Establishment and First-Year Management of Tall Fescue

Feb. 9, 2017

Agriculture & Natural Resources

Establishment and first-year management of tall fescue

Family & Consumer Sciences

Drink up for good health

4-H Youth Development

Registration open for 4-H Natural Resource and Environmental Sciences Academy scholars

Establishment and first-year management of tall fescue

Source:Ray Smith, UK extension forage specialist

Tall fescue, specifically Kentucky 31,is a cool-season grass that is widely grown throughout Kentucky and the eastern United States, because it is resistant to many unfavorable conditions including drought tolerance and insect resistance. However, the very reason for its resiliency is also its Achilles heel. It contains a harmful fungal endophyte that causes fescue toxicosis in cattle and horses. Affected animals get sick, have reduced weight gains, reproductive problems and other issues.

In recent years, researchers have learned how to introduce beneficial or novel endophytes into tall fescue varieties. These novel endophytes do not cause fescue toxicosis, but allow a variety to have vigorous growth and improved drought and insect resistance. Six novel endophyte tall fescue varieties are already available on the market. This fall, seed will be available for the University of Kentucky-developed novel endophyte variety Lacefield MaxQ II.

Establishing a pasture with a novel endophyte tall fescue variety is a process that will require you to have a good first-year management plan, especially if you are converting a pasture or hayfield that contains Kentucky 31 tall fescue.

In the spring, you should prevent toxic fescue from producing a seedhead. Either graze the pasture every time seedheads emerge or harvest for hay. Some farmers use a combination of grazing and mowing to remove seedheads. Then spray with a high rate of glyphosate to kill the existing toxic fescue. Do a soil test and apply fertilizer and lime according to the results. Drill a summer annual forage into this killed-out sod or cultivate and plant for an even more productive stand.

In the summer, graze animals on the summer annual forage or harvest it for hay or silage.

In the late summer, graze the summer forage closely or harvest it one last time for hay or silage. Apply another application of glyphosate and apply fertilizer as recommended. Some farmers skip the summer annual and just make two to three glyphosate applications four to six weeks apart. Next use a no-till drill to seed your new novel endophyte variety between late August and late September.

During the first winter, don’t graze the seedling pasture, and make sure you that you never feed hay on this pasture that contains seedheads of KY-31 tall fescue.

In your second year, you want to apply fertilizer in the spring, as recommended, and wait until the plants are 8 inches high and firmly anchored to graze it. You can graze for short periods, but make sure you maintain a pasture height between 3 and 10 inches. For further recommendations beyond the first year, contact the (COUNTY NAME) Extension office.

UK is offering a workshop to give producers more information on incorporating novel endophyte tall fescue varieties into their forage and livestock operations. The Tall Fescue Renovation Workshop is March 9 at the UK Veterinary Diagnostic Lab and Spindletop Research Farm in Lexington from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sign up at

Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

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Drink up for good health

Source: Heather Norman-Burgdolf, UK extension specialist in food nutrition

Most of us hear early on that we should drink water for good health, but some of us may not know why it is so important.

More than two-thirds of our bodies are made of water. It helps lubricate our joints, and without water, our organs could not properly function. Water is also essential in helping us remove waste from our bodies.

If you don’t consume enough water, you run the risk of becoming dehydrated. Dehydration can cause headaches, mood changes, fever, dizziness, rapid heartbeat and kidney problems among others.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests adults consume between 91 and 125 fluid ounces of water each day on average. Individuals who choose water when they are thirsty and at meal time usually have no problem drinking enough daily. Water may also be consumed through healthy food choices like fruits and vegetables. Keep in mind that your daily intake amount can fluctuate depending upon your weight, age, sex, activity level and certain medical conditions. You will also need to consume more water if you are in a hot climate, are physically active, running a fever, or losing fluids through vomiting and/or diarrhea.

Below are some suggestions on how to increase your and your family’s fluid intake.

Keep a bottle of water with you.
Eat more foods with high water content like fruit and vegetables.
Add fruit to water for flavor.
Give children water when they are thirsty.
Choose water over sugar-sweetened beverages when eating out. Not only will you consume fewer calories, but water is free in most restaurants.

Here is a recipe from Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud that could help you increase water intake.

Strawberry Green Tea

Ingredients:

13 cups water

13 green tea bags, regular size

1 pound fresh strawberries

1 cup honey

1 lemon, optional

Yield: 16, 8 ounce servings

Directions:

Wash strawberries and remove the tops. Chop the berries with a hand chopper in a large pot. Add water to the chopped berries and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let mixture cool for 5 minutes. Add tea bags and submerge. Steep tea for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the tea through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth-lined colander into a 1-gallon pitcher. Add honey and stir until dissolved. Chill and serve. Garnish with a lemon slice or fresh strawberry if desired.

Nutritional Analysis: 70 calories, 0 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 17 g sugar, 0 g protein, 30 % Daily Value for vitamin C

For more information on healthy living, contact the (COUNTY NAME) Cooperative Extension Service.

Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expressions, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

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Registration open for 4-H Natural Resource and Environmental Sciences Academy scholars

Source: Ashley Osborne, extension specialist for 4-H youth development, and Laurie Thomas, extension forester

Young people interested in the environment, science or the outdoors may want to apply to be a scholar in the 4-H Natural Resource and Environmental Sciences Academy.

The three-year program is designed to teach 4-H’ers beginning middle school about the environment around them. The academy, which began as a pilot project in Eastern Kentucky, is now offered statewide.

In the program, youth get hands-on learning opportunities with professionals who work with water, forests and wildlife. Examples of things they might do in the program include water quality studies in local streams, salamander searches and tree identification in the forest. Not only is the program a great opportunity for young people to learn about their natural environment, but scholars are encouraged to come back and share their knowledge with other 4-H’ers, which helps them develop communication and leadership skills.

Applicants should be current sixth- and seventh-graders with an interest in learning more about the environment and must apply with their local extension agent for 4-H youth development. County deadlines will vary. Each county can have up to two scholars.

Those selected as scholars must attend quarterly meetings. Two of those meetings are statewide and include overnight stays. The location for those are Lake Cumberland 4-H Educational Center and the University of Kentucky campus. Scholars will also attend two, one-day regional meetings throughout the year with locations varying by region.

More information, including the application and registration fee, is available on the academy’s website at or by contacting the (COUNTY NAME) Extension office.

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