Wintering Beef Cattle on Mixtures of ‘Georgia 5’ Tall Fescue and Warm-Season Perennial Grasses on Coastal Plain Soils

Abstract

A persistent, perennial cool-season grass could reduce winter feed costs for beef production in the lower South. Georgia 5', is an endophyte-infested [Neotyphodium coenophialum (Morgan-Jones and Gams) Glenn, Bacon & Hanlinl tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) cultivar developed for improved persistence in the Coastal Plain. Two experiments were conducted to define the response of overseeded Georgia 5 to fall grazing deferment varying in starting date and duration, and to evaluate its potential contribution to winter feed for beef production. Plots of this tall fescue, overseeded on a warm-season grass pasture on upland Coastal Plain soils in 2 yr, were grazed continuously after establishment except for 60-, 90-, or 120-d fall grazing deferments beginning at 15-d intervals after 31 August. Deferments beginning mid-October or later provided benefit to Georgia 5 survival. Deferments longer than 60 d allowed greater herbage accumulation, but did not further enhance persistence. Georgia 5 tall fescue was overseeded on Coastal' bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] or Pensacola' bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Fluegge var. saurae Parodi) flatwoods pastures in October of 2 yr. Continuous stocking (1.9 heifers/acre in the first and 1.2 in the second year) of pastures began in the following April. Performance of heifers grazing overseeded pastures from December to April was compared with heifers fed bermudagrass hay ad libitum and 6.8 lb/head of a ground corn-cottonseed mixture three times weekly. Tall fescue herbage mass ranged from about 200 to 600 lb dry matter/acre from December through April. Growth of hay-fed heifers was faster (P < 0.05) than non-supplemented grazing heifers (1.51 vs 0.50 lb/d) in the first year, but similar for both treatments in the second year (0.99 lb/d). Foliar cover of tall fescue was stable in bermudagrass pastures and averaged 51%. Tall fescue declined in bahiagrass pastures from 61% in spring of 1990 to 35% in spring of 1992. Minor, but transient, fescue toxicosis symptoms were observed. Georgia 5 overseeded on warm-season grass pastures can be used for winter grazing and contribute to reduced beef production costs in the lower South.