SIf~. 91-s5-
UN ERSITY' OF
FLORIDA

Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
West Florida Research and Education Center, Jay

WFREC Research Report WF97-5

Cool-Season Forage Trials, 1996-1997

L. S. Dunavin

FLORIDA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS
Institute of Food and.Agricultural Sciences
West Florida Research and Education Center
Jay:, Florida'

Marston Science
Library
SEP 0 1997

Unersity of Forida

WEST FLORIDA RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER
Jay, Florida 32565-9524

Jay, WFREC Research Report WF97-5 July, 1997

Cool-Season Forage Trials, 1996-1997
L. S. Dunavin1

Cool-season forage trials conducted in 1996-1997 included a ryegrass cultivar
trial, a fescue cultivar trial, a clover trial, and a trial containing fescue,
rye, ryegrass, and agrotricum.

Conversion factors from English to metric units are presented in Table 1, and
Climatological Data are given in Table 2.

Ryegrass Cultivar Trial. The ryegrass trial for the season contained 24 entries
and was planted on November 12, 1996. This was considerably later than we would
prefer to plant the ryegrass trial. The soil was a Tifton sandy loam (Plinthic
Paleudult). Seed were distributed at 20 pounds per acre on a good seedbed, and
the area was cultipacked following seeding. Prior to seeding, an application of
400 pounds per acre of 8-24-24 was disked into the soil on October 8, 1996.
Ammonium nitrate was applied at 100 pounds per acre on January 21, 1997 and at
200 pounds per acre on March 17, 1997. Harvests were obtained on February 7,
March 17, April 15, and May 13, 1997. Yield data are presented in Table 3. No
rust was observed at the time of any harvest until May. Estimations of rust
coverage are given in Table 4.

Fescue Cultivar Trial. This trial contained 16 entries and was planted on
November 16, 1993 on an Orangeburg sandy loam soil (Typic Paleudult). An applica-
tion of 300 pounds per acre of an 8-24-24 fertilizer was made on September 20,
1996. Ammonium nitrate was applied at 200 pounds per acre on December 4, 1996
and on February 11 and March 17, .1997. Harvests were obtained on September 18
and December 2, 1996 and on January 31, March 12, April 9, and May 9, 1997.
Yield data are presented in Table 5.

Clover. This trial contained 10 entries and represented seven species of
Trifolium. The trial was planted on October 23, 1996 on an Orangeburg sandy loam
soil (Typic Paleudult). Seeding rates in pounds per acre were as follows: red -
10; crimson 20; rose 20; berseem 20; arrowleaf 6; rabbitfoot 6, and
sub 30. Inoculated seed were planted on a good seedbed, and the area was
cultipacked. Prior to seeding, an application of 400 pounds per acre of 0-30-15
fertilizer was disked into the soil. Yields for four harvest dates are presented
in Table 6. These yields are less than expected. Arrowleaf and rabbitfoot yield-
ed considerably less than last year. The largest yields from red clover were
made in the late part of the season. Berseem yielded less than 20% of the 1995-
1996 yield.

Fescue and Other Cool-Season Forages. Three entries of fescue and one entry each
of ryegrass, rye, and agrotricum were planted December 5, 1996 on a Tifton sandy
loam soil (Plinthic Paleudult). Prior to planting an application of 400 pounds
per acre of 8-24-24 fertilizer was disked into the soil, and a good seedbed was

Associate Professor of Agronomy.

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formed. Seeding rates were 20 pounds per acre for fescue and ryegrass and 120
pounds per acre for rye and agrotricum. An earlier planting would have been more
favorable; however, establishment of stands was satisfactory, and yields were
reasonable under the conditions of the trial. These yields are presented in
Table 7.

Table 1. Conversion factors from English to metric units.

English Unit Factor Metric Unit

pounds per acre multiply by 1.12 kilograms per hectare

pounds per acre multiply by 0.00112' metric tons per hectare

tons (English) multiply by 0.9072 tons (metric)

tons (English) per acre multiply by 2.24 tons (metric) per hectare

inches multiply by 2.54 centimeters

yards multiply by 0.914 meters

miles multiply by 1.609 kilometers

acres multiply by 0.405 hectares

o Fahrenheit 0.556 ( F-32) Celsius

Table 2. Climatological data for the West Florida Research and Education Center

Jay, 1996-1997.

Precipitation Temperature Solar Radiation

inches OF Watts per Square Meter

Month 1996-97 48-year Avg. Avg. Max. Avg. Min. Daily Avg. 10-yr. Daily Avg.

September 5.24 6.23 86.9 65.2 4797 4611

October 1.30 3.74 78.7 54.2 3858 4097

November 2.67 4.17 70.9 45.9 3449 3213

December 5.13 5.03 65.5 41.3 2816 2536

January 4.67 5.39 62.2 40.2 2219 2301

February 6.86 5.11 64.6 44.7 3083 3176

March 3.86 6.43 76.8 54.6 ---- 4158t

April 6.24 4.83 74.9 52.0 --- 5416t

May 3.73 4.48 82.7 59.8 ---- 5374t

19-year daily average.

_ 1) _

2

Table 3. Ryegrass cultivar trial, WFREC, Jay. 1996-1997.

_ ____Y Yield of dry matter

Pounds per acret

Entry 7 Feb. 17 Mar.
SSEBJS49 640 2260
FL X 1995 G X S MR. Early 710 1770
R-9 WVPB 480 990
OFI-PMI 450 1510
FL 80 440 1360
Gulf 350 1280
SSEBPZ42 290 1430
NC FL X 1996 LR 300 930
ME 94 390 730
Surrey 350 950
Grazer 340 1290
Jackson 150 660
Big Daddy 290 810
AR-101 WVPB 310 750
FL X 1996 (G) 4N 530 890
Blizzard 240 970
Hurricane 320 670
Southern Star 420 690
F-ll (4N) WVPB 250 670
FL X 1996 LR 280 630
Magnolia 420 840
Rio 380 530
Passeral 250 260
A-13 (4N) WVPB 290 610
LSD (t .05) N.S. 1020
tPounds per acre X 1.12 = kilograms per hectare.
PLANTED: November 12, 1996.
SOIL: Tifton sandy loam (Plinthic Paleudult).
FERTILIZER: 400 pounds per acre of 8-24-24 on 8 Oct.

15 Apr.
2720
2910
3500
2590
2960
3000
2860
3440
3330
3130
2800
3410
2900
3160
2650
2820
3120
3010
3200
2980
2740
3040
2620
2150
570

96; 100

of ammonium nitrate on 21 Jan. 97 and 200 pounds
ammonium nitrate on 14 Mar. 97.

13 May
360
390
370
540
310
370
370
270
400
350
320
430
640
370
500
470
340
320
310
490
370
380
400
410
130

Total
5980
5780
5340
5090
5070
5000
4950
4940
4850
4780
4750
4650
4640
4590
4570
4500
4450
4440
4430
4380
4370
4330
3530
3460
860

pounds per acre
per acre of

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Table 4. Ryegrass cultivar trial, WFREC, Jay. 1996-1997.

Average Estimated Rust

Entry
Big Daddy

12 May 97t

0 = none; 10 = complete coverage
1.3

Blizzard 1.0
FL 80 1.0
Grazer 3.0
Gulf 1.0
Hurricane 2.0
Jackson 1.0
Magnolia 4.0
ME94 3.7
Passeral 7.0
Rio 1.0
Southern Star 1.3
Surrey 1.0
A-13 (4N) WVPB 5.0
AR-101 WVPB 1.3
F-11 (4N) WVPB 1.3
FL X 1996 (G) 4N 0.0
FL X 1995 G X S MR- Early 1.0
FL X 1996 LR 1.0
NC FL X 1996 LR 1.0
OFI-PMI 1.0
R-9 WVPB 1.7
SSEBJS49 1.0
SSEBPZ42 1.0
LSD (t .05) '0.6
INo rust at earlier harvest periods.

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--------

Table 5. Fescue cultivar trial, WFREC, Jay. 1996-1997.

__ __ __ Dry Matter___

Pounds per acret__

Entry

AU91-2 E.F.*

AU91-3 E.I.

AU91-3 E.F.

Ga. Jessup Imp. E.I.

Ga. 5

Ga. Jessup Imp. E.F.

AU91-2 E.I.

AU91-4 E.F.

UFTF-92B

AU91-4 E.I.

UFTF-89BI

UFTF-93B

Ky. 31

AU Triumph

AU91-1 E.I.

AU91-1 E.F.

LSD (- .05)

tPounds per acre X 1.12 =

18 Sept. 02 Dec. 31 Jan. 12 Mar. 09 Apr. 09 May

2110 24

1630 23

1520 25

1200 31

1200 43

1310 30'

1070 19(

1310 23(

890 16C

1020 22C

910 21C

980 24C

1190 20C

980 14C

440 110

290 50

740 160

kilograms per

0

0

0

0
0
3

0 370

450

400

370

370

370

320

390

280

340

320

310

330

290

380

210

N.S.

hec tare.

*E.F. = endophyte free. E.I. = endophyte infected.

PLANTED: November 16, 1993.

SOIL:

FERTILIZER:

Orangeburg sandy loam (Typic Paleudult).

300 lb./acre 8-24-24 and 100 lb./acre ammonium nitrate on 20 Sept.

96; 200 lb./acre ammonium nitrate on 04 Dec. 96, 11 Feb. 97, and

17 Mar. 97.

650

570

560

780

800

590

700

560

690

650

840

790

650

790

700

480

N.S.

1750

1610

1690

1990

1670

1710

1940

1620

2060

1670

1640

1690

1590

1510

1160

1090

420

730

830

830

600

560

680

700

660

690

820

800

710

670

710

670

390

N.S.

Total

5850

5320

5250

5250

5030

4960

4920

4770

4770

4720

4720

4720

4630

4420

3460

2510

1430

*rf '

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Table 6. Clovers, WT.REC, Jay. 1996-1997.

Dry Matter

Pounds per acret

Clover 24 Mar.-97 30 Apr. 97 3 June 97 8

Cherokee red 960 700 1600

FLMR7 red 730 830 1260

Flame crimson 2270 440 0

Yuchi arrowleaf 1910 370 40

WFREC 47 crimson 2000 270 0

WFREC 46 rose 1510 300 0

ARCJ-44 rose 1220 220 0

ARCJ-45 rabbitfoot 120 1010 0

Mt. Barker sub 560 320 40

Bigbee berseem 460 130 10

LSD (t .05) 800 490 460

Ju

8

10

ly 97 Total

30 4090

90 3910

0 2710

0 2320

0 2270

0 1810

0 1440

0 1130

0 920

0 600

- 1270

tPounds per acre X 1.12 = kilograms per hectare.

PLANTED: October-23, 1996.

SOIL: Orangeburg sandy loam (Typic Paleudult).

FERTILIZER: 400 pounds per acre of 0-30-15 on 23 Oct. 96.

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--- ----u-

--

Table 7. Fescue and Other Cool-Season Forages. WFREC, Jay. 1996-1997.

Dry Matter

Pounds per acret

Entry 12 Mar. 97 9 Apr. 97 13 May 97 Total

Surrey ryegrass 1960 1640 2000 5600

Wrens Abruzzi rye 2890 380 370 3640

OK906 Agrotricum 630 640 930 2200

WVPB-89-2 fescue 200 720 540 1460

Quincy #1 Select fescue 200 680 480 1360

Ga. 5 fescue 170 620 440 1230

LSD (t .05) 970 270 360 1120

tPounds per acre X 1.12 = kilograms per hectare.

PLANTED: December 5, 1996.

SOIL: Tifton sandy loam (Plinthic Paleudult).

FERTILIZER: 400 pounds per acre of 8-24-24 on 4 Dec. 96 and 100

pounds per acre of ammonium nitrate on 11 Feb. 97, 24

Mar. 97, and 18 Apr. 97.

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