Numbered Publications by Ray Smith
PR-801: 2021 Orchardgrass Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Nov. 15, 2021 (New)
Orchardgrass (Dactylus glomerata) is a high-quality, productive, cool-season grass that is well-adapted to Kentucky conditions. This grass is used for pasture, hay, green chop, and silage, but it requires better management than tall fescue for greater yields, higher quality, and longer stand life. It produces an open, bunch-type sod, making it compatible with alfalfa or red clover as a pasture and hay crop or as habitat for wildlife. This report provides current yield data on orchardgrass varieties included in yield trials in Kentucky as well as guidelines for selecting orchardgrass varieties.
PR-799: 2021 Alfalfa Report
Jimmy Henning, Gene Olson, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Nov. 10, 2021 (New)
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) has historically been the highest-yielding, highest-quality forage legume grown in Kentucky. It is an important part of Kentucky's cash hay enterprise and is an important component in dairy, horse, beef, and sheep diets. Choosing a good variety is a key step in establishing a stand of alfalfa. The choice of variety can impact yield, thickness of stand, and persistence. This report provides yield data on alfalfa varieties included in current yield trials in Kentucky as well as guidelines for selecting alfalfa varieties.
AGR-263: Growing Wheat for Forage
Jimmy Henning, Tim Phillips, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Apr. 14, 2021 (New)
Wheat is a multipurpose crop that can be used for cover crops, stored forage or grazing. As much as 25% of Kentucky's wheat acreage is not harvested as grain but used for cover crop or forage production. Wheat has excellent winter hardiness and can be sown later in the fall than barley. Wheat is a good choice for planting following corn or soybean harvest to capture residual nitrogen, build soil organic matter and prevent erosion. Wheat provides high quality, early spring growth, but has limited fall growth compared to grazing types of cereal rye.
AGR-86: Growing Lespedeza in Kentucky for Cattle, Sheep and Goats
Jimmy Henning, Garry Lacefield, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Apr. 6, 2021 (Major Revision)
Annual and perennial lespedezas are grown in Kentucky for pasture, hay, and soil stabilization. Lespedezas are warm season legumes that complement cool-season grasses in both pasture and hay situations. They are more tolerant of less fertile, more acid soils, but have lower yield potential than other forage legumes such as red clover and alfalfa.
AGR-48: Bermudagrass: A Summer Forage in Kentucky
Jimmy Henning, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Apr. 6, 2021 (Minor Revision)
Bermudagrass can be used successfully as part of a livestock forage program to supplement summer production of cool-season grasses. It is high-yielding, sod-forming, warm-season perennial grass that is most productive on well-drained, fertile soils. Bermudagrass is widely grown in the southern United States for pasture and hay.
AGR-232: Crabgrass
Jimmy Henning, Tom Keene, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Apr. 6, 2021 (Minor Revision)
Crabgrass possesses significant potential for supplying high quality summer forage although it is considered a weed by many. A primary advantage of crabgrass is that it is well adapted to Kentucky and occurs naturally in most summer pastures, especially those that have been overgrazed. It is also highly palatable and a prolific re-seeder. Planting an improved variety of crabgrass is recommended because the production of naturally-occurring ecotypes varies greatly. Crabgrass is best utilized by grazing.
AGR-264: Improving Kentucky Small Ruminant Pastures
Jimmy Henning, Krista Lea, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch | Apr. 2, 2021 (New)
For many small ruminants, quality pasture can provide almost all nutrients needed for maintenance or light work for much of the year. Pasture reduces the cost of keeping livestock while minimizing impacts on the environment. Below are some guidelines for improving pastures.
ID-108: The Kentucky Beef Book, 2021
Les Anderson, Michelle Arnold, Darrh Bullock, Kenny Burdine, Roy Burris, Ben Crites, Jimmy Henning, Steve Higgins, Steve Isaacs, Kevin Laurent, Jeff Lehmkuhler, Lee Moser, Gregg Rentfrow, Kylie Schmidt, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch, Lee Townsend, Katherine VanValin, Paul Vijayakumar | Mar. 23, 2021 (Major Revision)
Kentucky is ideally suited for cattle production. The main feed for cattle is a renewable resource Kentucky has in abundance--forages. The majority of the state's terrain favors cattle production over row crops. Kentucky farms cover 14 million acres, with approximately half of that occupied by forage grasses and legumes. Our natural resources and climate permit the growth of most cool-season and warm-season species. Water is readily available in all areas of the state, and we have a relatively long growing season.
ID-230: Blackpatch of Forage Legumes: Cause of Slaframine Toxicosis or "Slobbers" in Animals
Michelle Arnold, Shane Bogle, Bob Coleman, Ray Smith, Kiersten Wise | Mar. 5, 2021 (Major Revision)
Blackpatch is an important fungal disease of forage legumes in Kentucky. A metabolite produced by the fungus can result in slaframine toxicosis or "slobbers" in many animals. The fungal disease was first reported in Kentucky in 1933 on red clover. Most Extension literature associates blackpatch and slaframine with red clover, which is very susceptible to the disease. However, many forage legumes including alfalfa can be infected by the causal fungus.
AGR-262: Utilizing Drought Stressed Soybeans for Forage
Jimmy Henning, Ray Smith, Chris Teutsch, Katherine VanValin | Feb. 10, 2021 (New)
Although soybeans are commonly grown as a grain crop, they can be grazed or harvested as either a hay or silage crop. This most commonly occurs when the grain potential of the soybean crop has been reduced by drought, hail damage, or early frost. A realistic forage yield expectation for drought stressed soybeans would be 1.5 to 2.0 tons of dry matter per acre. The objective of this article is to provide practical tips for successfully, grazing, conserving and feeding drought stressed soybeans.