Posted on February 16, 2017 by southernipmcenter
by Katie Pratt, University of Kentucky
When Anderson County livestock producer Mike Wilson bought a 60-acre hayfield in Franklin County, he knew he had a lot of work in front of him.
The previous owners had let people cut hay for nearly 30 years without putting any nutrients back into the ground, which meant the existing grass stand was a mixture of Kentucky 31 tall fescue and weeds. Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: forage IPM, Mike Wilson, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS, tall fescue, USDA | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 13, 2017 by southernipmcenter
From the Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture
by Greg Huber, University of Georgia
Weeds can be a major pest of lawns and recreation fields, competing for resources and sunlight while detracting from their natural beauty.
If your spring checklist includes lawn weed management, now is the time to take a closer look at the tiny mat of weed seedlings forming in mid-winter (Jan-Feb.), especially during spells of mild weather and precipitation. The winter-weed inventory is likely to include a mix of early-stage cool-season annual and perennial weeds such as chickweed, henbit, clover, annual bluegrass, burweed, and wild garlic. One advantage of mid-winter weed scouting and management is that many weeds are in the early growth stages and can be effectively controlled by herbicide treatments. In addition, warm-season turfgrasses such as bermudagrass and zoysiagrass are dormant and less susceptible to herbicide injury than during spring green up. Mid-winter is an excellent time to scout for cool-season weed species and get an early jump on management while conditions are favorable. Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: chickweed, henbit, lawn IPM, mid-winter weeds, plaintain, tall fescue, turfgrass IPM, urban IPM, weed control | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 13, 2017 by southernipmcenter
in Southeast Farm Press
Tall fescue is a popular grass used for grazing, hay and erosion control in the eastern United States, but one Clemson University expert believes this grass could be responsible for more than $1 billion per year in livestock production losses.
Tall fescue is a perennial bunch-type grass that grows rapidly during spring and fall. The majority of tall fescue plants contain a fungus that creates compounds which are beneficial to the plants, but toxic to livestock. The compounds created by the fungus are called “ergot alkaloids.” Susan Duckett, a professor of animal and veterinary sciences, and some of her students are conducting a study on the impact of these compounds on fetal development and postnatal growth of livestock that graze on tall fescue. Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: Clemson University, ergot alkaloids, forage, livestock IPM, tall fescue | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 8, 2017 by southernipmcenter
by Krista Lea, University of Kentucky
Mild weather this winter is likely the cause of higher than average concentrations of a toxic substance in tall fescue called ergovaline that has been observed in Fayette and Bourbon pastures in Central Kentucky, according to University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment experts,. Tall fescue toxicosis in broodmares, which is caused by ingesting ergovaline, is rare in the early months of the year due to typically cold winter temperatures.
Naturally occurring tall fescue is often infected with an endophytic fungus that can produce ergovaline, a known vasoconstrictor – something that causes the narrowing of blood vessels. This has been blamed for prolonged gestation and low milk production in late term pregnant mares. The UK Horse Pasture Evaluation Program sampled three farms in Fayette and Bourbon counties this year and found a handful pastures with higher than average ergovaline concentrations for the time of year. Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: ergovaline, forage IPM, tall fescue, toxicosis, University of Kentucky | Leave a comment »
Posted on December 20, 2016 by southernipmcenter
by Katie Pratt, University of Kentucky
Anyone who has spent a considerable amount of time around livestock or forages knows tall fescue is a double-edged sword. University of Kentucky forage specialists are teaming up with the Alliance for Grassland Renewal to host a workshop to teach producers how to renovate their old tall fescue pastures with a novel endophyte variety.
The Tall Fescue Renovation Workshop will take place March 9 at UK’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and UK Spindletop Research Farm. Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: forage, tall fescue, tall fescue workshop, University of Kentucky, weed control | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 28, 2016 by southernipmcenter
by Katie Pratt, University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky plant breeder Tim Phillips has developed a new tall fescue variety that is nontoxic to grazing animals.
The variety, Lacefield MaxQ II, is the result of selections Phillips, a member of the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, made from endophyte-free Kentucky 31 and related lines. Phillips named the variety for UK Professor Emeritus Garry Lacefield upon his retirement to honor his numerous contributions to the forage industry and to the college. Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: fescue toxicosis, nontoxic fescue variety, tall fescue, University of Kentucky, weed control | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 28, 2016 by southernipmcenter
By Aimee Nielson, University of Kentucky
Tall fescue is a popular grass for Kentucky pastures for many reasons—it is hardy and tolerates drought, has a root system that aids in controlling erosion and can stand up to heavy grazing. Farmers can even stockpile it for winter grazing. However, an endophyte fungus that commonly infects the plant can affect livestock. Summertime tends to be peak time for fungus-related problems.
“Fescue toxicosis is the general term used for the clinical diseases that can affect cattle consuming endophyte-infected tall fescue,” said Michelle Arnold, ruminant extension veterinarian for the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “Something important for Kentucky producers to watch for is a syndrome frequently referred to as ‘summer slump.’ Affected cattle appear hot with labored respiration (open mouth and/or rapid breathing) and excessive salivation. They avoid grazing during the day and seek shade or mud wallows to find relief from heat.” Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: endophyte fungus, fescue foot, fescue toxicosis, tall fescue | Leave a comment »
Posted on May 9, 2016 by southernipmcenter
By Katie Pratt, University of Kentucky
The way tall fescue and its fungal endophyte react to future climate change will depend on the genetics of each organism, according to researchers in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Then UK graduate student Marie Bourguignon, UK agroecologist Rebecca McCulley and Randy Dinkins, a scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forage-Animal Production Research Unit, looked at the potential effects of warmer and wetter conditions on four different genotypes of KY 31 tall fescue, one of the most common grasses used in pastures in Kentucky and the Southeast. Their U.S. Department of Energy-funded study looked at climate change effects on the common endophyte, a fungus found in most tall fescue that helps the plant grow better and tolerate stressful conditions. The fungus is also an insect deterrent, but it can be toxic to livestock. About 75 percent of all tall fescue in the United States is infected with the common strain of the endophyte. Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: climate change, fungal endophyte, pest management, tall fescue, University of Kentucky, weed management | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 6, 2015 by southernipmcenter
In Southeast Farm Press
One of the most common forage recommendations made across the Southeast is to plant clovers in grass pastures.
Gary Bates, director of the University of Tennessee Beef and Forage Center, says research at the UT Institute of Agriculture has shown that seeding red and white clover in tall fescue pastures and hayfields can reduce fertilizer needs.
Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: clover, cover crops, fertilizers, tall fescue | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 20, 2014 by southernipmcenter
Many homeowners love the sight of a pristine, green lawn, but that beautiful, meticulously kept lawn may come at a cost to the environment. University of Kentucky scientists are conducting research to find the answer.
Continue reading →
Filed under: news | Tagged: bermudagrass, carbon sequestration, College of Agriculture, David Williams, environmentally friendly lawn, Kenneth Cropper, lawns, tall fescue, turfgrass, University of Kentucky, warm-season grasses, zosiagrass | Leave a comment »
