Establishing Legumes in a Tall Fescue Sward

Abstract

Tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.] is a common grass species in the eastern half of the USA, but legumes grown with it could provide benefits. Obstacles to legume establishment in fescue pastures include disease, insect damage, and grass competition. Experiments were performed in 2010 and 2011 at Site 1 to test the efficacy of insect control, disease control, and two methods of grass suppression on seedling establishment of three legumes. The highest seedling density of red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) was obtained with glyphosate treatment regardless of pest control and for clipping without pest control. No overall or consistent benefit was found for white clover (Trifolium pretense L.) or trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) from seed and foliar insecticides or fungicides, or for grass suppression by either clipping or glyphosate application. Experiments were performed in 2012 and 2013 at Site 2 to test the efficacy of grass suppression by grazing cattle or by clethodim application. Seedling density of red clover was not significantly improved by either treatment, but the density of birdsfoot trefoil was increased by clethodim, and the density of white clover was increased in 2013 by both methods of grass suppression. Overall, red clover was least sensitive to grass competition. Birdsfoot trefoil was better served by the immediate effect of chemical suppression, whereas white clover benefitted most from the lengthier grass suppression provided by grazing.

Interseeding legumes into established semiarid smooth bromegrass pasture

“…Birdsfoot trefoil never established amid established grass competition in the current study, even with heavy autumn grazing prior to spring seeding, and was similar to the reduced establishment observed with competition by Min and Moyer (2015). White clover is easily established and widely distributed in eastern Kansas, which has abundant growing season precipitation, and white clover persistence over several years is able to substantially improve the nutritive value of cool‐season and warm‐season grass pastures (Lomas et al., 2004; Lomas & Moyer, 2020; Moyer & Lomas, 2017).…”

“…A similar reduction in biennial sweetclover also occurred in fertilized stands of predominantly warm-season grasses in western Kansas during the dry late growing season conditions of 2011 through to the very dry and droughty 2012 growing season (Harmoney et al, 2016) (Table 1). Birdsfoot trefoil never established amid established grass competition in the current study, even with heavy autumn grazing prior to spring seeding, and was similar to the reduced establishment observed with competition by Min and Moyer (2015). White clover is easily established and widely distributed in eastern Kansas, which has abundant growing season precipitation, and white clover persistence over several years is able to substantially improve the nutritive value of cool-season and warm-season grass pastures (Lomas et al, 2004;Lomas & Moyer, 2020;Moyer & Lomas, 2017).…”

“…Alfalfa was readily established in eastern Kansas with herbicides used for grass suppression prior to seeding, but success was limited, with little alfalfa contribution to the sward, if grass growth was not suppressed (Posler & Fransen, 1982). Likewise, yellow sweetclover (Posler & Fransen, 1982) and birdsfoot trefoil (Min & Moyer, 2015; Posler & Fransen, 1982) were easily established and highly productive when herbicides were used to suppress cool‐season grass pasture prior to legume seeding. The locations of these aforementioned studies also average 10 to 15 inches more in annual precipitation than the current study, so moisture for legume establishment and production is much less limiting in these eastern Kansas environments.…”

“…In fact, at locations with greater precipitation, grass suppression with herbicides is the overriding factor in successful legume interseeding as well (Cuomo et al., 2001). Others have found that successfully seeding legumes into the same row as grass seed (Butler et al., 2011) or in already established grass stands without herbicide suppression is often more difficult because of grass competition (Min & Moyer, 2015). Research elsewhere has shown that diverse pastures with multiple species resist weeds better (Tracy & Sanderson, 2004), and provide a better distribution of forage throughout the growing season than grass monocultures (Sleugh et al., 2000).…”

Composition, Forage Production, and Costs Are Variable in Three‐Way Cover Crop Mixes as Fall Forage

“…Temperature and rainfall play significant roles in legume establishment in cover crops (Vrignon-Brenas et al, 2016). These results indicate a possible competitive effect where plants with faster growth outcompeted the legumes, which are commonly found in perennial forage systems when trying to establish legumes (Mueller and Chamblee, 1984;Butler and Muir, 2012;Min and Moyer, 2015). Additionally, studies have shown that growing combinations of legumes, including a high-growth legume (hairy vetch, Vicia villosa), contribute very little forage in a grass/brassica/legume mixture (Villalobos and Brummer, 2017).…”