Tall fescue
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Tall Fescue (Lolium arundinaceum), a cool season perennial grass, is an important forage base for beef cattle in north Georgia. Though majority of the total yearly production of fescue occurs in spring, this grass is also productive during early summer, fall, and late winter as well as in mid-summer if moisture conditions are favorable. In…
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Earlier this year, Matt Poore, cattle farmer, Professor and Extension Ruminant Nutrition Specialist made a New Year’s resolution to convert acres of toxic tall fescue to novel endophyte fescue on his farm. I jumped on the bandwagon and made the same resolution. Even though the non-toxic seed that completes these fescue conversions won’t go in…
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(Part I of this series article can be found in the March 2021 edition of the Forage Team Newsletter.) Conversion of toxic Kentucky-31 pastures and hayfields to a non-toxic, novel endophyte variety represents one of the most financially beneficial decisions available to livestock producers in areas where tall fescue is adapted. Research, over many years…
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In the Piedmont and northern Georgia, UGA Extension recommends planting tall fescue between September 1 and October 15. So, why discuss planting in March? In areas where tall fescue is adapted, conversion of toxic Kentucky-31 pastures and hayfields to a non-toxic, novel endophyte variety represents one of the most financially beneficial decisions available to livestock…
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Calving percentage is widely recognized as the variable having the greatest impact on profitability of a cow-calf operation. Because expenditures for feed are so large, minimizing those costs is perhaps the next most important strategy to enhance profitability. Expenditures for hay or baleage and supplements usually represent the largest portion of the total feed budget. …
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WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO PUT N ON FESCUE? July 2019– Progressive Forage Grower Magazine Article Dennis Hancock, PhD. | Professor and Extension Forage Agronomist, Univ. of Georgia Every spring, there is a chorus of calls and emails “when is the best time to put nitrogen (N) on tall fescue?” The answer that I…
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By Adam Speir Madison County CEC Tall Fescue is a forage workhorse for livestock producers from north Georgia to New England. It is a cool-season perennial grass that is tolerant of many conditions, covers more than 1 million acres north of the Fall Line, and supplements bermudagrass pastures for many livestock producers from fall through spring. Despite the…
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What would you do if you found out that there was a toxin in your pastures that caused your cows to spend about 20% less time grazing, drink 25% more water, lose up to 2 points of body condition, and produce about 25% less milk for their calves? What would you do if that toxin…