Success Stories - Kentucky Extension Reporting System

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Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu

Cooperative Extension Service

Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Impacts

Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu

Fiscal Year: 2025

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Jul 1, 2024 - Jun 30, 2025

Success StoriesKentucky Extension Reporting System

Generating Electricity on Kentucky Farms Reduces Utility Costs

Author: Sam McNeill

Major Program: Grains

Describe the Issue or Situation.The USDA Rural Development Office in Kentucky and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board made cost-share funds available in 2024 for renewable energy generation projects on farms and small rural businesses. Both programs required an energy assessment as part of the cost-share application. UK Cooperative Extension Service engineers from the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department were asked to provide technical assistance in the form of energy asses

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Grain Farmers Can Increase Profits by Reducing Drying Costs

Author: Sam McNeill

Major Program: Grains

Describe the Issue or Situation.The USDA Rural Development Office in Kentucky and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board made cost-share funds available in 2024 for energy efficiency projects on farms and small rural businesses. Both programs required an energy assessment as part of the cost-share application. UK Cooperative Extension Service engineers from the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department were asked to provide technical assistance in the form of energy assessments for

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2024-2025 Red Crown Rot on Soybean

Author: Kelsey Mehl

Major Program: Grains

Describe the Issue or Situation.In the last few year, red crown rot (RCR) has become a larger problem across the United States, including in Kentucky. Since then, we have found it in several counties in the soybean growing region of Kentucky. This disease can be severely disease limiting in these fields. I recently had the opportunity to present research we are doing at the University of Kentucky on seed treatments hat may be able to help prevent or lessen RCR on soybean. Describe the Outre

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Red Crown Rot Presentation

Author: Kelsey Mehl

Major Program: Grains

The problem:Red crown rot is a newer disease in the Northern US. It has been increasing it's spread over the past few years and has spread into Kentucky. We are doing studies on the disease to help farmers in Kentucky manage red crown rotThe educational program response:We have found preliminary results indicating that there are methods that are usable by local Kentucky farmers to help manage and hopefully stop the spread of disease in the state. While some of these methods cost money, there

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Increasing Decision-Making Confidence through Grain Crops Educational Events

Author: Colette Laurent

Major Program: Grains

Grain crop producers in Kentucky face a variety of agronomic, pest, and weather-related challenges. Continued education is essential for growers to keep up with evolving technologies, management practices, and environmental regulations. There is a strong need for consistent and interactive communication between researchers, Extension specialists, and growers to address these pressing concerns effectively.The University of Kentucky Wheat Science Group and Corn/Soybean Science Group developed and

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Kentucky Grain Crops News: A Tool for Kentucky Grain Producers

Author: Colette Laurent

Major Program: Grains

Kentucky grain producers are faced with rapidly changing conditions related to crops.  Previously, information was scattered across several platforms. Producers needed a more streamlined, consistent source of extension research-based information to support timely and informed decision-making.In response to the need for a centralized, consistent source of information, the Kentucky Grain Crops News was launched in January 2025. This monthly e-newsletter integrates content from former publicat

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KATS Takes on High School Crop Scouting Competition

Author: Teresa Rogers

Major Program: Grains

The Kentucky Agriculture Training School typical offers trainings to those seeking  in-depth, hands-on information. In July 2024 we extended this training with taking on the planning and executing of the KY High School Crop Scouting Competition. This once a year competition is held at UKREC where high school teams compete in all different areas of agronomy and scouting. The winning teams went on to compete in the regional competition in the fall. We hosted 6 teams at 9 different statio

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Soybean research

Author: Colby Guffey

Major Program: Grains

Soybean producers have struggled for the past 3-5 years with slug damage to early planted soybeans.  In some instances, soybean fields have been replanted three times before an adequate stand was achieved.  In response to a field that was being damaged by slugs an on-farm research trial was set up with UK Extension Entomologists from the Princeton Research Station. Replicated plots were used to determine the effectiveness of various molluscicides or insecticides on a local cooperating

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Japanese Trade Delegation Visits Kentucky

Author: Chad Lee

Major Program: Grains

Describe the Issue or Situation.The Kentucky Corn Growers Association hosted a Japanese trade delegation and invited Drs. Toshi Mizuta and Chad Lee to participate in the meetings. The trade delegation consisted primarily of corn millers from Japan who were very interested in sustainable cropping methods for corn management. The delegation was in Kentucky from June 23 to June 26, 2025 and visited farms and farmers in western Kentucky and central Kentucky. In addition, they visited two distillerie

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Drone Application Performance

Author: Timothy Stombaugh

Major Program: Grains

Drones are becoming more widely used in agriculture.  Recent advances have made it feasible to use drones to apply liquid or granular materials onto farm fields.  Because the technology is relatively new, there are still many things that users need to learn and understand to use it properly.  One particular question that has become apparent is the accuracy and uniformity with which materials are applied using drones.  Specialized test fixtures and equipment have been develope

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Phosphorus Fertilizer Source Returns to the Marketplace: Good Info About TSP

Author: John Grove

Major Program: Grains

I was contacted by Jonah Johnson, an agronomist with a retail coop. This past late summer, he was contemplating the cost/value of TSP (triple super phosphate, mono-calcium phosphate, 0-46-0), relative to the ammonium phosphates (12-52-0, 18-46-0) currently on the market. The TSP is an older fertilizer that had fallen out of favor, but was now coming into the market from a newly aggressive Moroccan company. The economics to his coop and coop customers looked very good, but there was unfavorable m

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Major Changes to UK's Soil Fertility Recommendations for Grain Crops: Getting Out the Word

Author: John Grove

Major Program: Grains

There have been major changes to the grain soil fertility recommendations contained in AGR-1: Lime and Nutrient Recommendations. I was responsible for getting the word out to interested stakeholders (county agents, farmers, grower/commodity groups, consultants/retailers, regional professionals). To date, I count about 1050 individuals as having learned, directly from me, about the changes and the science behind those changes.The outreach/educational program response has involved both oral presen

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Monitoring Spring Conditions that Contribute to Wheat Freeze Damage

Author: Carrie Knott

Major Program: Grains

As climate variability becomes more extreme, spring growing conditions in winter wheat have also become more extreme. These extreme conditions are more routinely resulting in spring temperatures that can result in damage to the wheat crop. To provide immediate information to wheat producers, work has been initiated to monitor soil surface temperatures in wheat fields-including several farmer fields across the state. From three years of data, we have been able to communicate to producers that the

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Updating Gran Producers on New Research and Resources from UK Specialist

Author: Regina Utz

Major Program: Grains

Grain Production UpdateIn February, there was a multi-county (Trimble, Henry, Shelby, & Oldham) program held to help grain crop producers. The meeting consisted of six speakers for grain producers to get the most up to date information. The topics covered were Pre Harvest Marketing, Weed Control, Disease Management, and What Drives Corn Yield. The local Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation offices also attended to give insight to any upcoming programs they will be running.T

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Crop Pest Management Webinars Series by UK-REC Specilaists Gain Loyal Audience

Author: Raul Villanueva

Major Program: Grains

This webinar series focuses on the management of insects, diseases, and weeds in field crops. Extension specialists from the UK Research and Education Center (UK-REC) in Princeton delivered weekly presentations on topics such as managing stink bugs in soybeans, maximizing disease control and return on investment from corn fungicides, improving herbicide applications, and managing key wheat diseases in Kentucky.The four-week series, held in October and November 2024, was designed to provide stake

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Grain Crop Pest Management Research Conference Provides Great Value to Kentucky Farmers

Author: Raul Villanueva

Major Program: Grains

The 2025 Kentucky Crop Health Conference, held on February 6 at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, drew approximately 100 participants. According to a recent survey of attendees, the conference represented over half a million acres of corn, soybean, and wheat in KY, with an estimated impact of $7.1 million. Most respondents indicated that, based on the information received, attending the conference was worth more than $20 per acre. Additionally, nearly 90 percent of respondents r

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Scouting for Aphids in Wheat Can Save Big Bucks for Small Grain Farmers in Kentucky

Author: Raul Villanueva

Major Program: Grains

After advising farmers to halt spring insecticide applications for aphids after scouting for them in Kentucky, at least one farmer followed this recommendation during the 2024–2025 season. This grower plants approximately 10,000 acres of small grains annually in western Kentucky. By holding off on spraying, the farmer saved an estimated $20,000 to $70,000 this season, depending on whether a generic pyrethroid ($2.00/A) or an average-brand insecticide ($7.00/A) would have been used.Small gr

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UK-REC Molluscicide Bait Studies Aid in Slug and Snail Control in Soybeans and Corn

Author: Raul Villanueva

Major Program: Grains

The Villanueva’s entomology laboratory at the UK Research and Education Center (UK-REC) in Princeton has been monitoring slugs and snails and conducting studies using molluscicide baits at both commercial and research sites for many years (Beware of Slugs Outbreaks in Soybeans & Corn in Kentucky). In 2024, at least 30,000 acres of soybeans were affected by snails in Central and Western Kentucky. In 2025, outbreaks have continued to occur in corn and soybeans across Northern and Central

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Acting Associate Dean & Director — Craig Wood, Ph.D.
S107 Ag. Science Center North
Lexington, KY 40546-0091
+1 (859) 257-4302

© 2024 University of Kentucky, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment