Demonstrating Conversion of Tall Fescue to Native Warm Season Grass Pastures for Greater Livestock Performance and Better Environmental Outcomes

The purpose of this award is for VA Tech to demonstrate the added value to producers and the environment by converting a portion of a landowner’s tall fescue pastures to native warm season grass (NWSG) pastures, which will fill a gap (“summer slump”) in forage production systems and provide critical habitat for wildlife, such as bobwhite quail. This project will also complement a 2016 state CIG project that is addressing toxic fescue issues in Virginia and the need to reduce the amount of tall fescue pastures that host this toxic endophyte, which is the majority of them. The specific objectives of this project are: (1) Demonstrate the conversion of tall fescue pastures to NWSG pastures, (2) Determine the regional productivity and maturation rates of select NWSG species and varieties, and (3) Determine the forage characteristics and consequent performance of stocker cattle grazing on NWSG pastures during the summer months.