Dry matter yield, forage quality and persistence of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) cultivars compared with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) in a subtropical environment

Abstract

Abstract. The dry matter (DM) yield, plant persistence and forage quality of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) were compared in the subtropical environment of southern Queensland, Australia. The field study was conducted under irrigation with pure, nitrogen fertilised stands of 10 commercial tall fescue cultivars (Advance, AU Triumph, Bombina, Cajun, Dovey, Maximise, Midwin, Torpedo, Quantum and Vulcan), 3 experimental cultivars (ITF 97010, ITF 97020 and PWF 29) and Dobson perennial ryegrass. From July 1997, plots were defoliated at 4-week intervals for 3 years. Changes in crude protein content and in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD) were determined at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 weeks post-defoliation in October (spring) 1997, January (summer), March (autumn), June (winter) and September (spring) 1998.Some cultivars of irrigated tall fescue were shown to be better adapted to a subtropical environment than perennial ryegrass. After 3 years, cumulative DM yields were in excess of 30 t/ha for Dovey, Quantum, ITF 97010, AU Triumph and Cajun tall fescue compared with 12 t/ha from Dobson perennial ryegrass swards.Plant development had a considerable influence on crude protein content and IVDMD of tall fescue and perennial ryegrass, more so than the length of the regrowth period. As plant tissue matured, the forage quality during spring declined linearly for crude protein content and for IVDMD (1998 only), and declined exponentially for IVDMD during spring (1997), summer, autumn and winter (1998). Quality losses may be minimised if tall fescue cultivars are defoliated every 2-3 weeks during spring and summer and every 3-4 weeks during autumn and winter.

Milk‐production potential of different sward types in a temperate southern Australian environment

“…Similar opportunities have been identified in sub‐tropical Australia (e.g. Lowe and Bowlder, 1995; Callow et al ., 2003). It is necessary to establish, however, that there are no penalties in milk production associated with the use of swards with alternative species before they can be considered for inclusion in dairy cow systems.…”

Field indicators of leaf nutritive value for perennial ryegrass and tall fescue pastures under different growing and management conditions

“…The NDF content of leaf tissue, which is the more preferred forage fraction by animals, was similar for all residual treatments, despite the fact that the leaf NDF content was slightly greater for tall fescue than perennial ryegrass, as expected from previous studies conducted at the sward level (Callow et al, ; Cullen, Bullen, Hutcheson, Jacobs, & Deighton, ; Lowe, Bowdler, Casey, & Moss, ). Also the decrease in leaf blade DMD was related to decreases in leaf tissue NDFD (Table ), as documented previously in other studies (Insua et al, ; Nave, Sulc, & Barker, ).…”

“…The nutritive value of forage grasses, including perennial ryegrass and tall fescue‐grazed pasture, has been described extensively in terms of the neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and dry matter digestibility (DMD) at the whole‐sward level (Callow, Lowe, Bowdler, Lowe, & Gobius, ; Fulkerson et al, ; Scheneiter, Camarasa, Carrete, & Amendola, ). However, the dynamic pattern of the nutritive value of the herbage grown during vegetative regrowth is driven primarily by the continuous turnover of successively produced leaves, all of which have different ages and lengths (Chapman, Lee, & Waghorn, ; Insua et al, ).…”

Effect of Defoliation Management on Water‐Soluble Carbohydrate Energy Reserves, Dry Matter Yields, and Herbage Quality of Tall Fescue

“…Other studies have found that tall fescue has lower herbage quality compared to species such as perennial ryegrass and prairie grass (Callow et al, 2003;Sinclair et al, 2006). Th e lower digestibility of tall fescue is largely due to the lower proportion of cell content and lower cell wall digestibility than other species such as perennial ryegrass (Wilman et al, 1996).…”

“…Th ere is limited information on the eff ect of leaf stage based defoliation management on the regrowth of tall fescue. To date, studies have investigated the regrowth of tall fescue following defoliation at various heights (Booysen and Nelson, 1975;Virkajarvi, 2003) and current defoliation interval recommendations are based on a combination of number of days and pasture sward surface height (Milne and Johnson, 1997;Callow et al, 2003;Kemp, 2004).…”