University of Kentucky Research and Education Center

05/29/2026

Here are a few more photos from yesterday's UK KATS Crop Scouting Clinic. More summer Extension education events on the calendar. See them here - https://ukrec.mgcafe.uky.edu/events

05/28/2026

It’s a great day for the UK KATS Crop Scouting Clinic! Thank you to everyone who presented and came to learn.

05/28/2026

Research plots cover our fields to help our farmers make informed management decisions. Here are the cool season perennial grass plots, courtesy of UK Master Grazer and the UKREC Forage team.

05/26/2026

This past February, we lost a colleague and friend. Dr. Raul Villanueva, University of Kentucky Extension Entomologist. A wonderful tribute was shared in the latest Kentucky Field Crops News.

"His work was guided by a simple principle: science only matters if it reaches the people who need it. For Raul, that meant farmers, consultants, and Extension agents across Kentucky. Dr. Villanueva was committed to delivering clear, science-based information, and his weekly updates in Kentucky Pest News became an essential source of seasonal crop pest alerts for Kentucky and neighboring states."

Caldwell County farmer Milton Cook reflected on Raul’s contributions, saying: “Raul was not only an academic, but he was a practical problem solver, and he sincerely cared about helping farmers manage pests. Raul was extremely passionate in his pursuits to evaluate new products and practices coming to the marketplace.”

Read more about Dr. Villanueva's impact >> https://graincrops.mgcafe.uky.edu/articles/tribute-dr-raul-villanueva

05/23/2026

Beef Producers: Your Input Matters!
The University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is seeking beef cow-calf producers to participate in a Fescue Toxicosis Survey.
Your feedback will help researchers better understand how fescue toxicosis impacts herds and develop practical mitigation strategies for producers across the region.
✅ Who should participate: Beef cow-calf producers
📅 Deadline: July 7, 2026
👉 Take the survey here:
https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5c0vzWqgxHX88Wq
📌 You can also scan the QR code in the flyer to get started!
Please share to help reach more producers!

05/22/2026

All UK Extension offices will be closed on Monday, May 25th, 2026. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 26th.

05/22/2026

According to UKREC Extension associate Daniel Becker, fireblight strikes have become more noticeable across the western region recently. Infection occurred earlier during bloom when weather was warm and humid or rainy, ideal conditions for bacterial reproduction and spread. Infection of rapidly growing shoots also occurred during bloom and later when conditions were “right." Symptoms appear when the weather turns hot and dry and infected tissues begin to wilt. Eventually, infections take on a blackened or burned appearance, hence the name.

"Most of the strikes that I have seen are on unsprayed backyard apple and pear trees. Some orchards have had problems with very susceptible varieties that either bloom late, outside the normal window for treatment, or have trees with very vigorous growth that are susceptible to infection."

Common apple varieties that are susceptible to fireblight infection include: Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Jonathan, Lodi, McIntosh, Mutsu, and Winesap

Susceptible pear varieties include: Bartlett, Anjou, Bosc, and Comice

05/21/2026

There's a new Martin-Gatton Agricultural Sciences Building on the main campus in Lexington, and Harper Ritchey - UK student, Kentucky 4-H vice president and daughter of UKREC's Edwin and Sloane Ritchey - did an amazing job at the ribbon-cutting. These are exciting times for UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment!

05/20/2026

Did you know that we have a Kentucky Mesonet station at UKREC? We've dropped the link to the camera and data in the comments.

From our friends at the Center for Crop Diversity: Make the Mesonet Work for You

What makes these stations especially valuable for growers is that they provide much more than the standard temperature, wind and rainfall data. Kentucky Mesonet also tracks soil temperature and soil moisture from depths of 2 to 40 inches. Even better, the data comes from local stations. For many of you, that means you can access information directly from the county where you grow.

Have you heard of Kentucky Mesonet? You may have seen one of their 86 weather stations around the state collecting valuable weather data that you can access online or through their app. Now, you might be thinking, “So it’s another weather station… so what?”

05/19/2026

Congratulations to the UK Soils Judging Team for their 7th-place finish in the National Collegiate Soils Contest. There are a few familiar faces and names tied to UKREC!