Offered Papers Theme A: Efficient Production from Grassland
Description
Tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum = Festuca arundinacea) is an important cool-season grass because of persistence and spring and autumn productivity. Most existing tall fescue pastures in Tennessee are Kentucky-31 (KY-31) and are infested with the endophytic fungus Neotyphodium coenophialum that causes tall fescue toxicosis. Symptoms in beef cattle include reduced rates of gain, poor conception rates, decreased dry matter intake, a long rough haircoat in summer, and very low serum prolactin. Earlier studies indicated that the performance of cattle grazing endophyte-free (EF) tall fescue is superior to that of cattle grazing endophyte-infected (EI) tall fescue (Fribourg et al., 1995). However, EF tall fescue is not as persistent as EI. Addition of clovers to tall fescue pastures is a recommended practice. Our objective was to compare forage quality, in vitro dry matter disappearance, dry matter intake, and animal performance of EI and EF KY-31 pastures, and inclusion of legumes.
Citation
Waller, J. C.; Fisher, A. E.; Fribourg, H. A.; and Richards, C. J., "Reduce Tall Fescue Toxicosis in Festuca arundinacea Forage Systems with Legumes" (2023). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 251.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/20/themeA/251
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Reduce Tall Fescue Toxicosis in Festuca arundinacea Forage Systems with Legumes
Tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum = Festuca arundinacea) is an important cool-season grass because of persistence and spring and autumn productivity. Most existing tall fescue pastures in Tennessee are Kentucky-31 (KY-31) and are infested with the endophytic fungus Neotyphodium coenophialum that causes tall fescue toxicosis. Symptoms in beef cattle include reduced rates of gain, poor conception rates, decreased dry matter intake, a long rough haircoat in summer, and very low serum prolactin. Earlier studies indicated that the performance of cattle grazing endophyte-free (EF) tall fescue is superior to that of cattle grazing endophyte-infected (EI) tall fescue (Fribourg et al., 1995). However, EF tall fescue is not as persistent as EI. Addition of clovers to tall fescue pastures is a recommended practice. Our objective was to compare forage quality, in vitro dry matter disappearance, dry matter intake, and animal performance of EI and EF KY-31 pastures, and inclusion of legumes.
