ABSTRACT
Summary Grassland farming has been practiced for 2 centuries in central Kentucky and for shorter periods in other parts of the state. Savannas and tallgrass prairies were severely grazed by domestic animals and row-cropped by early settlers, destroying most of the indigenous plant species. By the early part of the 19th century, beef cattle were being produced on bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) pastures and driven on foot to east-coast markets. During the first century of settlement, farmers learned to top-seed legumes into grass sods, and in the course of the last hundred years development of grassland technology for establishing legumes in grass-dominant swards has slowly and steadily improved. Highlights of research leading to current concepts of establishing and exploiting legumes in grass-dominant swards are given. Stand maintenance of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) and bigflower vetch (Vicia grandiflora var. kitaibeliana W. Koch) through periodic natural reseeding is suggested.
