Providing Guidance to Kentucky Farmers for Grid and Zone Based Crop Management

Increase productivity, profitability, and sustainability of Kentucky small grain production through more efficient resource allocation. „h Provide data allowing Kentucky small grain farmers to evaluate zone-based and gridbased approaches to site-specific management of nutrients and seeding. „h Produce online support materials to guide farmers through management zone creation, using both commercial and free software options. „h Conduct workshops with hands-on training for precision agriculture. INTRODUCTION Last year the Kentucky Small Grain Growers ¡¥Association funded this project to investigate precision soil sampling and to provide training for growers and consultants interested in developing zones to guide soil sampling. In last year¡¦s proposal we detailed how in previous years we worked with several Kentucky farmers on an unfunded pilot project to develop crop management zones using data available from their farms and collected by UKY. Through that process we identified a need within the Kentucky agriculture community for guidance on developing management zones. We asked the KSGGA and Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board to each fund half of the project but were only funded by the KSGGA and so we adjusted our plans accordingly. We are seeking a second year of funding to continue this work. In 2020, with KSGGA support, we collected soil samples on 1/10th acre (20-m) grid from three fields representing ~200 acres of wheat ¡V soybean double crop fields. Without the funding from KSPB we were unable to secure an unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for imagery in 2020 but have received funds through a USDA grant to purchase a UAS that will be available for imaging fields in 2021. We are now in the process of analyzing soil samples and developing online educational materials that we expect to be deployed over the fall - winter of 2020/2021. In 2021, we will soil sample an additional two - three fields to add to the current data base and collect aerial imagery from these fields. Depending on the coronavirus situation we have also planned a KATS school that will provide hands-on training for growers to learn about zone development, precision soil sampling, and data interpretation to support fertilizer decisions. We will also prepare online materials covering these topics as a contingency plan.