Integrated Agronomic Management Practices for Tall Fescue in Mississippi

Tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus), is a cool season perennial that provides grazing into the early summer months for southern livestock. Grazing the tall fescue variety, Kentucky-31, has negative effects on animal health, particularly after jointing. Two studies were arranged as randomized complete blocks in a split-plot design, with three replicates to compare: the effect of ten herbicides on seedhead suppression, or the effect of inter-seeding legumes [white clover (Trifolium repens) or alfafla (Medicago sativa)] coupled with nitrogen supplementation on fescue yield and forage nutritive value. The herbicides imazethapyr + 2,4-D and without, metsulfuron + chlorsulfuron, reduced seedheads emergence, but not yield compared to the control. Kentucky-31 inter-seeded with white clover and fertilized with 11 kg N ha-1 produced greater biomass than tall fescue fertilized with 11 kg N ha-1. The inter-seeding of white clover produced composite forage samples with greater in vitro dry matter disappearance than nitrogen supplemented alfalfa