ID-125: Kentucky Wheat Guide

Chad Lee, Bill Bruening, J.D. Green, John Grove, Carrie Knott, Travis Legleiter, Edwin Ritchey, Carl Bradley, Raul Villanueva, Sam McNeill, Michael Montross, Greg Halich, Jordan Shockley, David Van Sanford, Grant Gardner | October 21, 2025 (Major Revision)

The soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in Kentucky provides flour for cookies, cakes, pastries, and crackers and 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. Improvements in varieties and adoption of intensive wheat management practices have resulted in dramatically increased wheat yields.

AEN-179: Water Barriers for Cattle

Steve Higgins | May 20, 2025 (New)

Livestock producers learn very early that animals will foul their drinking water. This may explain why checking an animal’s water and cleaning water troughs daily are primary goals of 4-H and youth livestock projects. Providing fresh, clean water to cattle requires the prevention of fouling (or contamination) from feed, manure, saliva, soil, and other pollutants. In addition, open-trough watering facilities can accumulate sediment, feed, bedding, and manure, creating a potential breeding ground for flying and aquatic insects. The reduction or exclusion of these contaminants can be accomplished with a water barrier.

AEN-177: Basic Principles for Laying Out Farm Infrastructure on Livestock Operations

Steve Higgins | February 20, 2025 (New)

Livestock operations require comprehensive infrastructure to efficiently produce livestock.

IP-56: Assessment of the Potential for Livestock and Poultry Manure to Provide the Nutrients Removed by Crops and Forages in Kentucky

Les Anderson, Jenny Cocanougher, Richard Coffey, Bill Crist, Ron Fleming, Kim Henken, Doug Overhults, Tony Pescatore, Monroe Rasnake, Bill Thom | February 5, 2025 (Revised)

Livestock and poultry manure has been used for many years to provide basic fertilizer nutrients to improve crop and forage production. In addition, it has long been known that the chemical and physical properties of soils can be improved by applications of animal manure. Because of these benefits, much of the manure produced by livestock and poultry has been and continues to be applied to cropland and pastureland. Not only does this practice benefit crop production, it also has the environmental benefit of recycling nutrients to the soil from which they originated.

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 | January 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.

AEN-178: Wetland Curriculum for Kentucky High Schools

Emily Nottingham, Tiffany Messer, Carmen Agouridis | January 23, 2025 (New)

Wetland curriculum for high schoolers is designed to provide students with knowledge concerning the natural environment and its associated problems with water quality and quantity, along with awareness of how to help solve these problems. The wetland curriculum introduces water quality concerns in surface and groundwater from humans (e.g., urbanization, mining activities, agricultural practices) and environmental factors (e.g., flood events, droughts). It also includes learning about wetland processes (e.g., nitrogen cycle, water cycle, phytoremediation, sorption, nutrient mixing, microbial activity) and functions (e.g., water storage, water treatment, animal and pollinator habitat, flood control, recreation). Implementation of the wetland curriculum into science classes allows students to make connections between restoration, environmental policies and regulations, and the engineering design process.

HENV-203: Stormwater

Carmen Agouridis, Ashley Osborne | August 15, 2024 (Minor Revision)

As stormwater moves across lawns and paved areas, it picks up bacteria, nutrients, sediments, heavy metals, and chemicals before traveling through the storm sewers to our water bodies. Because the stormwater is not cleaned or treated, it creates harmful conditions for the environment and for us.

HENV-202: Planting Along Your Stream, Pond, or Lake

Carmen Agouridis, Ashley Osborne | August 15, 2024 (Minor Revision)

Kentucky has more than 90,000 miles of rivers and streams and thousands of ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands. You can improve your surroundings and the quality of your stream, pond, or lake by planting an area called a riparian buffer or buffer zone.

AEN-176: Providing and Improving Drinking Water for Livestock

Steve Higgins | August 9, 2024 (New)

Water is a fundamental requirement for livestock. Depending on the species, livestock will consume two to six times more water than forages or feed. Nevertheless, drinking water quality for livestock is commonly overlooked, which can result in huge implications to animal health, well-being, and optimal productivity. To that end, providing adequate water sources for livestock is crucial.

ID-242: Central Kentucky Backyard Stream Guide

Carmen Agouridis, Amanda Gumbert, Chris Sass | July 2, 2024 (Minor Revision)

Many urban homeowners are not sure what to do about the stream in their backyard. Who owns it? How can I take care of it? What plants are good for my streambanks? These common questions lead to some confusing answers. This publication is designed to help the homeowner of a backyard stream appreciate this resource, protect personal property, and improve water quality and habitat.