Effect of Legumes and N Applications in Tall Fescue Yield and Quality.

Effect of legumes and N Applications in Tall Fescue Yield and Quality

P. Slusher, R. Lemus, J. White, M. Phillips, D. Lang, and B. Rude

Abstract

            Tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) is a cool-season perennial bunchgrass covering large number of acres in the southern USA.  The application of nitrogen is a common practice to increase yield of pastures, as well the inclusion of a legumes for increased pasture quality, especially when diluting the effect of the K-31.  Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and white clover (Trifolium repens) are-high yielding cool-season perennial legumes that complements tall fescue biomass productivity and quality; therefore, reducing nitrogen supplementation.  The objective of the study is to compare the effects of nitrogen applications or inter-seeding legumes on tall fescue forage quality and yield.  The study was a randomized complete block with a strip plot arrangement replicated three times.  The main plots were the tall fescue varieties (‘KY-31'and ‘Texoma MaxQ II') with subplots consisting of a grass monoculture, two legumes (‘Bulldog 505' alfalfa and ‘Regalgraze' white clover), and five N rates.  Nitrogen treatments consisted of 0, 25, 50, 100 lb N/A applied using urea-ammonium sulfate (33-0-0S).  Biomass comparisons for the tall fescue varieties (P<0.0599) as well as the N treatments (P<0.0976) did not significantly vary.  The inclusion of legumes significantly affected forage quality.  Harvest data indicates that inter-seeding legumes and nitrogen applications increased forage quality factors such as NDF (P<0.0023) and crude protein (P<0.0004) in tall fescue stands.