Numbered Publications: Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
AEN-131: Farmstead Planning: Old Farm Buildings Repurposed for Better Farming: How to Develop a Complex
Steve Higgins, Lee Moser | Jun. 6, 2016 (New)
The traditional farmstead planning process might have been ideal for farming operations set up on blank slate farms that were surveyed based on 640-acre sections. However, these concepts are more challenging for irregular shaped farms in Kentucky with existing structures built more than a half century ago. Older farm buildings may be underutilized because they were constructed using what would be considered obsolete technologies today. It is essential that producers take the time and obtain the necessary help to develop their farming operation plan in order to realize their potential and achieve their goals.
ID-211: Kentucky Nutrient Management Planning Guidelines (KyNMP)
Amanda A. Gumbert, Steve Higgins, Kylie Schmidt | Mar. 4, 2016 (Minor Revision)
Nutrients are constantly cycling through farms. Nutrients come onto a farm in the form of feed, commercial fertilizers, manure, or compost, and they leave the farm with harvested crops, sold livestock, and off-site disposal of manure and other waste. Sometimes nutrients are even lost to the air, soil, or water. Nutrient management allows farmers to use nutrients wisely for optimal economic benefit with minimal impact on the environment.
AEN-130: Drought Risk Management for Beef Cattle Farms
Steve Higgins, Lee Moser, Kylie Schmidt | Feb. 25, 2016 (New)
Once a drought occurs, it can be difficult to effectively manage your resources and overcome the conditions that drought creates. At the heart of effective drought management is preparedness. A systems-management approach is an ideal tool for drought preparedness, as its goal is to improve each component of the farming operation (soils, forages, facilities, stock, etc.) and improve the connections between the components (i.e. the system). The goal of this publication is to aid beef producers in implementing best management practices (BMPs) that take a systems approach to maximizing farm water use efficiency, while operating under the assumption that water is becoming an increasingly uncertain resource that is vital to the future of the farm.
ID-125: A Comprehensive Guide to Wheat Management in Kentucky
Bill Bruening, J.D. Green, John Grove, Jim Herbek, Don Hershman, Doug Johnson, Chad Lee, Jim Martin, Sam McNeill, Michael Montross, Lloyd Murdock, Doug Overhults, Greg Schwab, Lee Townsend, Dick Trimble, Dave Van Sanford | Feb. 23, 2016 (Reprinted)
The soft red winter wheat grown in Kentucky is the fourth most valuable cash crop in the state. Winter wheat has been an integral part of crop rotation for Kentucky farmers. Wheat is normally harvested in June in Kentucky and provides an important source of cash flow during the summer months.
AEN-128: Sediment Fingerprinting
Carmen Agouridis, Somsubhra Chattopadhyay | Feb. 9, 2016 (New)
Sediments in waterbodies cause a number of problems such as harming aquatic habitats, filling reservoirs, and worsening flooding. High amounts of sediment in the water inhibit the ability of fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates to move, breathe, hunt and reproduce. Accumulated sediments in reservoirs reduces their useful life and increases costs associated with maintenance. Streams experiencing such sediment buildup carry less water during storm events.
AEN-129: Measuring Discharge in Wadeable Streams
Carmen Agouridis, Whitney Blackburn-Lynch, Tyler Sanderson | Feb. 9, 2016 (New)
Knowing the amount of water flowing in a stream can improve management practices such as those related to streambank erosion, pollutant loading and transport, and flood control. Streamflow or discharge is defined as the volume of water moving past a specific point in a stream for a fixed period of time.
AEN-127: Hydrologic Modeling
Carmen Agouridis, Richard Warner | Feb. 9, 2016 (New)
Increased levels of urbanization result in reductions in the amount of rainfall that infiltrates and evapotranspires and increases the amount of rainfall that becomes runoff. These changes can result in flooding, streambank erosion, and water quality degradation. Hydrologic models are useful in understanding watersheds and how changes in a watershed can affect hydrology. Hydrologic models can predict the amount of rainfall that becomes runoff under different scenarios.
ID-234: Grain Sorghum (Milo) Production in Kentucky
Carl Bradley, Doug Johnson, Carrie Knott, Chad Lee, Jim Martin, Sam McNeill, Edwin Ritchey | Feb. 8, 2016 (New)
Grain sorghum can be used for a variety of purposes including animal feed, unleavened breads, cakes, wallboard, starch, dextrose, brooms, ethanol, high quality wax, and alcoholic beverages. Grain sorghum produced in Kentucky is most commonly used for animal feed and was first grown here in the 1920s. Although acreage in Kentucky has fluctuated considerably over the years, yields have generally exceeded the national average since the 1970s, indicating that grain sorghum is an option for producers interested in diversifying grain crop operations.
ID-229: All-Weather Surfaces for Cattle Watering Facilities
Steve Higgins, Kevin Laurent, Kylie Schmidt, Donald Stamper | Jul. 28, 2015 (New)
Strategically locating the watering facility will also provide production benefits such as increased forage utilization and improved access to water, and may possibly reduce the cost per pasture of providing water. This publication will provide guidelines for the location, design, and construction of all-weather surfaces for cattle watering facilities.
ID-228: Aquatic Macroinvertebrates: Biological Indicators of Stream Health
Carmen Agouridis, Blake Newton, Tyler Sanderson, Evan Wesley | May. 12, 2015 (New)
Streams are an important part of the landscape. Streams transport water, sediment and energy; provide habitat for aquatic life and support terrestrial life; provide a place for recreation; and in many cases serve as a water supply. The health of streams---or their ability to perform these important functions---is dependent on the conditions of the watersheds which they drain. Changes in land use within a watershed can affect a stream's health.