# Toxic and Non-Toxic Fescues



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Good read.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com/article/nontoxic_fescue_varieties_ready_to_use_NAA_University_News_Release/


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I planted Max Q, endophyte friendly fescue and Durana Clover last fall. Turned the cows in on it today.

Our Extension Agent told me to bite the bullet and plant the more expensive fescue and never have to worry. I really like how well the fescue survived our arctic blasts this winter. I am supposed to pamper the fescue a little the first year. Not sure it is going to need much pampering.

I will let the cows graze it down later and drill Tifton 9 Bahia.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Ive always been to frightened to try any fescue cuz of the horror stories my dad remembers when fescue foot and the like ran rampant. Maybe it's time to get over it and give some endo free a shot?


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

Iv'e used endophyte friendly fescue since 2003 at 6 lbs. per acre with 2 lbs. brome and 15 lbs. alfalfa. Gets a lot of tonnage and is a great feed. The fescue really comes on in the summer and into last cutting. I'm guessing I'm about 75 miles southeast of you Stack'emup.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

stack em up said:


> Ive always been to frightened to try any fescue cuz of the horror stories my dad remembers when fescue foot and the like ran rampant. Maybe it's time to get over it and give some endo free a shot?


Endophyte friendly is better than endophyte free. The fescue needs the endophyte to make it a hardy grass. The old harmful endophyte has been replaced with one healthy for livestock. The endophyte free variety is a low yielding, less hardy plant.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I also planted some MaxQ endophyte friendly fescue this past fall. I mixed it half and half with orchard grass. I no till drilled it the around the 1st of December and as cold as we were it didn't really even germinate until mid February. I thought my stand was a bit thin so I no tilled a half rate of seed into it in March. I think I misjudged the thickness of the stand and could have gotten away with just over seeding a few spots.....I now have a heck of thick stand. It is about knee deep right now and has just now started jointing. I'm going to see how the MaxQ performs in the summer heat and if I like it I have decided that I'm going to kill the rest of my K31 fescue this fall and replant with MaxQ.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Tim, how is your MaxQ looking now?


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

FarmerCline said:


> Tim, how is your MaxQ looking now?


Mine is looking good. I drilled Durana clover with mine. It is for pasture for the time being.

I plan to drill Tifton 9 Bahia into the fescue this week. I am too far south for Orchard Grass. I keep reading about it here and would really like to try some if I could.

My fescue was also late germinating. I drilled in November, did not get any rain until mid December. I turned some cows in on it to graze down so I could drill the Bahia. The fescue has stood up well to grazing. I know I am pushing things to graze this early as I was told to pamper the Max Q the first year.

I am impressed with how the fescue has done. I spread 200 lbs. per acre of fertilizer las week to give it another kick and to be in the ground for the Bahia.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

What conditions does friendly fescue like? Im in a fairly cool climate, and I know virtually nothing about fescue other than what I read in Jim Gerrish's books. This is why I love haytalk so much, so many friendly knowledgeable people.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I am relatively new to Fescue myself. our Extension Agent convinced me to plant it. I have read about fescue being planted as far north as Canada.

I believe the endophyte friendly will grow just about anywhere, the same as regular fescue. I was told it took the friendly endophyte a little longer to establish compared to the old type fescue.

I have never planted the old type so have nothing to compare it to. I got my PH right, put down lime and fertilizer and let the seed do the rest.

When the Bahia is established I hope to graze 10 months out of the year here. Fescue, clover and Bahia.

I have one leased hay field I hope to drill with Fescue.

Wish I could be more help with fescue in your part of the country.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

stack em up said:


> What conditions does friendly fescue like? Im in a fairly cool climate, and I know virtually nothing about fescue other than what I read in Jim Gerrish's books. This is why I love haytalk so much, so many friendly knowledgeable people.


 Fescue is similar to orchard grass in its growth habits. The old toxic endophyte k31 fescue is very resilient and quite indestructible and can take quite a bit more heat and drought than orchard grass. It is the endophyte that makes it so hardy.....be replacing the toxic endophyte with a friendly endophyte you supposedly get all the benefits of the endophyte without the negative affect on livestock. I am anxious to see if this summer that holds true.

I can't say anything about the winter hardiness of fescue.....relatively unimportant here but could very well be in your neck of the woods.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Fescue is basically non existent in my piece of paradise. I hadn't heard of it till I started reading grazing books, which are written more for Missouri and the like. Thanks fellas!


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

stack em up said:


> Fescue is basically non existent in my piece of paradise. I hadn't heard of it till I started reading grazing books, which are written more for Missouri and the like. Thanks fellas!


A quite a few are adding it to alfalfa for mixed hay.Instead of just Orchard they are maybe adding both.The fescue produceing more in mid summer when the orchard is in its summer slump.More grasses in the mix well give you more threw out the yr.Some cool season,some warm season.

I did some with this mix this yr with alfalfa.I used it to interseed some thinning stands also.

http://www.producerschoiceseed.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/RevivePastureMixProdSheet.pdf


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