Field experiments were established in 2000 and 2001 at the Agricultural Research and Education Complex in Bowling Green, Kentucky to evaluate herbicide efficacy on annual morningglory (Ipomoea spp.) species and other weeds. A randomized complete block design was utilized in each study with each treatment being replicated three times. Plots consisted of four 76 cm rows, 9.1 m in length. The two center rows of each plot were treated, with the outside rows of each plot serving as a weedy check. Crop response, weed control, and grain yield data were collected. Four different experiments were conducted. Two experiments utilized treatments of glyphosate and sulfosate alone and with tankmixes on glyphosate-tolerant soybeans. Two experiments examined various herbicide tankmixes applied to non-glyphosatetolerant soybeans. Soybean injury influenced by postemergence treatments of glyphosate and sulfosate alone and with chlorimuron-ethyl ranged from 0 to 5% four days after treatment (DAT) with the addition of chlorimuron-ethyl resulting in greater injury. Morningglory control 14 DAT ranged from 48 to 63% with sulfosate at 700 g ai/ha providing less control than glyphosate at 1120 g ai/ha. No treatment differences occurred 29 and 42 DAT. No statistical differences among treatments occurred among other weed species evaluated. Soybean injury influenced by postemergence treatments of glyphosate and sulfosate alone and with fomesafen and chloransulam-methyl 4 DAT ranged from 0 to 17% with the addition of fomesafen resulting in greater injury than the addition of chloransulam-methyl. Momingglory control 14 DAT ranged from 60 to 88% with glyphosate + imazethapyr at 840 + 71 g ai/ha providing the least control and sulfosate + fomesafen at 700 + 201 g ai/ha providing greater control. Soybean injury influenced by pre and postemergence treatments 7 DAT ranged from 0 to 30% in conventional soybeans. Applications of carfentrazone resulted in the greatest injury. Momingglory control 20 days after planting (DAP) ranged from 0 to 99% with chloransulam + sulfentrazone providing the highest control. Momingglory control 28 DAT ranged from 30 to 99% with s-metolachlor + metribuzin + acifluorfen + fenoxaprop-ethyl + fluazifop-P providing the least control. Common cocklebur control ranged from 13% to 97% 20 DAP with pendimethalin + imazethapyr providing the least control. Treatments containing aciflourfen + bentazon controlled common cocklebur > 80% 28 DAT. Soybean injury influenced by preemergence and postemergence treatments 7 DAT in conventional soybeans ranged from 0 to 33% with sulfentrazone + clomazone + chlorimuron-ethyl + carfentrazone resulting in the greatest injury. Momingglory control 7 DAT ranged from 0 to 99% with sulfentrazone + clomazone plus chlorimuron-ethyl + carfentrazone having the greatest control. Momingglory control 28 DAT ranged from 82 to 94% with no differences among treatment.

Field studies were established during the summer of 1999 at the Agricultural Research and Education Complex of Western Kentucky University to evaluate efficacy, phytotoxicity, and cover crop response of herbicide combinations in dark fire cured tobacco. A randomized complete block design was used with nine treatments replicated three times. Hydroponic tobacco transplants (c.v. 'TND950') were established on May 20,1999 in a conventionally tilled system on a Pembroke silt loam (Mollic Palleudalf) with a pH of 5.8 and an organic matter content of 1.2%. The transplants were established at a population of approximately 10,278 plants/ha. Herbicide treatments were applied on May 19, 1999 with a CO2 backpack sprayer. Sulfentrazone as Spartan 75DF was applied in all nine treatments at a rate of 0.47 kg pr/ha. Six of the nine treatments included various rates of clomazone as Command 3ME. Two of the nine treatments included napropamide as Devrinol 50DF. Visual evaluations of crop phytotoxicity due to herbicide application were recorded at 21 and 44 days after treatment (DAT). Weed control was evaluated at 21, 29, 44, and 58 DAT for the following species: Ipomoea hederacea L. (Ivyleaf morningglory), Amaranthus hybridus L. (smooth pigweed), and Eleusine indica L. (goosegrass). Crop injury and weed control evaluations were recorded on a 0-100% scale with 0 representing no injury and/or no control and 100 representing plant death. After crop removal, two types of tillage were performed to examine wheat injury effects due to tillage. One subplot was moldboard plowed and disked while the other subplot was disked. Following tillage operations, winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) was planted on October 30,1999 at a rate of 134.68 kg pr/ha. Visual wheat chlorosis evaluations of each subplot were recorded and based on a scale of 0-100%. Stand counts were taken in the subplots to examine stand loss due to treatment. Wheat aboveground biomass was harvested from each subplot to evaluate the relationship between wheat growth and herbicide rate. Sulfentrazone alone provided >66% control of Eleusine indica, >96% control of Ipomoea hederacea, and >88% of Amaranthus hybridus at all evaluation dates. When combined with 0.584 L pr/ha clomazone, sulfentrazone provided >82% control of all weed species 58 DAT. Sulfentrazone combined with > 1.17 L pr/ha clomazone provided > 86% Eleusine indica control, >60% Ipomoea hederacea control, and >84% Amaranthus hybridus control. Sulfentrazone combined with 1.12 kg pr/ha napropamide provided >71% control for all weed species at all evaluation dates. However, sulfentrazone plus 2.24 kg pr/ha napropamide provided only >55% control of species at all evaluation dates. Wheat chlorosis was affected by increased rates of clomazone combined with sulfentrazone at both 25 and 41 DAP (days after planting). Fresh weight also exhibited a trend of decreased mass as clomazone application rate increased. Addition of >1.75 L pr/ha clomazone decreased stand count at both evaluation dates, as compared to the sulfentrazone treatment. There were no differences in stand count between napropamide rates in either stand count evaluation. Wheat chlorosis 25 and 41 DAP was greater in plots that were not moldboard plowed. Areas moldboard plowed and disked exhibited less chlorosis, but tillage had no significant effect on wheat biomass or stand count.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a valuable source of edible food and organic nitrogen. Soybean cultivar development and cultural practices have been directed toward seed production rather than forage or green manure production. Recent environmental concerns have resulted in renewed interest in the use of organic matter in agriculture. The objective of the present investigation was to determine the effects of cultivar maturity differences and planting dates on biomass production of soybean. The research was conducted on the Western Kentucky University Farm in 1993. The experimental design was a split-split-plot with four replications. The three planting dates (June 2, June 16, and July 6) were main-plots, the three harvest dates were split-plots, and the five cultivars were split-split-plots. The cultivars and their maturity groupings and areas of adaptation are as follows: 'McCall' (00, Minnesota), 'A2506' (II, Iowa), 'FFR561' (V, Kentucky), 'Perrin' (VIII, South Carolina), and 'Laredo1 (undesignated maturity, forage cultivar). Each experimental unit was 45 m2. Seeds were inoculated and broadcast at the rate of 175 kg ha-1 and covered by disking. Average biomass production (oven dry basis) decreased progressively (2918, 2450, and 2088 kg ha-1) for the later planting dates. For the June 2 and June 16 planting dates, biomass yields increased for successive harvest dates; however, for the July 6 planting date, biomass yields did not differ for harvests 2 and 3. When cultivars were compared at the early bloom stage, later maturing cultivars produced more biomass. Laredo was consistently among the highest producers. There were significant interactions involving planting dates, harvest dates, and cultivars. Soybean stands and yields were reduced by inadequate seed covering, by insufficient soil moisture, especially the second planting, and by competition from johnsongrass and pigweed. However, these results indicate that soybean is a good source of green manure during the summer.

Companion crops are commomly seeded with alfalfa in the spring as an establishment method. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the performance of seedling Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in terms of yield when grown with spring oats (Avena sativa) as a companion crop and to evaluate the amount of weed control in the alfalfa companion crop seeding, under various management practices. Six establishment treatments were imposed: (1) solo-seeded alfalfa raised according to standard procedures recommended for Kentucky, (2) solo-seeded alfalfa with a herbicide treatment, (3) alfalfa seeded with an oat companion crop and treated with a herbicide, (4) alfalfa seeded with an oat companion crop with harvest at 10cm to 21cm of height, (5) alfalfa seeded with an oat companion crop, oats removed for haylage, and (6) alfalfa seeded with an oat companion crop, allowing the oats to produce seed before harvest. In the first seeding year (1992) the alfalfa and oat companion crop that was treated with a grass herbicide had siginificantly higher yields than the check or alfalfa and oat companion crop that was allowed to produce seed. In the second seeding year (1993) there were no significant differences among the establishment methods. The second year of the 1992 seeding experiment had unexpected results. The alfalfa and oat companion crop treated with a grass herbicide had greater yields compared to all other treatments except the alfalfa and haylage oat companion crop treatment. These results indicate that proper management of the companion crop system for highest yields and best performance of alfalfa has not been determined or established.

“Growing Up Green,” is a research based environmental education program that teaches children about recycling, energy conservation, and composting. This program was taught to fourth grade students at H.B. Williams Elementary School, in White House, Tennessee. The children were given a pre-test before the program and a post-test two weeks after the program. The pre and post-test was composed of three parts. The three parts tested their environmental attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors. The study found that most of the children already had positive attitudes toward the environment. While, their attitudes decreased minimally after the program, they still remained very positive. The children did well on the knowledge test. Their environmental knowledge increased after the “Growing Up Green,” program. While the program did not appear to have a substantive impact on their environmental behavior adoption, the children already participated in some behaviors like recycling and conserving energy before the program, and continued these behaviors after the program, too.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influences of American student teachers on a rural community in New South Wales, Australia. The study analyzed interviews with twelve participants of the American student teacher program in A Rural New South Wales community, Australia. Two researchers worked together to complete this study. Both researchers were student teachers with the New South Wales community for ten weeks and taught Agriculture in one the community‟s two high schools. After allowing one year to pass, researcher one returned to the community to interview twelve individuals involved with the program. The interviewed participants were questioned based on a predetermined protocol. The interviews were then transcribed, coded, and categorized into themes by researcher two. Using participatory action research and a modified grounded theory approach, the researchers were able to identify areas of influence suggested by the participants. The participants identified nine areas of influence within the school and community of the American student teachers: cultural awareness, stereotypes, language, classroom distractions, teaching methods awareness, cultural changes in community members, student performance, community unification, and impact of student teacher presence.

The use of alfalfa (Medicago scitiva L.) for grazing is becoming more common. Alfalfa is the most widely planted legume, and is one of the most nutritional forage crops available. It is proposed that alfalfa was cultivated 4000 to 5000 years ago and produces the most protein per acre of any forage crop. Live weight gains for beef cattle grazing alfalfa average 230 to 360 kg ha-1. There is no cheaper way to harvest and utilize alfalfa than for the animal to harvest it directly. Most of the commercially available alfalfa varieties, however, were developed for hay production and thus do not always persist under grazing management. Recent advances in alfalfa breeding have provided "dual purpose" cultivars that are now available to producers. A grazing trial was conducted at the Western Kentucky University Agricultural Research and Education Complex in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Persistence and yield of six commercially available grazing-tolerant alfalfa varieties were evaluated to determine their response to rotational stocking by dairy cows. The varieties, Southern States Graze King, WL 324, Garst 645 II, WL 325 HQ, ABT 405, and Spredor III were established March 29, 2000 and harvested three times for hay throughout the year. Grazing was begun in April 2001 and ended in September 2001. Each plot was grazed when alfalfa reached a minimum height of 36 cm. Twelve dairy cows (nine Jerseys and three Holsteins) grazed each plot down to approximately 13 cm. Yield did not differ among varieties (P<0.05); however, there was a significant difference among varieties for stand count. The variety by harvest interaction was significant; when averaged across varieties, stand counts declined 48% during the whole season. Southern States Graze King with 8.8 plants 0.1m-2, was greater only than Spredor III with 6 plants 0.1 m-2.

Plant breeding, in its simplest form, began thousands of years ago. Since then it has grown into a science of immense practical importance with vast strides made possible by continued research.

Alfalfa is the major forage crop in the state of Utah. It is especially important in Washington County where mild temperatures allow the production of 4 to 5 cuttings each year, and where the dairy industry is increasing.

Alfalfa has long been recognised as an outstanding hay plant in terms of both yield and feeding value. It is high in digestible proteins minerals, and vitamins. Because of its long life. it can be economlcally produced. It is of exceptlonal value in maintalning soil fertility by helping to control erosion, by improving the physical condition of the soil, and by accumulating large amounts of nitrogen.