18th Annual Student Research Conference
Science
The Effects of Nitrogen Application Dates and Amounts on Fescue and Fescue/Red Clover Stockpiled Pasture Yield
Joy L. Chisholm
Dr. Thomas E. Marshall, Faculty Mentor
Stockpiling forage by removing animals from pasture in late summer is a means of reducing hay consumption over the winter. Fescue pastures overseeded with red clover may yield higher, as legumes fix nitrogen while grasses cannot. Two replications of forage type (tall fescue and tall fescue/red clover mix) by fertilizer application date (August 2, August 16, and August 31) and rate (0, 20, 40, and 80 lbs nitrogen/acre) were sampled on November 6. Forage type, fertilizer application date and fertilization rate had significant (p<0.05) effects on dry matter yield. The red clover/fescue mix produced less dry matter than fescue alone (2240 lbs/acre vs. 3140 lbs/acre). Increasing nitrogen application rates had a greater impact on the earlier application dates and showed less effect by the later application dates, indicating that removing animals from pasture by mid August is crucial for stockpiling forage.
Keywords: Fescue, Forage stockpiling, Nitrogen rates, Dry matter yield, Red clover
Topic(s):Agricultural Science
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 42-5
Location: VH 1432
Time: 3:15