market for many years. The price of the material on a per ton basis is considerably higher than bulk ag lime, so its use has mainly been confined to specialty markets, with little use in production agriculture. However, the product is becoming more commonly used in production agriculture. Some questions have been raised about recommended rates of this material and the speed at which it reacts compared to standard ag lime

Irrigated Field Crop Acres in Kentucky

Irrigation in Kentucky has always been limited. This is due to a limited water supply in many parts of Kentucky and the high amount of rainfall in the state which reduces the chances for a consistent profitable response to field crops

The Status of Sulfur Fertilization of Crops in Kentucky

Sulfur has long been recognized as being essential for the growth of plants and animals due to it being necessary for production of several amino acids. Although regarded as a secondary element, it is required by plants in fairly high amounts, very similar to that of phosphorus. Sulfur deficiency symptoms in plants are somewhat similar to those of nitrogen since an overall uniform pale-green leaf color develops. Sulfur deficiencies are often found in crops growing on sandy soils with low organic matter content

Soil and Fertility Management

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