Numbered Publications: AGR
AGR-52: Selecting the Right Grass for Your Kentucky Lawn
Gregg Munshaw, Travis Shaddox | Aug. 29, 2019 (Major Revision)
The best grass for your lawn is not necessarily the one you like the best, but the one that is best adapted to where you live and will take less work and fewer inputs (water, fertilizer, pesticides). Many people think that since Kentucky is the "Bluegrass State," it's best to grow Kentucky bluegrass across our state. Actually, Kentucky bluegrass is only marginally adapted to our climate and can require more inputs to keep an appealing lawn than some other choices. In general, Kentucky bluegrass can be an option for parts of central and eastern Kentucky, while zoysiagrass may be a better option in western Kentucky. Tall fescue is adapted to the entire state so is a good choice for most locations. Perennial ryegrasses and fine fescues are occasionally useful in different areas of the state, depending on specific conditions.
AGR-241: Improved Turfgrass Varieties Can Reduce Your Environmental Impact
Gregg Munshaw, Travis Shaddox | Aug. 29, 2019 (New)
Turfgrasses have many benefits, but oftentimes people question if pesticides, fertilizers, and water are justified to sustain a quality turfed area. Although these inputs have long been required to produce thick and dark green turfgrass, some turfgrass breeders have focused on improving the genetics of turfgrasses to produce high quality turf with fewer inputs. Improved turfgrass varieties with increased density, better color, deeper rooting, and improved disease resistance through improved breeding can reduce the overall environmental footprint. Many people select a turfgrass species and variety based on cost, but choosing an improved variety can reduce environment risk and overall maintenance costs in the long-run.
AGR-240: Cover Crop Benefits and Challenges in Kentucky
Chad Lee, Hanna Poffenbarger, Dan Quinn | Aug. 7, 2019 (New)
A cover crop is a plant species that is grown between cash crops primarily to provide cropping system services rather than to produce a harvestable product. Services provided by cover crops include soil health improvement, soil conservation, nutrient release and capture, and weed suppression. However, like any management practice, cover crops also have challenges and limitations. This publication is intended to provide an overview of cover crop use in Kentucky and the challenges and benefits of this practice.
AGR-239: Calibrating Boom Sprayers for Turf Applications
Gregg Munshaw, Travis Shaddox | Mar. 12, 2019 (New)
Calibrating application equipment is something many people avoid because they believe it is too time consuming or that the math involved is too confusing. Calibration, however, is critical. Applying too little can result in poor pest control and can lead to pesticide resistance. Whereas, over applying can be bad for the environment, damage the grass, and wastes money. There are several methods for calibrating sprayers. Choose the one that makes the most sense to you. Three different methods are described below. All these methods are reliable and will provide very similar application accuracy.
AGR-238: Establishing and Managing Bermudagrasses in the Transition Zone
Gregg Munshaw, Travis Shaddox | Nov. 12, 2018 (New)
Bermudagrasses have been successfully grown on athletic fields and golf courses in the transition zone for many years. Although each year some level of winterkill threat exists, bermudagrass remains an excellent surface for golf and sports. Seeded varieties of bermudagrasses have been the most common choices in Kentucky due to the availability of seed of good varieties as well as the ease of planting seed versus living plant material. There are, however, several outstanding vegetative bermudagrass cultivars that are adapted to the transition zone.
AGR-148: Weed Control in Alfalfa and Other Forage Legume Crops
J.D. Green, Travis Legleiter | Apr. 23, 2018 (Major Revision)
The importance of weed control in forage production should not be overlooked, especially when you consider the high investment associated with alfalfa and other legume forages. Weeds reduce forage yield by competing for water, sunlight, and nutrients. In addition to yield losses, weeds can also lower forage quality, increase the incidence of disease and insect problems, cause premature stand loss, and create harvesting problems. Some weeds are unpalatable to livestock or, in some cases, may be poisonous.
AGR-175: Forage Identification and Use Guide
David Ditsch, Jimmy Henning, Garry Lacefield, Ray Smith | Mar. 28, 2018 (Reprinted)
Forage crops occupy approximately 7 million acres in Kentucky. They provide most of the feed for beef, dairy, horse, sheep, and wildlife. In addition, forage crops play a critical role in soil conservation, water quality, and air quality. The purpose of this publication is to provide both agronomic and identification information on several forage grasses and legumes.
AGR-236: Managing Frost Damaged Alfalfa Stands
Matthew Dixon, Jimmy Henning, Tom Keene, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Mar. 19, 2018 (New)
Wide fluctuations in springtime temperature are common in Kentucky. Late freezing temperatures in the spring can cause damage to alfalfa depending on how far along it is in breaking dormancy. This publication provides information on the effect of low spring temperatures on both established and new alfalfa stands that have begun growth, as well as a method of predicting sensitivity to late frosts or freezes.
AGR-229: Warm Season Annual Grasses in Kentucky
Jimmy Henning, Tom Keene, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Mar. 5, 2018 (New)
In Kentucky, cool-season grasses produce ample forage in the spring and fall, but high temperatures and short-term drought stress often limits growth during the summer months. Warm-season annual grasses can fill this gap with relatively high quality forage when properly managed. The purpose of this publication is to provide an overview of the various summer annuals for Kentucky.
AGR-237: Grass Options for Athletic Fields in the Transition Zone
Nicole Mundell | Mar. 2, 2018 (New)
There are several grasses that will grow in the transition zone, but none all that well. Our summers are often too hot for cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass and our winters are often too cold for warm-season grasses like bermudagrass. Keep in mind, however, that the problem with most poor athletic fields is not grass selection, but rather over use, lack of maintenance, and/or use when field is wet or cannot recover.