Management options are extremely flexible with tall fescue (see Chapters 6 and Chapter 7) with possibilities for utilization as pasture for late winter and spring, late spring, early summer and autumn, as well as early-winter grazing, depending on latitude, altitude, ambient temperatures, and moisture availability (see Chapter 3). Tall fescue also can be harvested and stored as hay or silage. In many regions, tall fescue can be accumulated from late summer growth as a stockpile (i.e., accumulated forage) used for subsequent fall and winter grazing. Because these different management strategies result in tall fescue forage utilized at different maturities, the nutritive value of the forage can vary appreciably. Consequently, the nutritive value of the forage for each management strategy will be addressed separately. It should be noted at this point that although CP is generally the nutritive value estimate most prevalent in the literature, it should not be inferred that its concentrations are a limiting factor in animal production systems.

 

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