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Program of Study Committee:Thomas E. Loynachan, Major Professor
Richard CruseKenneth J. Moore
Iowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa
2016
Raised on family farm located in Green County, Kentucky settled in the 1890’s (fifth generation)
Major crops and forages grown were tobacco, corn, alfalfa, cool season grasses, and legumes
Grew up operating a small dairy and tobacco farm
Still farming today (part-time) beef cattle and forages
Background and History
Education:
Bachelor of Science from Western Kentucky University in Agriculture Business 1987.
Background and History
Work Experience:
USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service 31 years of service
District Conservationist in Frankfort, Kentucky and currently in Russellville, Kentucky (Logan County)
Developed the Kentucky Soil Erosion and Water Quality Cost Share Program for Kentucky in partnership with the Kentucky Division of Conservation
Currently serving as Natural Resource Planner and Nutrient Management Specialist for Bowling Green Work Unit serving eight counties
Background and History
Background and History
Personal:
Married 17 years (Markita)
One step-son (Matthew) and a granddaughter (Mattie)
Enjoy outdoors, farming, and traveling to National Parks
Background and History
Background and History
Determine causes of large corn yield variations
within similar soil mapping units located in south central Kentucky
Examine soil properties to identify specific soil features correlating to yield reductions
Give consideration to varying corn populations to help overcome a portion of these yield losses
Determine if there are other alternatives or considerations to improving these lower yielding sites
Study Objective
Finding a suitable site…..
Locate site in Mississippian Plateau physiographic region where yield variation is more likely to occur
Similar soil mapping units in project area
Identified wide range of yields within soil mapping units
Multiple years of yield data
Similar field treatments for several years
Cooperating farmer to share data/alter planting
Materials and Methods
Mississippian Plateau consists of a limestone plain
characterized by tens of thousand of sinkholes, sinking streams, streamless valleys, springs, and caverns. This karst terrain occurs because the Mississippian-age limestones are soluble under the right conditions, which means they can easily be eroded by waters moving through the ground
Materials and Methods
PEMBROKE SOIL SERIES
The Pembroke series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in a thin silty mantle of loess underlain by older alluvium or residuum of limestone or both. They are on nearly level uplands and karst areas. Slopes commonly range from 0 to 2 percent, but the range allows slopes from 0 to 12 percent.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Mollic Paleudalfs
Materials and Methods
Materials and Methods
Materials and Methods
Low Yield Potential (L1) Low Yield Potential (L2) Low Yield Potential (L3)
20,000
POPULATION NE
27,500
POPULATION
22,500
POPULATION
25,000
POPULATON
25,000
POPULATION NE
22,500
POPULATON
20,000
POPULATION
27,500
POPULATION
22,500
POPULATION NE
20,000
POPULATION
25,000
POPULATION
27,500
POPULATION
Moderate Yield Potential (M1)
Moderate Yield Potential (M2)
Moderate Yield Potential (M3)
25,000
POPULATION NE
32,500
POPULATION
27,500
POPULATION
30,000
POPULATION
27,500
POPULATION NE
30,000
POPULATION
25,000
POPULATION
32,500
POPULATION
25,000
POPULATION NE
30,000
POPULATION
32,500
POPULATION
27,500
POPULATION
High Yield Potential (H1)
High Yield Potential (H2)
High Yield Potential (H3)
30,000
POPULATION NE
35,000
POPULATION
37,500
POPULATION
32,500
POPULATION
30,000
POPULATION NE
35,000
POPULATION
32,500
POPULATION
37,500
POPULATION
32,500
POPULATION NE
35,000
POPULATION
37,500
POPULATION
30,000
POPULATION
Materials and Methods
Results and Discussion
Results and Discussion
Results and Discussion
Results and Discussion
Results and Discussion
Results and Discussion
Results and Discussion
y = 0.0873x - 4.4994R² = 0.9141***
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
0 50 100 150 200 250
Top
soil
dep
th (
inch
es)
2014 Corn yield (bu/ac)
Relationship of 2014 Corn Yield to Topsoil Depth
Results and Discussion
y = -0.1036x + 45.898R² = 0.7512***
y = -0.0013x + 1.716R² = 0.6792***
1.30
1.40
1.50
1.60
1.70
1.80
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
0 50 100 150 200 250
Bu
lk D
en
sity
(g
/cm
3)
Cla
y C
on
ten
t (
%)
2014 Corn Yield (bu/acre)
Relationship of 2014 Corn Yield to Clay Content &
Bulk Density at 12-inch Depth
▲ Clay
■ Bulk Density
Table 15: Corn yields for 2014 by productivity zone quadrants and different final plant
populations.
Productivity
Zone
Location
Quadrant
Harvested corn
population
(plants/ac)
Corn yield
(bu/ac)
Low 1 NE 16,210 84.2
Low 1 NW 22,000 78.1
Low 1 SE 25,430 85.8
Low 1 SW 24,400 73.0
Low 2 NE 22,000 99.2
Low 2 NW 20,200 89.1
Low 2 SE 22,000 101.2
Low 2 SW 25,430 78.2
Low 3 NE 22,200 71.7
Low 3 NW 22,650 80.7
Low 3 SE 20,315 66.4
Low 3 SW 25,000 74.8
Medium 1 NE 24,400 169.6
Medium 1 NW 23,235 168.8
Medium 1 SE 30,700 144.2
Medium 1 SW 27,900 171.2
Medium 2 NE 26,100 174.4
Medium 2 NW 23,700 165.3
Medium 2 SE 26,731 163.6
Medium 2 SW 32,100 155.5
Medium 3 NE 25,430 163.3
Medium 3 NW 30,344 159.7
Medium 3 SE 30,344 156.4
Medium 3 SW 25,430 169.2
High 1 NE 28,600 204.2
High 1 NW 35,385 212.6
High 1 SE 30,344 205.6
High 1 SW 31,400 204.7
High 2 NE 25,430 184.2
High 2 NW 31,400 176.8
High 2 SE 33,150 188.7
High 2 SW 34,800 175.6
High 3 NE 29,176 206.1
High 3 NW 33,150 206.6
High 3 SE 30,700 189.5
High 3 SW 30,344 193.6
Lower corn yields within the same soil mapping units in
the Mississippian Plateau region of Kentucky are primarily the result of:
Topsoil loss Increase clay content and reduced silt content at the soil
surface Lower organic matter levels below 6 inches in the soil
profile Higher soil bulk density Higher soil calcium and magnesium concentrations Lower soil phosphorus levels
Conclusion
“Almost all people recognize that erosion is harmful, but few realize how harmful. The greatest costs are borne by the landowner and producer” (Frye and Murdock, 1983).
References
References
Dr. Loynachan, Dr. Cruse, Dr. Moore
Dawn Miller
Jerry McIntosh, USDA, NRCS
Dr. Lloyd Murdock, University of Kentucky
Scott Vansickle, Wheat Tech Inc.
Price Farms Inc.
Wesley Wright, Logan County Conservation District
My wife Markita Givens
Acknowledgments
Questions ????
