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Understanding Spatial Dynamics Of Tallgrass Prairie Dominated By Tall Fescue, Callie Griffith

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study was conducted on restored tallgrass prairie and invaded tallgrass prairie located in the Grand River Grasslands of southern Iowa to determine differences in heterogeneity of plant structure and functional group composition at different scales. Restored tallgrass prairies were seeded with a species-rich seeding mixture and managed by burning the entire prairie, every three years. Data were collected in August 2014 and 2015 to compare heterogeneity of restoration of native plant structure and functional group composition to the heterogeneity of invaded tallgrass prairies that were managed with patch burning and conventionally grazed. Invaded tallgrass prairies were managed with patch-burning …

Effects Of Red Clover Isoflavones On Tall Fescue Seed Fermentation And Microbial Populations In Vitro, Emily A. Melchior, Jason K. Smith, Liesel G. Schneider, J. Travis Mulliniks, Gary E. Bates, Zachary D. Mcfarlane, Michael D. Flythe, James L. Klotz, Jack P. Goodman, Huihua Ji, Phillip R. Myer

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Negative impacts of endophyte-infected Lolium arundinaceum (Darbyshire) (tall fescue) are responsible for over $2 billion in losses to livestock producers annually. While the influence of endophyte-infected tall fescue has been studied for decades, mitigation methods have not been clearly elucidated. Isoflavones found in Trifolium pratense (red clover) have been the subject of recent research regarding tall fescue toxicosis mitigation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of ergovaline and red clover isoflavones on rumen microbial populations, fiber degradation, and volatile fatty acids (VFA) in an in vitro system. Using a dose of 1.10 mg × L …

Forage News [2018-05], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Value of Cutting Hay Earlier
• Guide to successfully replacing endophyte-infected KY-31 pastures with Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue
• Alfalfa – Third Most Valuable Field Crop in U.S.

Alternative Feeding Strategies For Growing Cattle Grazing Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue During The Summer, Kerri A. Johnson

MSU Graduate Theses

Two experiments were conducted to determine animal performance of alternative feeding strategies to heifers grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue during summer months. In Experiment 1, 40 Limousin heifers (261± 40kg initial BW) were stratified by weight and assigned to either a spring harvested tall fescue silage diet or grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue pasture with grain supplement having either natural or artificial shade for 80 days. In Experiment 2, 40 Limousin heifers (277 ± 44kg initial BW) were stratified by weight and assigned to either a traditional grain supplement or feather-meal supplement (rumen bypass arginine supplement) with natural or artificial shade while …

Impact Of Drought On Chemical Composition And Sugar Yields From Dilute-Acid Pretreatment And Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Miscanthus, A Tall Fescue Mixture, And Switchgrass, Amber Hoover, Rachel Emerson, Allison Ray, Daniel Stevens, Sabrina Morgan, Marnie Cortez, Robert Kallenbach, Matthew Sousek, Rodney Farris, Dayna Daubaras

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Environmental factors like drought impact the quality of biomass entering a bioconversion process. Drought often reduces the sugar content in lignocellulosic biomass, which could have economic impacts, particularly when compounded with losses in dry biomass yield; however, the effects on conversion efficiency are not completely understood. This study investigated how drought may impact biomass composition and sugar yields from dilute-acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of Miscanthus, a tall fescue mixture, and switchgrass from Nebraska, Missouri, and Oklahoma, respectively, grown as part of Regional Feedstock Partnership field trials. Samples were grown and harvested in 2010 during non-drought conditions and in …

Evaluating Zoysiagrass-Tall Fescue Mixtures In Kansas, Mingying Xiang, Jack D. Fry, Megan M. Kennelly

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Water conservation is increasingly important when selecting turfgrasses. Zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica), a C4 grass, is more drought resistant than C3 grasses. However, there is some resistance to the use of zoysiagrass in lawns and golf courses due to its extended dormant period when turf is brown. The objective of this study was to evaluate mowing height, and tall fescue seeding rate and time for establishment of a mixed stand with seeded zoysiagrass. Seeding zoysiagrass and tall fescue together in June generally resulted in a less uniform mixture than seeding zoysiagrass in June and then seeding tall fescue in …

2012 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program Tall Fescue Test: 2012–2017 Summary Report, Linda R. Parsons, Michael J. Shelton, Megan M. Kennelly, Jason J. Griffin, Jared A. Hoyle

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Research efforts to improve cultivar quality include selecting for disease resistance and stress tolerance as well as finer leaf texture, a rich green color, and better sward density. Several cultivars included in the 2012 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program Tall Fescue Test performed well and showed good brown patch resistance in south central Kansas throughout the course of the study.

Can Increasing Grass-Fungal Endophyte Symbiotic Diversity Enhance Grassland Ecosystem Functioning?, Mahtaab Bagherzadeh

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is important in maintaining agroecosystem sustainability. Plant-microbe symbioses, such as exists between the grass tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceum) and the asexual fungal endophyte Epichloë coenophiala, can be utilized to enhance agroecosystem functions, such as herbivore resistance. “Novel” E. coenophiala strains that vary in the production of mammal- and insect-toxic compounds have been identified, inserted into tall fescue cultivars, and are planted in pastures globally. Novel fungal endophyte-tall fescue associations may have divergent ecosystem function effects. This study assessed effects of different fescue-endophyte symbiotic combinations on pasture ecosystem function, including aboveground …

Effects Of Various Grazing Systems On Grazing And Subsequent Finishing Performance, L. W. Lomas, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

MaxQ tall fescue, a wheat-bermudagrass double-crop system, and a wheat-crabgrass double-crop system have been three of the most promising grazing systems evaluated at the Kansas State University Southeast Agricultural Research Center in the past 20 years, but these systems have never been compared directly in the same study. The objective of this study was to compare grazing and subsequent finishing performance of stocker steers that grazed these three systems.

Effects Of Interseeding Ladino Clover Into Tall Fescue Pastures Of Varying Endophyte Status On Grazing Performance Of Stocker Steers, L. W. Lomas, J. L. Moyer

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Tall fescue, the most widely adapted cool-season perennial grass in the United States, is grown on approximately 66 million acres. Although tall fescue is well adapted in the eastern half of the country between the temperate north and mild south, presence of a fungal endophyte results in poor performance of grazing livestock, especially during the summer. Until recently, producers with high-endophyte tall fescue pastures had two primary options for improving grazing livestock performance. One option was to destroy existing stands and replace them with endophyte-free fescue or other forages. Although it supports greater animal performance than endophyte-infected fescue, endophyte-free fescue …

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Potassium Fertilization For Newly Established Tall Fescue, D. W. Sweeney, J. L. Moyer, J. K. Farney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Tall fescue is the major cool-season grass in southeastern Kansas. Perennial grass crops, as with annual row crops, rely on proper fertilization for optimum production; however, meadows and pastures are often under-fertilized and produce low quantities of low-quality forage. Even when new stands are established, this is often true. The objective of this study was to determine whether N, P, and K fertilization improves yields during the early years of a stand.

2012 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program Tall Fescue Test: 2017 Data, Linda R. Parsons, Michael J. Shelton, Megan M. Kennelly, Jason J. Griffin, Jared A. Hoyle

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Research efforts to improve cultivar quality include selecting for disease resistance and stress tolerance as well as finer leaf texture, a rich green color, and better sward density. Several cultivars included in the 2012 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program Tall Fescue Test performed well and showed good brown patch resistance in south central Kansas during the 2017 growing season.