“A Roundup-Ready crop works the best since additional glyphosate can be used during the growing season. Establishing a row crop usually involves the use of glyphosate to kill the old stand before planting,” said Schnakenberg.

Even though a good kill on the stand may occur with a chemical, it doesn’t mean the grass will never return. Fescue seed can persist in the soil long after an initial kill on the stand occurs.

“Some references say viable seed can stay in the soil for 15 months. This fact, along with the well-established crowns of a fescue plant, often leads to a re-establishment of fescue,” said Schankenberg.

If row crops are not an option, Schnakenberg says the standard way to take out fescue is what is called the “Spray-Smother-Spray” approach.

If beginning in the spring, new growth of fescue can be sprayed with a recommended dose of glyphosate using a stouter mix than what is normally used.

“The fescue should be up and actively growing well, typically in April. Then a warm-season annual such as sorghum, sudangrass, millet or teff is planted to aid in smothering rejuvenated crowns and young seedlings,” said Schnakenberg.

In the late summer or fall, an additional spray is made after the annual crop is finished, and a new cool-season forage is established. That new stand may be novel-endophyte fescue, orchardgrass, bromegrass, ryegrass or clover depending on what is intended to be reestablished in the field.

“There may still be some seed that will reestablish itself even after this process. Two cycles of annuals may be necessary for a complete kill,” said Schnakenberg.

Some people will go into the winter with an additional annual crop such as wheat, triticale or cereal rye to continue to canopy over any fescue seedlings, planning on a spring planting of a forage following an additional glyphostate spray. This could be a warm season forage such as improved crabgrass, native grasses, bermudagrass, Caucasian bluestem, lespedeza or alfalfa.

“Farmers should realize it is quite a process to eliminate fescue completely. It’s imperative if you want to have a pure stand of a different species or an endophyte-friendly fescue that long-term plans for renovation are made. It takes patience,” said Schnakenberg.

Since the Kentucky 31 variety’s release in 1945 by the University of Kentucky, it has been introduced into pastures, hayfields, lawns and roadsides.

According to Schnakenberg, fescue has many very good traits and a few bad traits.

“Fescue’s durability and ability to persist in the southwest Missouri climate creates a challenge if another forage species is desired. This is why we will probably always have fescue as a primary forage source in most fields,” said Schnakenberg.

For more information, contact any of these MU Extension agronomy specialists in southwest Missouri: Tim Schnakenberg in Stone County, (417) 357-6812; Jay Chism in Barton County, (417) 682-3579; John Hobbs in McDonald County, (417) 223-4775 or Brie Menjoulet in Hickory County, (417) 745-6767.  FG

—From University of Missouri Extension Southwest Regional News Service