Numbered Publications: Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
ID-123: Livestock Waste Sampling and Testing
Doug Overhults, Monroe Rasnake | Mar. 13, 2023 (Revised)
It is estimated that about 25 million tons of animal manure are currently produced on Kentucky farms each year. Most of this is deposited by grazing animals on pastures where the nutrients are recycled. However, an increasing percentage is accumulated in feed lots, barns, poultry houses, lagoons, and other facilities until it can be spread on the land.
ID-160: Burley and Dark Tobacco Production Guide, 2023-2024
Andy Bailey, Ric Bessin, Lowell Bush, Ann Fisher, J.D. Green, Bill Pearce, Edwin Ritchey, Wayne Sanderson, Will Snell | Jan. 17, 2023 (Major Revision)
The 2022 season will be remembered as a year of extremes in weather patterns. Early in the field season, 2022 brought extreme drought and heat during transplanting in May and June followed by excessive rainfall in July in some areas. These conditions led to growers making significant replanting decisions as transplant shock was very widespread. There was a return of extremely dry conditions in August that extended through nearly the entire curing season. It was the driest field conditions that most burley and dark tobacco growers have experienced since 2012, and the driest curing season that many growers could recall. 2022 further emphasized the importance of access to irrigation to sustain the tobacco crop through extended dry periods in the field, as well as tight barns that allow management of air-flow to moderate the effects of dry curing seasons.
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.
AEN-170: When to Replace Sprayer Nozzle Tips
Tim Stombaugh | Dec. 5, 2022 (New)
Nozzle tips are critical sprayer components for achieving accurate and uniform application of chemicals. Furthermore, nozzle tips are not cheap, especially when considering how many are required on a sprayer. As with any component on a machine, they will not last forever. So when should nozzle tips be replaced? It would be nice if there were a maximum number of sprayed acres or a fixed period of time after which the nozzle tips should be changed for new ones. Unfortunately, there are too many complicating factors to give such a simple answer. This document explains the causes of nozzle tip wear and some simple ways to tell when they should be replaced.
AEN-172: Decision Aid to Determine the Cost of Using a Drone Sprayer in Production Agriculture
Gabriel Abdulai, Joshua Jackson, Karla Ladino, Tim Stombaugh | Nov. 29, 2022 (New)
Similar to other agricultural equipment purchases, cost and potential for return on investment for drone sprayers must be carefully evaluated. General Considerations and Requirements for Drone Spraying (AEN-171) summarized what aspects should be evaluated prior to the purchase of a drone sprayer, or unmanned aerial systems (UAS) sprayer. These aspects include cost considerations, potential uses, certificates and licenses, equipment, utilities, software, insurance, maintenance and repairs, and time allocation.
AEN-171: General Considerations and Requirements for Drone Spraying
Gabriel Abdulai, Joshua Jackson, Karla Ladino | Nov. 29, 2022 (New)
The purchase of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) sprayer, also known as a drone sprayer, must be evaluated carefully. For farmers and sprayer service providers who are thinking about purchasing drone sprayers for their operations, this publication will summarize the potential uses, background information, certificates and licenses required, equipment needed, utilities used, software implemented, insurance needed, maintenance and repairs executed, cost metric utilized, time allocated, and application effectiveness considerations.
AEN-169: Cattle Winter‐Feeding Area Evaluation
Steve Higgins, Lee Moser | Sep. 13, 2022 (New)
Winter feeding of cattle is necessary in Kentucky, since forages are dormant from late fall to spring. To prevent damage to multiple pastures by the creation of mud from livestock and tractor traffic, producers traditionally select a small area to "sacrifice" for this task. However, poorly chosen sites for winter feeding can lead to the accumulation of mud and loss of productivity of livestock. This publication should be used as a tool to evaluate the suitability of winter‐feeding sites and to provide solutions for correcting deficiencies.
AEN-168: Taking the Indoors Out: Creating Outdoor Learning Environments
Carmen Agouridis | Jul. 25, 2022 (New)
Outdoor learning environments or classrooms are spaces where students can learn about the natural and human-created world while in an outdoor or natural setting. In these spaces, instructors can use engaging, interdisciplinary, hands-on curriculum to lead students through lessons and to encourage exploration. While often used for science and agricultural studies, outdoor classrooms are also useful for teaching mathematics, social studies, language arts, music, art, and practical living.
HENV-711: Homeowners Guide to Rainwater Harvesting: Rain Barrels and Beyond
Amanda A. Gumbert, Lee Moser | Jun. 30, 2022 (New)
Stormwater runoff is one of the many water quality and quantity challenges in urban settings. Urbanization increases the proportion of impervious surfaces (surfaces that prevent rainfall from soaking into the ground, such as roofs and driveways) in a landscape. Greater amounts of impervious surfaces increase the volume of stormwater runoff to storm sewers and local waterways. As stormwater flows across impervious surfaces, it can transport pollutants to nearby streams and rivers.
HENV-708: Alternative Pavement Options for Residential Stormwater Management
Carmen Agouridis, Amanda A. Gumbert, Joe Luck, Lee Moser, Jonathan Villines | Apr. 22, 2022 (New)
Urban areas are characterized by impervious surfaces such as roads, driveways, sidewalks, and building roofs. Stormwater occurs when precipitation runs off these impervious surfaces. Stormwater can present both water quality and water quantity issues in urban watersheds. Water quality of local waterways is threatened when stormwater carries pollutants to streams and rivers; increased water quantity in these local waterways can damage streambanks, cause flooding, and create more water quality problems.
