Significant Historical Research Achievements at UKREC:

• Early trials in no-till agriculture and double-crop soybean systems.
• Developing intensive wheat management practices for improved production and profitability in Kentucky conditions. 
• Innovating nutrient-dense hay for healthier cattle.
• Creating row cleaner technology research, now a global standard for no-till farming.
• Establishing a fungicide-resistant fungi bank for enhanced soybean disease management.
• Assisting in the establishment tall fescue (Kentucky 31) across the Commonwealth. 
• Developing a dark tobacco variety with resistance to tobacco mosaic virus. 
• Development of curing practices to reduce harmful constituents in dark fire-cured tobacco.
• Establishment of best practices for double-crop curing of dark fire-cured tobacco.
• Development of black shank resistant dark tobacco varieties with high yield potential and ultra-low conversion of nicotine to nornicotine.
• Identifying the cause and treatment of grass tetany in cattle. 
• Reducing tetracycline resistance in fecal coliform bacteria through swine trials.
• Evaluating feedstuffs to reduce phosphorus excretion by pigs. 
• Developing an affordable penetrometer to indicate soil compaction. 
• Establishing an Integrated Pest Management program to enhance pest control, reduce pesticide use, and increase profitability. 
• Improving energy efficiency on the farm through targeted audits and informed infrastructure recommendations.
• Utilizing poultry litter as an alternative fertilizer source. 
• Evaluating Dwarfing Apple Rootstocks in High-Density Plantings for Improved Production Efficiency 
• Adjusting Cane Removal and Fertilizer Application Timing to Reduce Blackberry Pruning Labor

With these efforts, UKREC has played a key role in Kentucky’s agricultural growth, supporting a 49% increase in grain crop receipts and a 30% rise in livestock receipts over the last decade.