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Tall fescue is grown for pasture, hay, silage and as a companion crop with other forage grasses and legumes.  Fescue is easily established, hardy, survives heavy animal traffic, and is somewhat drought resistant. Hay should be harvested in the early maturity stage when the grass produces the best quality and rate of digestibility.  After the first harvest, cut re-growth 4-6 weeks later. BUY YOUR TALL FESCUE PASTURE GRASS SEED DIRECT FROM SEEDLAND Or click to view our prices. More Pasture information At FarmSeeds.com Another Seedland Information website!

5NF FORAGE TALL FESCUE - Low Endophyte!
Learn more information about 5NF Tall Fescue

Tall fescue is one of the most adaptable grasses grown for grazing purposes.  The types of soil that is can be has good disease and insect resistance, is thick enough to overcome weed competition, provides year round pasturage in the northern regions and fall to spring in the warmer areas of adaptation.  These reasons make fescue a cost effective and hardy grass for all types of pastures and hay fields. Fescue can be planted in single stands or with other grasses like orchard or perennial and clovers or alfalfa to add extra nutrients and minerals.   

Growing three to four feet high, tall fescue can produce an abundance of hay or silage material when well managed.  Rotational pastures that are planned for highest productivity  usually include companion crops that generally grow upright ( as fescue does) and need "resting" to keep producing adequate amounts of plant material.

This time can also be used to fertilize the pasture while the animals are not grazing and helps reduce plant stress. This gives the grass time to thicken between rotations especially in drought conditions and recover from hoof damage from larger herds.

Fescue is used to overseed warmer grass pastures in  areas of adaptation and fill in while the warm season forage is in dormancy. Full time pasturing can greatly reduce the cost of feeding animals through the winter.  With over 200 varieties to choose from and the ease of establishment there are thousands of acres planted every year in some type of tall fescue for pastures. This grass is also used in erosion control  areas that can’t be mown or simply  grown for a beautiful meadow affect with wildflowers.

Many older types of tall fescue are already established in fields or pastures and have many problems that have arose overtime. These problems are due to the infection of the fescue with a fungus called Endophyte. Through research and development there are now many new varieties that are fungus free and these should be considered when planting new pastures or renovating older ones. Especially in the south where horses are raised. Always check with the land owner about the kind of grass that is presently growing on a piece of property when considering purchasing for pasture purposes.

AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2000! - More about MAXQ
Fescue is the grass farmers love to hate. "It's our main feed and our main problem," some have been heard to say. It is persistent, yet it can be toxic to livestock. Lower conception rates, lower weaning weights and poor cattle performance are typical problems caused by the fungus living inside of fescue grass.

Taking the fungus out does not help because fungus free fescue has poor summer survival. This leads to rapid stand loss because of the missing endophytes.

THE NEW SOLUTION: FRIENDLY ENDOPHYTES

Breakthrough technology in the from of a non-toxic fungus offers the best solution to this problem. This non-toxic fungus produces excellent weight gains in University grazing studies. These same studies show remarkable stand persistence even after two prolonged summer droughts.

FUNGUS - ENDOPHYTES

DO NOT USE LAWN GRASSES 
FOR PASTURE GRAZING PURPOSES
These grasses can cause problems in cattle, 
sheep and especially horses.

Cattle suffer from "summer slump" - A condition that occurs during raised summer temperatures, shown by a tendency of the cattle to stay in the shade and water more than usual.  Also a winter problem called "fescue foot" with sloughing of hooves, ears, and tail due to blood circulation problems.  Cattle may not eat this crop in the summer if any other choice of forage is available.

Northern fescue growers do not have the same degree of difficulty as those in the transition zone.  Many agronomists feel  heat and humidity play an important role in the infection process in the southern growing areas.   Management practices of improving fescue with clovers (white clovers, alfalfa and birdsfoot trefoil, orchard grass and ryegrasses) every 2-3 years may help reduce some of the problem with fescue foraging in the southern regions.

Endophye-Free (Fungus Free) Fescue varieties are now available on the market that help to reduce or eliminate this problem. Max Q (friendly enophyte) and  5NF are some of the varieties available at Seedland for forage use.

There are several new improved varieties out, along with some new ones in the development pipeline that are called Endophyte enhanced varieties.  Seedland will add those varieties to our product line as they become commercially available.

Varieties: Kentucky-31 - The "old favorite".

SEEDING: Seed at the rate of 35-40 lb. per acre and roll again for good moisture contact especially in dry areas. Reseed in the fall (seed may remain dormant until germination in the spring) or spring .

MAINTENANCE: Reseeding every 2-3 years is an important maintenance activity.   Take a complete soil test every 2-3 years.   Adding new or improved varieties as time passes can increase your pastures' performance.

JESUP FORAGE TALL FESCUE---Fungus Free
This tall fescue is a cool season perennial forage and was developed for persistence, seedling vitality, crude protein level of 15%, and 62% digestible nutrient.  See link above to order Jesup Fescue.

Jesup tall fescue makes an ideal permanent pasture for all livestock, horses and wildlife. Low maintenance, heat, drought tolerant also makes excellent hay.

Plant at the rate of 25-35 lb. per acre in the Southeast from Sept. 1- Nov. 1; in the Midwest from Aug. 15 - Oct. 1 and March through April in the spring. Soil should be a pH of 6.0.  Red or white clover can be planted as a companion crop. Do not plant in deep sandy dry soils.

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