ID-160: Burley and Dark Tobacco Production Guide, 2025-2026

Andy Bailey, Bob Pearce, Travis Legleiter, Edwin Ritchey, Will Snell, Ric Bessin, Wayne Sanderson, Ann Fisher | Jan. 27, 2025 (Major Revision)

Labor challenges and increasing production costs have continued to reduce profit margins for all tobacco growers. According to the 2022 Ag Census results, the total number of tobacco farms in the U.S. dropped to 2987. This was 3250 fewer tobacco farms than reported in the 2017 Ag Census. Growers choosing to remain in tobacco production must continue to take steps to be efficient while maintaining a high-level of cured leaf quality and productivity. The recommendations described in this guide represent the best-known practices for producing high yields and good quality burley and dark tobacco.

---

AGR-276: Kentucky Land Capability Classes and Limitations

John Grove, Brad Lee, Edwin Ritchey | Mar. 19, 2024 (New)

The USDA NRCS has established a national land classification system to help landowners and farm operators with land use planning. This system classifies land for agricultural purposes by the intensity with which it can be used for crop production and by the nature of the limiting problem. In general, the better the Land Class (lower numeric values), the less management is necessary to produce a crop while protecting the soil resource and the environment.

---

AGR-204: Soils and Fertility: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 4

Brad Lee, Edwin Ritchey | Jan. 16, 2024 (Major Revision)

Soil is a mixture of weathered rock fragments (minerals) and organic matter at the earth's surface. It is biologically active - a home to countless microorganisms, invertebrates, and plant roots.

---

ID-1: The Kentucky Extension Master Gardener Program

Sharon Bale, Tom Barnes, Jessica Bessin, Kenneth Clayton, Rick Durham, Bill Fountain, J.D. Green, Kelly Jackson, Krista Jacobsen, Jonathan Larson, Brad Lee, Kimberly Leonberger, Adam Leonberger, Gregg Munshaw, A.J. Powell, Edwin Ritchey, Rachel Rudolph, Robbie Smith, Matthew Springer, Lee Townsend, Nicole Gauthier, Stacy White, Mark Williams, Erica Wood, Shawn Wright | Aug. 24, 2023 (New)

Plants are essential to life on earth. Either directly or indirectly, they are the primary food source for humans and other animals. Additionally, they provide fuel, replenish the earth's oxygen supply, prevent soil erosion, slow down wind movement, cool the atmosphere, provide wildlife habitat, supply medicinal compounds, and beautify our surroundings.

---

4BA-08MJ: 4-H Agricultural Land Judging and Homesite Evaluation in Kentucky

Bob Pearce, Edwin Ritchey | Apr. 17, 2023 (Minor Revision)

Land judging is a way of appraising the physical nature and capability of soils. Certain soil properties, such as slope, depth, and color, that can be seen, felt, or measured, are reliable indicators of soil characteristics that impact crop growth and productivity. Land judging does not replace soil testing. Laboratory tests that determine the chemical and physical nature of soil help us predict plant response to lime and fertilizer, estimate the amount of a waste product that can be safely applied to the soil, and determine the limitations for uses such as homesites and roads.

---

AGR-273: Soil Acidity: What It Is, How It Is Measured, Why It Is Important

John Grove, Edwin Ritchey | Apr. 13, 2023 (New)

Soil chemical health is strongly related to soil acidity. This acidity consists of acidic cations, hydrogen (H+), aluminum (Al3+), and in some soils, manganese (Mn2+). The acid cations are neutralized by basic anions, carbonate (CO32-), hydroxyl (OH-), and oxide (O2-) provided by materials such as agricultural, hydrated/slaked, and quick/burnt limes, respectively. Lime application rates are based on the amount of acidity measured in your soil sample.

---

ID-163: Agricultural Lime Recommendations Based on Lime Quality

David Ditsch, Josh McGrath, Lloyd Murdock, Edwin Ritchey, Frank Sikora | Mar. 13, 2023 (Revised)

Soil acidity is one of the most important soil factors affecting crop growth and ultimately, yield and profitability. It is determined by measuring the soil pH, which is a measure of the amount of hydrogen ions in the soil solution. As soil acidity increases, the soil pH decreases. Soils tend to be naturally acidic in areas where rainfall is sufficient to cause substantial leaching of basic ions (such as calcium and magnesium), which are replaced by hydrogen ions. Most soils in Kentucky are naturally acidic because of our abundant rainfall.

---

AGR-1: Lime and Fertilizer Recommendations, 2020-2021

Josh McGrath, Edwin Ritchey | Mar. 13, 2023 (Revised)

Recommended nutrient additions, based on a soil test, are only made when a crop yield or economic response has been measured for that crop under Kentucky soil-climatic conditions. Many field studies have been conducted by the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station under Kentucky farm conditions to determine the extent of any primary, secondary, or micronutrient needs. Yield and soil test data from these studies serve as guidelines for establishing recommendations contained in this publication. Recommendations in this publication strive to supply the plant nutrients needed to achieve maximum economic return assuming good management practices.

---

AGR-265: Soil Sampling and Nutrient Management in Small Ruminant Pastures

Jimmy Henning, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch, Josh McGrath, Edwin Ritchey | Mar. 13, 2023 (Major Revision)

Pastures for sheep and goats are fertilized to ensure a reliable supply of energy, protein, and other nutrients for a long season of grazing. Management of plant nutrients maintains a balance of improved grasses and legumes and improves forage species’ competitiveness with many pasture weeds.
The most important part of obtaining fertilizer recommendations is collecting a representative soil sample to send to the lab. Soil test results and fertilizer recommendations are based solely on 10 to 20 ounces of soil submitted to the lab for analysis, which are assumed to represent several million pounds of soil in the field. If this sample does not reflect actual soil chemical conditions, the results can be misleading and cause costly over- or under-fertilization.

---

ID-139: A Comprehensive Guide to Corn Management in Kentucky

Carl Bradley, J.D. Green, John Grove, Greg Halich, Erin Haramoto, Cam Kenimer, Carrie Knott, Chad Lee, Travis Legleiter, Sam McNeill, Michael Montross, Hanna Poffenbarger, Dan Quinn, Edwin Ritchey, Montse Salmeron, Jordan Shockley, Tim Stombaugh, Raul Villanueva, Ole Wendroth, Kiersten Wise | Dec. 13, 2022 (Major Revision)

Corn is a summer annual crop that is grown widely across Kentucky, the United States, and around the world. In the United States, field corn is grown on about 85 million acres (34 million hectares) while sweet corn is grown on about 600,000 acres (240,000 hectares) and popcorn is grown on about 200,000 acres (81,000 hectares). Most of the field corn across the United States is yellow dent corn. In Kentucky, both yellow dent corn and white dent corn are grown. Corn acres in Kentucky peaked at 3.85 million in 1917 and have been around 1.2 to 1.5 million acres since the 1970s (USDA-NASS, 2020). Most corn in Kentucky today is grown in minimum tillage or no-tillage conditions. Most corn acres are rotated with soybean or wheat and double-crop soybeans.