Last year we began a multi-phase novel endophyte tall fescue conversion process for a number of pastures in our grazing systems area at Virginia Tech’s Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center. We planted three 2-acre paddocks that had been in annual forages for a few years into Kentucky-31 tall fescue. Three similar paddocks were transitioned from annual forages to Estancia Arkshield novel endophyte tall fescue.
We also converted four paddocks from wildtype tall fescue (presumably Kentucky-31) to Estancia Arkshield by spraying the field with glyphosate (2 qt/ac along with a non-ionic surfactant), waiting about 7 weeks, and then spraying the field again with the same mixture. We made sure to clip seed heads prior to anthesis earlier in the spring to ensure that there was no viable seed produced that season by the original grass.
At seeding time, we were very concerned about the lack of soil moisture. Like many areas around the country, the Shenandoah Valley experienced a drought through most of the summer months in 2023. It turns out that the six-month period between May and October was the driest season in our area since the 1986 drought.
However, with some forecasted rain and the seed in hand, we decided to go ahead and plant. Three days following the final spray, we started seeding the pastures with a no-till drill on September 21.
Rainfall continued to be disappointingly scarce following seeding, but the seeds slowly began to germinate. Quite a few winter weeds also began to germinate (thistles, purple deadnettle, chickweed, etc.) so for the remainder of the year, it was hard to tell if our planting would be a success.
Early this season, it looked like enough tall fescue had germinated and had begun to tiller so we sprayed the pastures with 2 qt/ac 2,4-D and 0.5 pt/ac dicamba on February 26. Despite a temperature forecast with highs in the 60s, the sun never shone through the clouds for several days after spraying so we didn’t end up with good control on the weeds. However, the weeds slowed down just enough, and after applying 50 lb/ac of nitrogen fertilizer ten days later, the tall fescue began to grow over the weedy canopy.
Despite a dry planting season and poor post-establishment weed control, it appears that our plantings were largely successful. In mid-March, we reseeded a few bare spots that showed evidence of poor germination. A significant level of thatch had built up on the soil surface in these areas. I hadn’t done an adequate job eliminating this thatch and ensuring that the seed was making it through this residue during the original planting. Of course, good seed-to-soil contact becomes especially critical in dry planting conditions.
We’re preparing to convert another 40 acres this year using various renovation processes to ensure we have enough forage for our herd during the transition. I’m certainly hoping for a year with adequate precipitation for our farms this year, but after last year, I’m less concerned about complete seeding failure due to a drought. I’m just going to do a better job making sure our seeds make it to the soil.
~ Gabriel Pent, Virginia Tech
The Alliance for Grassland Renewal is a national organization focused on enhancing the appropriate adoption of novel endophyte tall fescue technology through education, incentives, self-regulation and promotion. For more resources or to learn more about the Alliance for Grassland Renewal, go to www.grasslandrenewal.org
The Alliance for Grassland Renewal 