Field day to focus on Agriculture in a New Bioeconomy

LEXINGTON, Ky., (Jun 2, 2008) Each year, the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture offers many opportunities for Kentuckians to come onto its research farms and learn about current research. On June 12, the college will offer a peek into equine, forage and crop research efforts during a field day at UK’s Spindletop Research Farm in Lexington. Registration and exhibits begin at 2 p.m.

Field clinics and workshops from 3 to 5 p.m. will give participants an up close look at the college’s work in tobacco transplanting, horse pasture evaluation, weed identification and resistant weeds, corn growth and development, soil productivity assessment, organic crop production. There will also be a hay production/equipment demonstration.

Field tours from 6 to 8 p.m. will offer visitors a chance to see the new equine research facilities and learn about horse pasture management efforts at Spindletop. They will also get to view new forage species and varieties and learn about weed management. The crop tour will highlight tobacco production, corn production for livestock, wheat for grain, forage and straw, biofuel crops and pest management.

An evening meal will be available for purchase the day of the event. Directions to UK’s Spindletop Research Farm: from 1-75 (north of Lexington), take the Kentucky Horse Park exit (I-75 Exit 120), travel one mile past the Horse Park and follow field day signs. From I-64, I-75 (south of Lexington), or New Circle Road: take the Newtown Pike exit (I-64/I-75 Exit 115), travel north toward Iron Works Pike; turn left, then follow field day signs.

For more information contact Field Day Chairman J.D. Green at 859-257-4898, e-mail jdgreen@uky.edu or contact a local UK Cooperative Extension Service office.

Contact: J.D. Green, 859-257-4898

UK is leader in $6 million study of medicinal plants

The University of Kentucky is the lead institute in a group of universities that received a $6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to study the molecular genetics and biochemical potential of medicinal plants.

"Our major goal is to capture the genetic blueprints of medicinal plants for the advancement...
read more

Horse genome publication concludes project initiated in Lexington

Four researchers from the University of Kentucky Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center and a faculty member in UK's Department of Computer Science were among 58 co-authors of a research article published Nov. 6 in Science that reported the first complete sequencing and assembly of the horse genome....
read more

UK, KSU receive grant to train beginning farmers

Backed by a nearly $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kentucky Cooperative Extension will offer a comprehensive training program for beginning farmers and those who are thinking about taking up farming.

The Kentucky's whole farm management education program, A Common Field, is a two-year course offered in...
read more