Agriculture : News
DATE: April 19, 2010
HARDIN COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
201 Peterson Drive
Elizabethtown, Kentucky 42701-9370
BY: Doug Shepherd
County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources
Weather in the news:
Tom Priddy, with the UK Ag Weather Center released two “not-so-positive” reports last week concerning our weather. Looks like we could be in for a long dry and warm spell. Here’s his thoughts.
Seems like we've been having very warm and dry weather lately - well, that's because we have! Average temperatures (highs and lows combined) across the area so far this month are averaging anywhere from 7-11 degrees above normal for this time of year (10 degrees warmer than normal for Highs, and 3-7 degrees warmer than normal for Lows). In fact, though only one individual day set or tied a record high, back on April 6, the average highs for the period are the warmest first half of April at Louisville and Lexington and second warmest start for Bowling Green. The previous warmest for Louisville was 75.6 degrees set from 4/1-14 of 2001, whereas Lexington had 73.7 degrees back in 1978. The warmest for Bowling Green stands at 78.8 degrees back in 1922.
And NOAA now is calling for drought to develop in sections of Kentucky thru July. They were to release a press release last week. Visit the following website for a drought map.
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/season_drought.gif
UK Horse Pasture Evaluation Program:
As horse farm managers and owners face another year of tough economic times and
high feeding costs, the University of Kentucky’s Horse Pasture Evaluation Program aims to make things a little easier. The program, which will run from April to October, is based in the College of Agriculture’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, and works to help horse farms maximize pasture health and growth.
This year’s program also includes a small farm option, with a comprehensive analysis at
a reduced price. The evaluation includes a comprehensive soil map of the farm, a satellite image of the farm, grass species composition assessment, and a personal follow-up meeting with suggestions for improvements during the upcoming year. Additional options include tall fescue toxicity analysis, ergovaline measurements, and ascarid egg count. Although there are limits to the acreage that will be included in each package, an entire farm may be included in analysis if requested.
UK Forage Extension Specialist Ray Smith directs the program. He believes one of its
main advantages is personal consultation with UK experts at the evaluation’s end. An understanding of pasture composition is one of the most valuable pieces of information to any horse farm manager.
For broodmare operations, knowing the amount of tall fescue to determine the risk for fescue toxicity is crucial. For other operations, it’s important to know the forage species that are present, how to best manage them for optimum production, and the percentages of weed and bare soil present to determine the need for overseeding.
In the five years since its inception, the program has serviced more than 13,500 acres during 80 farm evaluations. One of the goals of this year’s program is to provide farm owners with information about pasture composition so they can improve their pastures and spend less on hay and concentrate throughout the year.
The economy is causing horse producers large and small to determine what are essential inputs to maintain the viability of their operation. By improving pasture production, you can reduce supplemental feed costs. In essence, the more they eat in the pasture, the less they need to eat in the barn.
Applications for the program are accepted throughout the year. For a farm registration form, e-mail Laura Schwer at Laura.Schwer@uky.edu.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, or disability.
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