Fragipan Field Day Showcases Farmer Success In Soil Remediation
JENNIFER ELWELL
ELKTON, KENTUCKY
The University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment invites farmers, agronomists and others interested in improving crop production on fragipan soils to a Fragipan Field Day hosted by Todd County Extension on Wednesday, July 29, at the Kenner/Walker Farm in Elkton.
The event will give producers a firsthand look at how annual ryegrass used as a cover crop can help break down fragipan, a dense, cement-like soil layer that restricts root growth and water movement. Fragipan soils are found on millions of acres in Kentucky and across the United States, limiting crop productivity by creating shallow soils with reduced water-holding capacity.
Lloyd Murdock, emeritus professor in the UK Department of Plant and Soil Sciences who studied fragipan remediation for more than two decades, said the field day is designed to help farmers see the process on a working farm.
“Lab and greenhouse-based research indicated that annual ryegrass was effective,” Murdock said. “As I’ve visited farmers who have incorporated the practice, I’ve found out how much it breaks the fragipan down, how deep it is, how much yields have increased, and how it has changed drainage and wetness in the field.”
Although the research has shown promise, Murdock said adoption has been slower than expected, partly because producers are understandably cautious about using annual ryegrass, which can be a problematic weed in wheat systems, and skeptical that a long-standing soil limitation can be changed.
At the Kenner/Walker farm, participants will see how four years of annual ryegrass cover crops are attributed to increasing the depth to the fragipan layer by eight inches and contributing to a 59-bushel-per-acre increase in corn yield.
Chris Kenner, who farms at the field day site, began using annual ryegrass after attending the first Fragipan Field Day in 2018.
“I was shocked when I read that they were going to have a field day to remediate the fragipan because I have known that the fragipan has been my number one restricting factor on our whole operation,” Kenner said. “They weren’t asking us to do anything too crazy. It’s not all that terribly costly, and I had always been trying to look for ways to reduce erosion and ditches. We also have a need for hay for our cattle, so it just seemed to make sense.”
After four years and no other management changes on a poor-producing field, Murdock confirmed with a soil probe that the depth from the surface to the fragipan layer had increased. Kenner now says this field is among the most productive.
In addition to pit demonstrations of treated and untreated soil, the field day will include farmer experiences from Kenner and Mitchell Paschall, ryegrass control management and drone seeding demonstrations.
The field day begins at 9 a.m. CT at the Kenner/Walker Farm, 4369 Sharon Grove Road, Elkton, KY 42440. Lunch, compliments of the Kentucky Soybean Board, will follow at the Todd County Extension Office, 240 Pond River Road, Elkton. The field day, which is also sponsored by Kentucky Corn, is free and open to the public. Those interested should contact Todd County Extension at 270-265-5659. ∆
JENNIFER ELWELL
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY