Fescue Management Conference to be Held March 10th

Missouri is the 2nd largest producer of beef cattle in the United States. The majority of these cattle are produced on the more than 17 million acres of Kentucky 31 tall fescue grown in the state. Kentucky 31 tall fescue is well adapted to the soil and weather conditions of Missouri. It is also insect and nematode resistant and has a long growing season. Unfortunately, Kentucky 31 tall fescue has a downside. Most fescue in the state is infected with a fungal endophyte that is toxic to grazing animals. This toxicity can be dealt with through various management strategies or by completely replacing endophyte-infected fescue with a novel-endophyte fescue or a different species of grass. The following topics will be discussed at the conference:

1. The negative effects of tall fescue toxicosis on animal performance and health

2. Managing Kentucky 31 tall fescue to reduce toxicosis effects

3. Converting infected pastures to novel endophyte varieties of tall fescue

4. The economics of converting to novel endophyte fescue versus managing existing stands of Kentucky 31

The conference will be held at 1pm on Tuesday, March 10th at the regional extension office located at 908 N. 2nd Street in Clinton. For more information or to register for this conference, contact the Henry County Extension Center at (660)885-5556.

Fescue Management Conference to be Held March 10th