Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Hoveland, C.S. (Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA.)
• Durham, R.G
• Bouton, J.H

Titel

Tall fescue response to clipping and competition with no-till seeded alfalfa as affected by fungal endophyte

Ist Teil von

• Agronomy journal, , Vol.89 (1)

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is generally less productive, persistent, and competitive under stress after removal of its fungal endophyte, Neotyphodium coenophialum (Morgan-Jones and W. Gams) Glenn, Bacon and Hanlin (syn. Acremonium coenophialum Morgan-Jones and W. Gams). Our objectives were to compare endophyte-infected (E+) and endophyte-free (E-) tall fescue for (i) forage yield and tiller response at different cutting frequencies and heights and (ii) competition with no-till seeded alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Factorialized combinations of 3-wk and hay-stage harvest intervals with clipping heights of 3.8 cm (low) and 7.6 cm (high) were used with E+ and E- tall fescue in a 4-yr study. 'Alfagraze' alfalfa was no-till seeded into E+ and E- 'Kentucky 31' tall fescue, E- 'AU Triumph' tall fescue, orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) in each of 3 yr. Forage yield of E+ and E- Kentucky 31 was similar (P 0.05) within a cutting treatment. When cut at 3-wk intervals, a low as compared with a high clipping height had no effect (P 0.05) on total forage yield of E+ Kentucky 31 tall fescue, but forage yield of E- Kentucky 31 and E- AU Triumph were reduced by 23 and 28%, respectively, in the fourth year. Both E+ and E- tall fescue cut every 3 wk during a dry, hot summer at a low clipping height had autumn forage yields only 20 to 25% of that at a high clipping height. Tiller populations declined more on AU Triumph than E- Kentucky 31 in response to cutting. Cutting height had a minor effect on yield with hay-stage harvest. Endophyte infection had no effect on stands or forage yield of no-till seeded alfalfa. Alfalfa forage yields were lower with tall fescue than with the other grass species. AU Triumph, a winter-productive tall fescue, was the grass most competitive with alfalfa