MaxQ Planting & Management
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Article below is courtesy of Pennington Seed

MAXQ Planting & Management TIPS
How To Successfully Replace Toxic Fungus Fescue Pastures

Read about MaxQ Tall Fescue
Read MaxQ planting guide for successful establishment.

During Spring, Prior to Fall Planting
• Prevent toxic fescue plants from blooming.
• Either graze close or clip for hay.
• Spray herbicide stubble to chemically kill existing toxic fescue prior to blooming.
• Soil test; apply fertilizer and lime as recommended.
• Plant summer annual forage, i.e. sorghum sudangrass or pearl millet. This will
provide summer forage and act as a smother crop for emerging toxic fescue plants.
• Do not feed toxic fescue hay in these paddocks.

During Fall, Just Prior to Planting
• Graze closely or harvest the summer annual for hay.
• Spray kill the green stubble.
• Apply fertilizer as recommended.
• No-till drill Max Q seed into stubble or into tilled seedbed. Remember to firm
the soil with a roller or cultipacker before and after seeding.
• Do not plant seed deeper than 1/4".
• Do not plant a companion/nurse crop with MaxQ.
• Recommended seeding rate is 20 lbs/acre drilled -25 lbs/acre broadcast.
• Planting dates: September to November 1st in southern states. Mid
August to October 1st in midwestern and northeastern states.

During Winter, After Seeding
• Do not graze seedling pasture.
• Do not feed toxic fescue hay on newly seeded pastures.

During Spring, New Seeding Management
• Apply fertilizer as recommended.
• Do not graze pasture until plants are 8" high or taller and firmly anchored.
• Flash graze for short periods (2-5 days) or make an early hay cutting. (Cut at
early stage.)
• Do not graze or clip lower than 2-3".
• Do not graze when soil is wet and soft.

Summer Management
• Rest your fescue pastures during the summer months.
• If conditions are favorable use light rotational grazing for short periods.
• Leave 3-4” of residue after grazing or haying.

Grazing Management
• Apply fertilizer annually as recommended. Apply extra nitrogen in late winter
and early fall.
• Keep forage leafy by grazing heavily or clipping to insure high quality.
• Rotate cattle more often during periods of heat and drought stress.
• In spring, intensively graze rapidly growing established stands of MaxQ pasture.
• Stockpile forage during periods of rapid growth in early fall. (Check with county
agent for more information.)
• Prevent transfer of toxic fescue seeds in manure to MaxQ pasture. Graze a
fungus-free forage for three days between toxic fungus fescue (in bloom or
seed) and MaxQ pasture.