Tall Fescue Online Monograph

Abstract

Tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.] is a productive, widely adapted, cool-season perennial grass. It is characterized by having one of the longest growing seasons among cool-season grasses. The primary objective of this chapter is to present management strategies that can extend the grazing season for animals grazing tall fescue pastures, in particular, those that result in more even yield distribution across seasons. Such strategies employ fertilizer management, legume interseeding, and stockpiling. The secondary objective of this chapter is to suggest a management strategy for alleviating the negative performance of cattle grazing tall fescue infested with the toxic endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum (Morgan-Jones and Gams) Glenn, Bacon, and Hanlin. These particular strategies include incremental alleviation and alkaloid management, both of which include a set of specific practices that improve livestock health and production

Keywords: Grazing, yield distribution, stockpiling, fertilization, toxicosis, alkaloid management.

Abbreviations: E+, infected by wild Neotyphodium endophyte.