2014 Southeast Hay Convention
Cool Season Grass Options
Cool Season Grass Options
Dr. Dennis Hancock
Extension Forage Specialist
Crop and Soil Sciences – UGA
Suiter Farm,
Menifee Co. KY
Tall Fescue
•
Macon Co. – Dec. 2008
Most widely used forage
grass in the U.S.
§
High yields and persistent.
Fescue Belt
“Hot” Fescue
•  Attributes of the
Neotyphodium Endophyte
•  Production of Ergot Alkaloids
•  Linked to Fescue Toxicosis
§
§
§
§
> 40 million acres of tall fescue in the United States Dr. Dennis Hancock
Extension Forage Agronomist
1
Reproduction
Temperature
Rough Hair Coat
Intake
2014 Southeast Hay Convention
Cool Season Grass Options
Endophyte Free = Poor
Persistence
NE Tall Fescue
•
Novel Endophyte
§
Mare Mgmt. BMPs
•
Alkaloid toxins are very stable
•
Very low levels of fescue (%?,
Probably less than 20%) can cause
UGA and AgResearch (NZ)
researchers developed
and tested Jesup MaxQ.
•
NE TF gives persistence
benefit w/o toxicosis
problems.
•  Removal
§  Removing tall fescue can be a difficult task
§  Recommended Removal steps
Ø Do not let existing fescue go to seedhead
Ø Mow-Spray-Spray
severe problems
•
•
“HOT” Fescue Management
Remove from TF pasture or
hay 60-90 days before
anticipated foaling
•
Endophyte from different TF
population
Keep accurate records of
breeding and anticipated
foaling dates
Replacing Tall Fescue
Effect of spray methodology on stand
of MaxQ
One E+ tall fescue renovation strategy:
“Spray-Smother-Spray” (S-S-S)
March
April
June-Sept
S-S-S
Sept/Oct
Dr. Dennis Hancock
Extension Forage Agronomist
2
Control
2014 Southeast Hay Convention
Cool Season Grass Options
Replacing Tall Fescue
Effect of spray methodology on stand
of MaxQ
Alternative E+ tall fescue renovation strategy:
“Mow-Spray-Spray” (M-S-S)
March
April-May
June-July
Toxic E+ < 2.5%
6-8 wks before
planting
7 d before
planting
2 week
4 week
6 week
Sept/Oct
Cool Season Annual Grasses are
Our Competitive Advantage
Winter Annual Forage Quality
Species
Ryegrass
Oats
Wheat
Rye
Arrowleaf
Crimson
Total
Digestible
Crude
Protein
Nutrients
------- % -------
Annual
Yield*
lbs DM/acre
10-20
8-14
8-14
56-74
55-70
52-70
10,630
7,100
7,110
8-14
50-70
4,850
14-17
14-16
56-75
57-75
3,470
3,570
Quality ranges are approximate and are highly dependant
upon forage maturity at grazing/harvest. Yields are 3-yr
averages from GA and AL.
Oats
5000
4500
Annual Ryegrass
Oats
Wheat
Adaptation
Rye
(lbs DM/acre
Forage Yield
4000
Maturity
3500
Cold Tolerance
3000
Contingent
on Early
Planting Date
and Weather
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Dr. Dennis Hancock
Extension Forage Agronomist
3
Problems
Varieties
South and central GA. Soil
pH should be kept above
6.0 for best results.
Early (if planted early);
Late (if grown for hay)
Poor
Oat can be winterkilled in
some years. If grazed
early, later growth is very
poor.
Horizon 201, Plot Spike LA
9339 (CP), SS76-40, and
RAM LA99016.
2014 Southeast Hay Convention
Cool Season Grass Options
Rye (cereal rye)
Wheat
Adaptation
Entire state. More tolerant
of soil acidity than oat or
wheat.
Adaptation
Entire state. Not tolerant of
soil acidity.
Maturity
Early to very early
Maturity
Medium late
Cold Tolerance
Problems
Excellent
Rye will mature quickly and
quality may decline fast.
Timely grazing or harvest
management will be
required.
AGS104, Bates, Early
Graze, Oklon, Wintergrazer
70, Wrens Abruzzi, and
Wrens 96
Early: FL 401 (CP)
Cold Tolerance
Problems
Good
Late as ryegrass, but not
as high yielding.
Coker 9553 (P,M), Pioneer
26R61, Roberts (P,M),
SS8641, and USG 3592
Varieties
Varieties
Annual Ryegrass
Adaptation
Entire state. Tolerates poor
drainage and close grazing.
Soil pH should be kept
above 6.0 for best results.
Maturity
Cold Tolerance
Late
Good
Problems
Interferes with
bermudagrass emergence
Annual Ryegrass
Varieties Early Varieties: Attain, Big Boss
(CP), Bulldog (aka Grazer),
Diamond T, Early Ploid, Flying A,
Marshall**, Nelson, Prine, Rio,
TAMTBO, and Verdure.
Late Varieties: Attain, Big Boss,
Early Ploid (CP), Jumbo, Marshall**,
Nelson, Passerel Plus, Prine, Rio
(CP, P), TAMTBO, and Verdure (CP)
mechanism: (?) competition,
luxury K uptake, allelopathy
Season-Long: Attain, Big Boss,
Early Ploid, Diamond T, Jumbo (CP),
Marshall**, Nelson, Passerel Plus (P,
M), Prine, Rio (CP, P), TAMTBO, and
Verdure (CP)
** Highly susceptible to crown rust.
Forage Variety Testing
www.swvt.uga.edu
http://www.caes.uga.edu/commodities/swvt/index.html
Photo Credit: Ann Blount, Univ. of Fl.
Dr. Dennis Hancock
Extension Forage Agronomist
4
2014 Southeast Hay Convention
Cool Season Grass Options
Gulf and Early Ploid ann. ryegrass
“Take care of the land and the land
will take care of you.”
Photo Credit: Ann Blount, Univ. of Fl.
Improvement in soil OM in 3 paddocks
located in a pasture-based dairy in
Wrens, GA. (2007-2009)
Paddock Ini9al 1 year 2 years 3 years P4 P8 P14 Avg. -­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ Soil Organic Ma.er, % -­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ 1.08 1.15 1.25 2.20 1.01 1.17 1.59 2.18 1.14 1.63 1.86 2.00 1.07 1.32 1.57 2.13 3 years after grazing system started, averaging an
inc. in soil OM of 0.35 percentage points per year!!!
Photo: Root ball of annual ryegrass at Greenview Farms, Wayne Co., GA.
Scanning electron micrograph of a rye-grass
root with root hair penetrating through soil
aggregates (picture credit: Claire Chenu.
Published in Rasse et al., 2005. Plant and Soil
269:341–356).
Bulk density, porosity, and volumetric water
content of soil samples collected 4-18-12.
Crop Treatment Bulk Density 3
ARG ARG+Clover Tri<cale Tri<cale+Clover †
Control SE LSD0.10 Porosity Volumetric Water Content g/cm % vol./vol. 1.53 a 1.55 ab 1.66 c 1.61 bc -­‐ 0.033 0.078 42.1 a 41.4 ab 37.4 c 39.1 bc -­‐ 1.25 2.95 0.360 ab 0.373 a 0.317 c 0.327 bc -­‐ 0.014 0.033 † Unable to obtain sample because of dry soil conditions.
‡ Values within a column followed by the same are not significantly different (P > 0.10).
Dr. Dennis Hancock
Extension Forage Agronomist
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