Plant Sciences Commons^™

Storage Losses In Large Round Bale Using Various Storage Methods For Six And Eighteen Months, R C. Reeder, D H. Samples, H M. Bartholomew, S L. Boyles

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Grass hay was baled with a variety of balers and tying materials in June, 1994 and 1995, at Jackson, Ohio. The bales were prepared and stored several ways. Waste hay accounted for less than ten percent of the dry matter after storage for six and eighteen months in all cases except one (a plastic wrap system intended for use with haylage). Bales stored inside had no waste. The best outdoor storage system, with less than one percent waste, used a ‘bale bonnet’ (top half covered with a plastic sheet) with the bale on a slatted pallet. One group of bales …

Influence Of The Acremonium Endophytes On Agronomic Traits Of Perennial Ryegrass And Tall Fescue In France, C Ravel, F Balfourier, G Charmet

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Seven cultivars of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) with (EI) and without (EF) Acremonium endophytes were compared in trial plots at 5 locations in France. Such a trial was also established with 6 tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) cultivars in 5 locations. These trials were sown either in 1994 or 1995. Yields and visual traits (rust and drought tolerances, vigour 6-weeks following the sowing) were assessed. The data were analysed by means of variance analysis with two main factors (cultivars and endophyte status) and their interaction. As interaction was not significant, some significant differences between EI and EF …

Insecticidal Activity Of N-Formylloline, D L. Dahlman, M R. Siegel, L P. Bush

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Several insect species were sensitive to N-formylloline, a pyrrolizidine alkaloid found in significant concentrations in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.) infected with Neotyphodium coenophialum (= Acremonium coenophialum) Glenn, Bacon et Hanlin. Topical or injected doses were toxic in a dose dependent manner. Acute doses resulted in quick incapacitation; lower doses caused behavioral changes, uncoordinated movements, tremors, etc. Insects tested included green bug, bird cherry-oat aphid, large milkweed bug, spined soldier bug, American cockroach, house fly, face fly, cat flea and Japanese beetle.

Effect Of Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue Hay On Dairy Heifers Under European Intensive Management, J C. Emile, J P. Ravault, J M. Chabosseau

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Two fields were established at Lusignan (France) with the same variety of tall fescue but differing in the rate of Acremonium coenophialum seed infestation : 0 % = E- ; 100 % = E+. Dairy heifers were fed ad libitum with E- or E+ hay and were given in addition 1.7 kg DM of concentrates. No effect was noticed on the intake (5.65 vs 5.63 kg DM) as well as on ADG (874 vs 838 g/d) regarding E- vs E+ hay resp. However, prolactin concentration was significantly halved when heifers were fed with the E+ hay. More temperate climatic conditions …

Strategies For Improving Efficiency Of Beef Cattle In Tall Fescue Pasture Systems, J C. Waller, H A. Fribourg

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

A beef (Bos taurusL.) cattle producer must allocate land and forage resources to meet nutrient needs of the entire herd. Using 20 yr of calving and grazing data, templates of herd composition, associated Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) requirements over the whole year, and forage TDN production were developed for a typical herd and land area. The monthly energy needed by the entire herd was relatively constant. Forage productivity varied monthly, indicating the need to plan for efficiently using surplus TDN from some seasons to meet needs at other times. This approach could be expanded to include more definitive …

Interaction Of Symbiont Alkaloid Accumulation And Growth, L P. Bush, M A. Do Valle Ribeiro, J Hogan, P B. Burruss Ii

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Several classes of alkaloids are present in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and the tall fescue-endophyte (Neotyphodium [=Acremonium] coenophialum [Morgan-Jones and Gams] Glenn, Bacon and Hanlin comb.nov.) association. Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of the endophyte on seed germination and seedling growth and to measure the effect of host perloline concentration on endophyte development and loline accumulation. Seed germination was not altered by the presence of the endophyte. In non-stress field conditions of Ireland emergence of first leaf occurred sooner and dry weight was greater in endophyte infected seedlings than endophyte free seedlings, whereas no significant differences …

Benefits Of Applying Cow Slurry In Bands Beneath Grass Canopies, S Bittman, C G. Kowalenko, O Schmidt, D E. Hunt

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Efficient methods of application may enable dairy producers to use slurry manure as aoereplacement for inorganic nitrogen on grassland. This study compares the effect of slurry applied in bands beneath the grass canopy (drag-shoe) with a broadcast of slurry on top of the canopy (splash-plate), and with fertilizer nitrogen on yield of grass. Trials were conducted in spring, summer and fall of 1995 on established tall fescue in south-coastal B.C. Slurry manure was applied by drag-shoe or splash-plate at 50 and 100 kg ha-1 (nominally), at start of grass regrowth or 7-8 days later. A range of rates of NH4NO3 …

Yield And Nutritive Quality Of Fresh And Ensiled Reduced Lignin Alfalfa In Monoculture And Diculture With Novel Tall Fescue, Morgan Boss

All Theses

The objectives of this research were to: (1) evaluate the yield, nutritional value, and digestibility of fresh and ensiled reduced lignin alfalfa (RLA; Medicago sativa L.) in monoculture and when mixed with novel endophyte-infected tall fescue (F; Festuca arundinacea) in comparison to a conventional alfalfa (CA) cultivar; and (2) evaluate ensiled samples under varying DM concentrations; with or without inoculant. A trial was prepared as a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates per treatment. Treatments included reduced lignin alfalfa (RLA), conventional alfalfa (CA) and tall fescue (F) plots as well as RLA/F and CA/F plots. Plots were harvested on …

Border Effects On Cattle Grazing Preference, G E. Shewmaker, H F. Mayland, S B. Hansen

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The objective was to examine the effect of row position on cattle grazing preference. Grazing preference of eight tall fescues [Festuca arundinacea (Schreb.)] was evaluated by ocular preference scores at 30 hr (PS30) and 48 hr (PS48). Six rows of a cultivar—numbered consecutively within each plot from left to right—formed one plot. Rows 1&6 were on the outside edges of the plot and rows 3&4 were in the middle. Within a replication, rows 1 and 6 were adjacent to rows 6 and 1 of adjacent plots, respectively. During the first year, row position was not a significant effect. However, …

Direct Selection Response For Stem Rust Resistance In Tall Fescue, R E. Barker, R E. Welty

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Resistance to stem rust (caused by Puccinia graminis Pers.: Pers. subsp. graminicola Z. Urban.) would be beneficial in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Two cycles of polycross (PX) selection on progenies from thirty-four parent plants (14 forage-types and 20 turf-types) were compared to one cycle of open pollination (OP) followed by one cycle of PX selection using a 2-stage greenhouse screening process. Response from selection was determined from composite half-sib progenies from each cycle. Number of plants with resistant reaction based on pustule type increased from 5 to 54% in the PX forage-type population and from 6 to 50% …

Regeneration Of Somatic Hybrids Between Festuca Arundinacea Var. Glacescens And Lolium Multiflorum Lam., T Sasaki, T Hasegawa, S Ueda

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Protoplasts derived from ten suspension cultures of tetraploid Festuca arundinacea var. glaucescens (2n = 4x = 28) and diploid Lolium multiflorum Lam. (2n = 2x =14) were fused to produce somatic hybrids. Regenerated green plants in three fusion combinations were identified as somatic hybrids because they showed characters that were peculiar to both Festuca arundinacea var. glaucescens (hairs on auricle) and Lolium multiflorum Lam. (root-fluorescence). Moreover, the hybrids also had a chromosome number of about forty two.

Breeding Cool-Season Forage Grasses For A Warming Climate, D. P. Malinowski, J. Ford, A. Stewart, D. Woodfield, W. E. Pinchak

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In many parts of the world, changing climatic conditions are resulting in increased temperatures and more variable precipitation, intensifying the duration and severity of drought, especially in summer. Warming climate is considered one reason for the increasing failure of traditional, summer-active cool-season perennial grasses at the margin of their zone of adaptation in naturally C4 grass-dominated ecosystems of the Southern Great Plains of the USA. Two cool-season perennial forage grasses orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.) are of major economic and ecological importance in these regions. In 2008, we initiated a breeding program …

Operational Model Of The Alliance For Grassland Renewal, C. A. Roberts, J. G. Andrae

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Novel endophyte tall fescue was developed over 20 years ago, and novel endophyte cultivars are among the most innovative cultivars developed in recent decades. Yet adoption of novel endophyte technology is slow. In order to expedite adoption, a diverse group of stakeholders self assembled as the Alliance for Grassland Renewal, a nonprofit organization that includes colleagues from the sectors of industry, university, government, and production. Since 2012, the Alliance has held workshops for producers, educators, and industry across the southeastern US, where tall fescue is the predominant pasture grass. Also since 2012, the Alliance has monitored and reported endophyte purity …

Biodiverse Forage Mixtures For Bees And Beef Cattle, J. O. C. Kubesch, S. P. Greiner, G. J. Pent, J. L. Reid, B. F. Tracey

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Introduction: Beef cattle performance in the southeastern US is limited by tall fescue (TF) toxicosis. Native warm season grasses (NWSGs) can provide alternative forage for cattle and reduce TF toxicosis. Pollinator populations, especially bees, also have been declining across North America. Introducing native wildflowers into tall fescue grasslands might improve pollinator populations. An ongoing grazing experiment in central Virginia USA is testing the feasibility of integrating wildflowers and native grasses as a way to generate ecosystem services.

Objectives: This study sought to determine whether including native grasses and wildflowers in tall fescue pasture systems could improve beef heifer performance.

Methods: …

An Example Of An Outreach Program For Horse Pasture Management And Education, Krista L. Lea, S. Ray Smith

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Kentucky boasts over 30,000 horse farms that house over 200,000 horses. The University of Kentucky Horse Pasture Evaluation Program began in 2005 to assist horse owners and managers in improving pasture quality and quantity. This program collects detailed botanical composition and tall fescue analysis to provide horse owners and managers with a comprehensive picture of pasture composition and field by field recommendations on management practices that will improve each pasture. Samples of tall fescue are also collected and analysed for endophyte presence and ergovaline concentration to evaluate tall fescue toxicity risk. Management recommendations include tall fescue mitigation or elimination strategies. …

Improving Forage Production Practices Of Livestock And Hay Producers, S. Dyer, L. Baxter

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

By the year 2060, the U.S. population is expected to reach 417 million, up from 319 million in 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Following historical trends, the U.S. continues to produce more food with a decreasing amount of land. This is possible because of continuous research and innovation of advanced agricultural technologies. Educating farmers of agricultural best practices and the newest resources available to them to improve their operation is vital to improving overall agricultural production. To improve livestock forage and hay production practices, Dade Extension conducted a monthly forage management series. The series covered an entire year …

Application Of Fall Nitrogen Increased Spring Tall Fescue Yield, B. L. Hendrix, Christopher D. Teutsch, J. Duckworth

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Late season nitrogen fertilization is a practice that has long been implemented in turfgrass production. This practice involves applying nitrogen from September through December and results in an extended green period in the fall without stimulating excessive shoot growth. The longer green period results in higher levels of carbohydrate reserves and enhanced root growth compared with a spring-summer fertilization program. In addition to these benefits, sods fertilized in late fall have been shown to green up two to six weeks earlier in the spring. Limited research has considered the impact of late fall nitrogen applications on grass growth in hayfields …

Gge Biplot Analysis Of Forage Yield Performance And Stability Assessment Of Tall Fescue Experimental Populations Selected Under Grazing Pressure In A Stress Environment, Ali Missaoui, J. L. Ford, D. R. Woodfield, A. Stewart, S. Makaju

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Integrating the yield and stability of genotypes selected under grazing pressure is an important objective in breeding forage crops. Genotype × environment (G x E) interaction is a major source of inconsistency in crop performance across locations. As a result, a genotype is considered stable if it has a low contribution to the G x E interaction. This study explores the effects of G x E interaction on yield and stability of 10 tall fescue experimental populations selected for persistence under grazing pressure outside the area of adaptation of the species (stress environment). Six standard checks were included. The populations …

Allocating Grazing Resources With Kansasgrazer® And Making Management Decisions In A Stocker Operation, Joseph L. Moyer, J. O. Fritz

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Management decisions for forage-beef cattle production systems are complex because of the many interrelated factors in the plant-animal complex. Evaluation of a system and effects of any changes to it are critical, however, because of the impact that any factor may have on the operation. A computer program to evaluate forage-beef cattle systems would enable producers to make more informed management decisions. Several such programs are available in Kansas, but they are not widely used because of their limited scope, user-friendliness and/or flexibility. Thus, an earlier program derived from the KYBEEF model by Bullock et al. (1983) was modified …

Graze-Out Plus: Filling Forage Gaps In The Southern Great Plains, Usa, B. K. Northup, W. A. Phillips, H. S. Mayeux

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Putting low-cost gain on yearling cattle with forages is a significant agricultural activity in the Southern Great Plains. The primary forage system within the area has two components: winter wheat (Triticum aesitivum) grazed from fall through spring (Redmon et al., 1995), and warm-season perennial grasses for summer grazing. This system has significant gaps (Fig. 1) when high-quality forage is not readily available (September-November and May-June). Introduced cool-season perennial grasses have longer growing seasons than wheat, and could help fill these gaps. This experiment tested the function of an introduced cool-season perennial grass, new to the southern Great Plains, …

The Effect Of Defoliation Interval On Regrowth Of Tall Fescue, K. A. Adamczewski, Danny J. Donaghy

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Herbage yield, persistence and quality optimise when defoliation interval is based on physiological indicators, such as leaf regrowth stage. Examples include ryegrass (Fulkerson & Donaghy, 2001), cocksfoot (Rawnsley et al., 2002), prairie grass (Fulkerson et al., 2000) and kikuyu (Reeves et al., 1996). Yield, persistence and quality optimise because leaf regrowth stage relates closely to plant energy reserves, which generally peak as the number of live leaves/tiller maximise. More frequent defoliation than the optimum reduces energy reserves and leads to a smaller root system, fewer tillers and retarded growth rate (Fulkerson & Donaghy, 2001). Based on plant …

Recovery Of Yearling Calves From Fescue Toxicosis, G. E. Aiken, M. L. Looper, S. F. Tabler, J. R. Strickland

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S.J. Darbyshire) is widely utilized for grazing in the transition zone between the temperate and subtropical regions of the eastern U.S.A. Cattle grazing tall fescue frequently exhibit fescue toxicosis, a malady caused by consumption of toxins produced by the endophyte, Neotyphodium coenophialum. Symptoms of fescue toxicosis include retention of rough hair coat, increased body temperature and laboured respiration. Heat stress may be severe at onset of high ambient temperature and humidity. Transporting cattle exhibiting toxicosis can therefore be difficult because combined stresses of the toxicosis and transporting often result in high mortality. An experiment …

Ergovaline And Ergovalinine And Tall Fescue Content Of Pastures In Central Kentucky, P. W. Long, Jimmy C. Henning, L. P. Bush

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Kentucky has > 2Mha of tall fescue (Festuca arundianacea Schreb.) grown mainly for livestock consumption. Many alkaloids in tall fescue are produced in a mutualistic association between tall fescue and an endophytic fungus (Neotyphodium coenophialum) (Long et al., 2002). Ingestion of tall fescue by livestock may depress reproduction and growth (Schultz & Bush, 2002). Not all Kentucky fields of tall fescue are thought to be infected with endophyte, but forage samples from all surveyed pastures had measurable ergopeptine alkaloids. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that some of the tall fescue plants in these fields were infected. …

Improving Forage Quality Of Tall Fescue (Festuca Arundinacea) By Genetic Manipulation Of Lignin Biosynthesis, Z. -Y. Wang, L. Chen, C. -K. Auh, A. Hopkins, P. Dowling

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Lignification of plant cell walls is a major factor limiting forage digestibility and concomitantly animal productivity. Improvement in forage grass cell wall digestibility has become an important goal of many plant-ruminant animal research programs. Lignins are complex phenolic heteropolymers associated with the polysaccharidic components of the wall in specific plant cells. Lignin in forage grasses comprises guaiacyl (G) units derived from coniferyl alcohol, syringyl (S) units derived from sinapyl alcohol, and p-hydroxyphenyl (H) units derived from p-coumaryl alcohol. Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) and caffeic acid O- methyltransferase (COMT) are key enzymes involved in lignin biosynthesis. Tall fescue …

A Novel Genotype Independent Protocol For In Vitro Plant Regeneration From Mature Seed Derived Callus Of Tall Fescue (Festuca Arundinacea Schreb.), S. Chennareddy, R. V. Sairam, S. L. Goldman

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Tall fescues (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) are cool season forage and turf grasses of significant agricultural importance in different grassland countries. Genetic improvement of tall fescues by conventional selection procedures is slow, since these are predominantly, cross-pollinated, hexaploid and generally infertile (Jauhar, 1993). Genetic Engineering approaches for incorporation of agronomically useful traits may contribute to the development of improved tall fescue cultivars (Spangenberg et al., 1998). However for any genetic engineering studies, it is essential to develop a genotype-independent, reproducible and efficient in vitro plant regeneration protocol. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of different sterilization procedures …

Endophyte Effects On Antioxidants And Membrane Leakage In Tall Fescue During Drought, C. P. West, R. D. Carson, C. A. Guerber, B. De Los Reyes

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Tall fescue [Festuca arundinacea (Schreb.)=Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S.J. Darbyshire] infected (E+) by its fungal endophyte [(Neotyphodium coenphialum Morgan-Jones & Gams.) Glenn, Bacon & Hanlin] often shows greater persistence during summer drought than endophyte-free (E-) plants (Malinowski et al., 2005). Survival of the apical meristem and growing zone of vegetative tillers likely involves biochemical adaptations whose benefits to the host are enhanced by endophyte presence. Antioxidant enzymes may scavenge free radicals during heat and drought, and thereby reduce membrane damage. Their roles in endophyte-mediated drought tolerance in tall fescue have not been tested. Our objective was to …

Tall Fescue Expressed Sequence Tag And Simple Sequence Repeats: Important Resources For Grass Species, Malay C. Saha, J. C. Zwonitzer, K. Chekhovskiy, M. A. R. Mian

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Expressed sequence tag (EST) databases have been growing exponentially. The simple sequence repeat (SSR) has become one of the most useful molecular marker systems in plant breeding and is widely used in cultivar fingerprinting, genetic diversity assessment, molecular mapping and marker-assisted selection. ESTs are a potential source for SSRs. The EST-SSR markers are of high quality and have versatile applications in molecular breeding (Bughrara et al., 2003; Saha et al., 2004 a, b, c). Here, we present an overview of our efforts to develop SSRs from tall fescue ESTs and their application for the genetic improvement of forage …

Ear Emergence Of Different Grass Species Under Finnish Growing Conditions, M. Niskanen, O. Niemeläinen, L. Jauhiainen

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Timothy is the most commonly cultivated grass species in Finland. Swards cultivated for silage of hay are of pure timothy or timothy is the dominant species of the mixture. Successful timing of harvesting of the primary growth is very critical in Northern latitudes where the stand develops very rapidly at daylengths of above 18 hours with a daily mean temperature close to 20 °C. The primary growth has to be harvested within a very short period to obtain a yield of high and uniform quality. Short harvesting periods require high capacity harvest machinery which lead to high costs. If it …

Grazing Behaviour Of Beef Steers Grazing Kentucky 31 Endophyte Infected Tall Fescue, Q4508-Ar542 Novel Endophyte Tall Fescue, And Lakota Prairie Grass, H. T. Boland, G. Scaglia, J. P. Fontenot, A. O. Abaye, R. Smith

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Tall fescue is the most dominant grass used for pasture in the U.S. covering over 14 million ha. As a result, fescue toxicosis is a major concern among producers, especially during the summer months when the symptoms, such as reduced weight gains, are most pronounced. Producers need alternative forages for grazing cattle that do not have the negative effects associated with endophyte infected tall fescue. The objective of this experiment was to determine the grazing behaviour of cattle on Kentucky 31 endophyte infected (E+) tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), Q4508-AR542 (Q) novel endophyte tall fescue, and Lakota (L) …

Forage Grass Growth Habit And Allelopathy In Birdsfoot Trefoil Germination And Establishment, Nathan El Blake

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) (BFT) is a high quality, tanniniferous forage legume that has been shown to mitigate gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection in sheep. Reliable establishment of birdsfoot trefoil in existing pastures is difficult due to BFT’s poor seedling vigor, susceptibility to crown and root rot, and, perhaps chiefly, competition from other pasture plants. Most existing pastures in the Northeastern United States are primarily composed of cool-season grasses, many of which can be highly competitive. A common form of interplant competition is allelopathy, which occurs when secondary metabolites produced by a plant inhibit a necessary growth process of …