During the tour producers were able to obtain information on variety testing related to annual and perennial clovers, annual ryegrass and tall fescue.
Mr. Josh White, a research associate with the variety testing program, highlighted some of the work related to Roundup Ready alfalfa in bermudagrass.
The work focuses on establishment (no-till vs. minimum tillage), seeding rates, row spacing and cutting height management.
Mr. Brett Rushing, Ph.D. candidate and research associate with the alternative crops program, covered his work on persistence of perennial wildrye as a potential forage crop for Mississippi.
He emphasized that harvest frequency will an important component of persistence since native grasses do not respond well to frequent defoliation.
Dr. Rocky Lemus, extension forage specialist, focused on discussing nutrient management in different tall fescue varieties (endophyte infected, novel and free).
This work focuses on fertilization rates and the long-term persistence of different varieties under Mississippi’s climatic conditions.
He also covered some of the work that Dr. David Lang (forage agronomist) is conducting on using perennial and annual clovers as a nitrogen replacement alternative in warm-season perennial grasses (bermudagrass and bahiagrass).
The Forage Extension will be hosting two grazing schools. The North Mississippi grazing school will be held in Okolona, Mississippi, on June 29 while the South Mississippi grazing school will be held at Sage Farms in Meadville, Mississippi, on November 9.
For more information related to forage programs in Mississippi click here or contact Dr. Rocky Lemus. FG
PHOTO
Producers participated in a cool-season forage tour offered by the Mississippi State University Forage Extension Program. Photos courtesy of Rocky Lemus.
Dr. Rocky Lemus
Extension Forage Specialist
Mississippi State Extension
