Agriculture

 The Agriculture Water Quality Act was passed by the Kentucky Legislature in 1994. It states that landowners with 10 or more acres in agricultural production or those who plan to harvest trees on 10 or more acres must develop a water quality plan.

The plan documents the best management practices you're using to protect water resources. These best management practices could include planned grazing systems for livestock, filter or buffer strips around crop fields, animal waste storage structures and/or nutrient management plans.

 The LaRue County Extension Service annually conducts a corn variety test plot in cooperation with a local farmer and participating grain dealers. The cooperator this year was Carlos Tucker. Seed companies supply seed, assist at planting and harvest and sponsor a field day. Farmers use the yield information, along with other plot data and information to help decide which varieties to grow next year.

 Producers should be aware of the risk of cyanide or prussic poisoning in cattle, goats and other ruminants. 

Sudangrass, johnsongrass, sorghums and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids contain cyanogenic glycosides. When the plant undergoes a stressful event such as cutting, wilting, freezing or drought, the plant cells rupture which allows the cyanogenic compounds to produce poisonous cyanide.

 Summer can be hard on our lawns. With much of the country suffering from extreme heat and drought conditions this past summer, many lawns took a beating.

Fall is the perfect time to help your lawn recover from the stressors of summer and prepare for winter. The warm soil and cooler temperatures promote root growth and thickening of the lawn.