Tall Fescue-red Clover Research Articles

Effects of stocking rate and corn gluten feed supplementation on performance of young beef cows grazing winter-stockpiled tall fescue-red clover pasture1

A winter grazing experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of stocking rate and corn gluten feed supplementation on forage mass and composition and the BW and BCS of bred 2-yr-old cows grazing stockpiled forage during winter. Two 12.2-ha blocks containing Fawn, endophyte-free, tall fescue and red clover were each divided into 4 pastures of 2.53 or 3.54 ha. Hay was harvested from the pastures in June and August of 2003 and 2004, and N was applied at 50.5 kg/ha at the initiation of stockpiling in August. On October 22, 2003, and October 20, 2004, twenty-four 30-mo-old Angus-Simmental and Angus cows were allotted by BW and BCS to strip-graze for 147 d at 0.84 or 1.19 cow/ha. Eight similar cows were allotted to 2 dry lots and fed tall fescue-red clover hay ad libitum. Corn gluten feed was fed to cows in 2 pastures to maintain a mean BCS of 5 (9-point scale) at each stocking rate and in the dry lots (high supplementation level) or when weather prevented grazing (low supplementation level) in the remaining 2 pastures at each stocking rate. Mean concentrations of CP in yr 1 and 2 and IVDMD in yr 2 were greater (P < 0.10) in hay than stockpiled forage over the winter. At the end of grazing, cows fed hay in dry lots had greater (P < 0.05) BCS in yr 1 and greater (P < 0.10) BW in yr 2 than grazing cows. Grazing cows in the high supplementation treatment had greater (P < 0.10) BW than cows grazing at the low supplementation level in yr 1. Cows in the dry lots were fed 2,565 and 2,158 kg of hay DM/cow. Amounts of corn gluten feed supplemented to cows in yr 1 and 2 were 46 and 60 kg/ cow and did not differ (P = 0.33, yr 1; P = 0.50, yr 2) between cows fed hay or grazing stockpiled forage in either year. Estimated production costs were greater for cows in the dry lots because of hay feeding.

Productivity and hay requirements of beef cattle in a Midwestern year-round grazing system12

Our objective was to evaluate a replicated (n = 2) Midwestern year-round grazing system's hay needs and animal production compared with a replicated (n = 2) conventional (minimal land) system over 3 yr. Because extended grazing systems have decreased hay needs for the beef herd, it was hypothesized that this year-round system would decrease hay needs without penalizing animal production. In the minimal land (ML) system, two replicated 8.1-ha smooth bromegrass-orchardgrass-birdsfoot trefoil (SB-OG-BFT) pastures were rotationally stocked with six mature April-calving cows and calves and harvested as hay for winter feeding in a drylot. After weaning, calves were finished on a high-concentrate diet. Six mature April-calving cows, six mature August-calving cows, and their calves were used in the year-round (YR) grazing system. During the early and late summer, cattle grazed two replicated 8.1-ha SB-OG-BFT pastures by rotational stocking. In mid-summer and winter, April- and August-calving cows grazed two replicated 6.1-ha, endophyte-free tall fescue-red clover (TF-RC) and smooth bromegrass-red clover (SB-RC) pastures, respectively, by strip-stocking. In late autumn, spring-calving cows grazed 6.1-ha corn crop residue fields by strip-stocking. Calves were fed hay with corn gluten feed or corn grain over winter and used as stocker cattle to graze SB-OG-BFT pastures with cows until early August the following summer. First-harvest forage from the TF-RC and SB-RC pastures was harvested as hay. Body condition scores of April-calving cows did not differ between grazing systems, but were lower (P < or = 0.03) than those of August-calving cows from mid-gestation through breeding. Preweaning calf BW gains were 47 kg/ha of perennial pasture (P < 0.01) and 32 kg/cow (P = 0.01) lower in the YR grazing system than in the ML system. Total BW gains ofpreweaning calf and grazing stocker cattle were 12 kg/ha of perennial pasture less (P = 0.07), but 27 kg/cow greater (P = 0.02) in pastures in the YR grazing system than in the ML system. Amounts of hay fed to cows in the ML system were 1,701 kg DM/cow and 896 kg DM/cow-stocker pair greater (P < 0.05) than in the YR grazing system. Extended grazing systems in the Midwest that include grazing of stocker cattle to utilize excess forage growth will decrease stored feed needs, while maintaining growing animal production per cow in April- and August-calving herds.

Forage systems for production of stocker steers in the upper south.

The southern states produce large numbers of beef calves that are generally weaned and sold in autumn. Keeping calves in this region beyond weaning to graze high-quality forages through a stocker cattle phase could improve profitability. Autumn-weaned Angus crossbred steers were allocated by breeding and weight to four forage systems that began in mid-November and continued through mid-October as follows: System 1, tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.)-white clover (Trifolium repens L.); System 2, tall fescue, caucasian bluestem (Bothriochloa caucasica [Trin.] C. E. Hubbard) and tall fescue-red clover (Trifolium pratense L.); System 3, orchardgrass-alfalfa and bluegrass-white clover; and System 4, rye (Secale cereale L.), soybeans (Glycine max)-foxtail millet (Setaria italica), and bluegrass-white clover. All steers were supplemented with hay or silage previously cut from their respective systems when forage for grazing was limited. System 2 which used stockpiled tall fescue for winter grazing and caucasian bluestem for summer forage plus fescuered clover for hay and grazing in a three-paddock system, resulted in greater (P < .01) gain per hectare and per steer, more grazing days, and reduced stored forage requirements and produced more surplus feed than the other systems tested. Gains per hectare for Systems 1 through 4 were 454, 554, 472, and 487 kg (SE = 18), respectively. Harvested forage from Systems 1, 2, and 3 met needs for stored forages but System 4 required additional "purchased" hay. Stored forage was fed for 61, 38, 112, or 104 d for Systems 1 through 4, respectively. Within the physio-climatic region of this experiment, a simple three-paddock system based on cool- and warm-season perennial forages could improve beef production per unit of land area while reducing inputs of labor and equipment.

Population Differentiation, Spatial Variation, and Sampling of Tall Fescue under Grazing

Tall fescue [Festuca arundinacea Schreb.] is the most important cool‐season perennial forage grass in Alabama and the southeastern USA. Genetic variation is essential for breeding improved cultivars, and understanding factors influencing genetic variability in pastures is important if material from existing pastures is to be used in a breeding program. This study was conducted to determine the extent of differentiation for agronomic traits in pastures grazed long‐term and to investigate possible spatial variation and its effect on sampling. Three populations from permanent pasture treatments of the USDA SARE cropping system trial in Virginia were sampled: (i) pure tall fescue fertilized with N, stocked continuously (Fescue + N); (ii) tall fescue–alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) mixture used as hay and pasture (Fescue + alfalfa); and (iii) tall fescue–red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) mixture used as hay and pasture (Fescue + red clover). The tall fescue cultivar was endophyte‐free Ky 31 [fescue endophyte: Neotyphodium coenophialum; syn. Acremonium coenophialum]. Plants from these paddocks were established in central Alabama in 1995. Original seed from the SARE trial were also germinated for establishing the original population. Ex situ evaluation was conducted in Alabama (1995–1997). Compared with plants derived from the original seed lot, plants derived from pastures under grazing had significantly earlier maturity, higher dry matter (DM) yield per plant, and larger plant diameter, indicating population differentiation in response to grazing. No significant differences were observed among populations with different pasture management treatments. Statistical and graphical analysis of spatial variation of agronomic traits showed no spatial relationships in any of the six sampled paddocks. Bootstrap estimates of minimum and maximum values indicated that 25 individuals per paddock captured most of the phenotypic variation within each paddock. A random walk approach covering the entire unit being sampled seems therefore to be an appropriate strategy for sampling similar pastures to obtain base material for a breeding program.

No‐Till Seeding of Red Clover into Tall Fescue as Influenced by Grass Suppression, Fungicide, and Nutrients

No-till planting of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is recommended for improving the nutritive quality and seasonal production of endophyte-infected tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) but fungal diseases can cause stand and yield losses. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of grass suppressant, fungicide, and nutrients (P and K) on red clover no-till planted in September during 3 yr. Six field experiments were conducted in the northern Georgia limestone valley area near Calhoun, and in the Southern Appalachian mountains near Blairsville. 'Redland III' red clover was no-till planted in September using factorial combinations of the following treatments to examine their effect on first year stand and forage yield: paraquat herbicide, vinclozolin [3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-5-ethenyl-5-methyl-2,4-oxazolinedione] fungicide, and nutrients (50 lb P 2 0 5 /acre and 50 lb K 2 O/acre). No-till planting of red clover with no sod treatment resulted in first-year tall fescue-red clover dry forage yields (3-yr average) of 7380 lb/acre, of which red clover comprised about 50%. Sod suppression or nutrients alone had no effect (P > 0.05) on clover stands or yield. Monthly fungicide application alone increased (P < 0.05) red clover yields 120% in 1 out of 3 yr. Suppressant + fungicide increased (P < 0.05) yield 44% over the check in 2 out of 3 yr. Fungicide + suppressant + nutrients increased (P < 0.05) yields over that of the check with a 3-yr average increase of 75% at the two locations. The higher yields obtained with fungicide, grass suppressant, and nutrients over 3 yr at two locations suggest that disease losses in no-till planted red clover may be over 40%.

Comparison of Beef Cattle Performance and Forage Characteristics for Alfalfa or Tall Fescue-Red Clover in a Rotational Grazing System

Cow-calf performance and diet composition were compared between established alfalfa and tall fescue-red clover pastures in a rotational grazing system. Eighty cow-calf pairs were randomly allotted to the two dietary mixtures with three replications. Each of the six pastures was subdivided using a six-paddock rotation so that the paddocks were grazed for 6 d and rested for 30 d throughout the 121-d trial. Put-and-take animals were used to evaluate stocking rate. One ruminally fistulated cow was used in each of the six pastures to determine composition of grazed forage from reticulorumen evacuation at the beginning and end of grazing in paddock 1 (on d 0, 6, 36, 42, 72, 78, 108 and 114). Both treatments sustained similar stocking rates. Cow gain and body condition score change were not different due to treatments (P>0.10). However, weight gains of calves grazing alfalfa were 11.5% higher (P<0.05) than those of calves grazing tall fescue-red clover. Calf gain per hectare for the alfalfa pastures also tended to be higher (P=0.15) than that for tall fescue-red clover. This was due to the improved calf performance on alfalfa with similar stocking rates. Alfalfa was lower in NDF and ADF (P<0.05), and higher in CP at the beginning of grazing (P<0.05). After grazing, alfalfa was lower in NDF and higher in CP (P<0.05). Both alfalfa and tall fescue-red clover effectively maintained cow performance, whereas the alfalfa resulted in improved calf gain.

Forage systems for beef production from conception to slaughter: III. Finishing systems.

Fall-weaned Angus calves grazed or were fed different forages during winter followed by 1) N-fertilized tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) grazed alone, 2) bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.)-white clover (Trifolium repens L.) sequence grazed with tall fescue-red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), or 3) bluegrass-white clover sequence grazed with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)-orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.). Heifers were supplemented with grain at 1% of BW from April until slaughter in July. One-half of steers were supplemented with grain at 1% of BW from July until slaughter in October. Remaining steers were fed no grain but were finished on corn silage supplemented with .9 kg of soybean meal per steer daily, from October until slaughter in late January. Including alfalfa-orchardgrass in systems during the finishing phase resulted in higher daily and total gains during the grazing period, and carcasses had more marbling and higher USDA quality grades at slaughter compared with carcasses of cattle on systems using fescue-red clover. Correlation of final weight with carcass characteristics was low (r < .5). Performance and carcass characteristics were influenced as much or more by forage consumed during the previous wintering phase as by forage fed during the finishing phase. Wintering cattle on stockpiled fescue-alfalfa or alfalfa-orchardgrass hay generally resulted in higher BW at slaughter and more desirable carcass characteristics than systems using tall fescue alone or in combination with red clover. This was particularly notable in steers that grazed without grain until October and were finished on corn silage plus supplement. Final BW and carcass characteristics in all cattle were improved by full season grazing followed by feeding corn silage, compared with cattle finished with grain on pasture.

Forage systems for beef production from conception to slaughter: II. Stocker systems.

Fall weaned Angus calves grazed stockpiled 1) tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), 2) tall fescue-red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), or 3) tall fescue-alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) or were barn-fed, 4) tall fescue hay, 5) orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.)-alfalfa hay, or 6) tall fescue silage from late October to early April during each of 5 yr. Infection of the fescue with Acremonium coenophialum ranged from 0 to 55%. There were two replications each of steers and heifers for each forage system in a completely random design. Each replicate was grazed by three Angus stockers, except for System 1, which was grazed by six stockers, for a total of 420 stockers. Each pasture replicate contained .8 ha (except System 1, which was 1.6 ha), and the stocking rate was one stocker per .27 ha. Fescue hay and silage were harvested each spring for barn-fed systems from the area stockpiled for grazing by cattle in System 1. Nitrogen fertilizer (90 kg/ha) was applied in early spring and again in early August, before stockpiling; no N was applied to stockpiled fescue grown with legumes. Daily gains by calves grazing stockpiled fescue-alfalfa were greater (P less than .01) than by calves grazing stockpiled fescue-red clover or N-fertilized stockpiled fescue (.50, .33, and .34 kg/d, respectively), but fescue-alfalfa calves required more days (P less than .01) of supplemental hay feeding (105, 60, and 36, respectively). Calves fed fescue hay in the barn gained more (P less than .01) than those fed fescue silage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Influence of Sustained-Release Estradiol-17-Beta in Pellet Form on Performance of Growing-Finishing Steers

Three trials, utilizing a total of 490 growing-finishing steers, were conducted (202-260 d) in different geographical regions (Missouri, Indiana, Kansas) under different feeding and management regimens to evaluate the efficacy of a sustained-release estradiol-17-beta implant. The implant formulation consisted of a copolymer pellet (5mm long, 2.4mm in diameter, and 27mg in total weight) impregnated with 19mg estradiol and dusted with oxytetracycline-HCl. Treatments were 1) nonimplanted control, 2) positive implanted control, and 3) 19mg, 4) 38mg, or 5) 57mg of estradiol in the test formulation. Implanted steers grazing native range (Kansas) gained faster (P<.05) compared to nonimplanted control steers. However, non-significant improvements were observed for cattle pastured on endophyte-infested tall fescue-red clover (Missouri) or backgrounded on a relatively high energy (75% corn silage:25% high moisture corn) program (Indiana). A treatment X experiment interaction (P<.05) indicated that steers severely restricted in the growing phase (Missouri) had no daily gain response to anabolic implants during the finishing phase. Implanting with 57mg estradiol increased warm carcass weight by 15.4kg (P<.05). Implanted steers had less (P<.05) body cavity fat, and tended to have less backfat, lower yield grades and larger ribeye areas.Pooled data indicate that total experiment weight gains were greater (P<.05) for all implant groups compared to the nonimplanted controls. The experimental implant was efficacious for a period of at least 200 d, but the magnitude of response to any anabolic implant may be affected by feeding and management regimen.