Defoliation Intensity Effects on Season-Long Dry Matter Distribution and Nutritive Value of Tall Fescue

ABSTRACT proved forage utilization across a short grazing period and is followed by a rest period beneficial to regrowthImplementation of intensive grazing management requires knowl-(Harris, 1978). Further, it provides a means of distribut-edge about pasture growth rates and nutritive value throughout the grazing season. Such information is lacking because results from small- ing animal waste across the total pasture area as opposed plot defoliation experiments generally focus on annual dry matter to concentrating nutrients (point source) around the yields (DMYs) and season mean nutritive value. In this experiment, water supply and in areas of shade (Wilkerson et al., the influences of defoliation treatments on daily growth rate (DGR) 1989; Whitehead, 1995). To implement intensive grazing and associated nutritive value of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea management, however, requires information on herb-Schreb.) throughout the growing season were evaluated. A 3-yr study age mass (HM), relative DGRs, and nutritive value of was conducted on a Typic Kanhapludult soil near Raleigh, NC. Eight tall fescue throughout the growing season.defoliation treatments (31-, 15-, 10- and 8-cm canopy heights cut to The production potential of tall fescue, expressed asa 5-cm stubble; 31-, 15-, and 11-cm canopy heights cut to a 9-cm annual DMY, has been well addressed across the tallstubble, and an 8-cm canopy height cut to a 4-cm stubble) were eval-fescue transition zone (Hallock et al., 1965; Colyer etuated in a randomized complete block design. Daily growth rates (kg ha1) were significantly (P 0.01) altered by defoliation treatments al., 1977; Matches, 1979; Smith and Calvert, 1979). Al