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Testing for Endophytes
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<blockquote data-quote="Mark Reynolds" data-source="post: 1837090" data-attributes="member: 43196"><p>First, slow down and take a breath. Th3 endophyte has been a known 'problem' since the late 70's. KY31 (with the endophyte) was released as a 'variety' in 1943. It was found growing in a pasture doing well where everything else had been decimated several years before that. You aren't going to 'solve' the KY 31 'problem' here or anywhere within the forseeable future. IF you do, forget raising cows, you just made yourself independently wealthy. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> </p><p></p><p>Before you start testing your fescue to see if you have the endophyte, (you DO have it) you need to decide what you want to do about it. If you decide to 'live with it', there probably isn't much point in testing to begin with. Testing for levels doesn't go much good as the levels vary from field to field to year to year to week to week.</p><p></p><p>My advice, and you can do what you want, is the same as option "C" that [USER=7014]@10-e-c-dirtfarmer[/USER] said, learn to live with it. I have heard of some confirmed reports of KY31 being kept at bay for more than 10 years. They <s>probably</s> aren't practical for you.</p><p></p><p>[USER=7014]@10-e-c-dirtfarmer[/USER] listed 2 ways to deal with the fescue present. dilution, with legumes, and genetic selection of the livestock. I'll offer a 3rd in a sec. The legumes make a significant impact, but be sure you maintain them (don't graze out and watch the soil pH. You won't keep the clover with a pH below 5.5. The cattle genetics might be a problem to determine which are resistant within your herd as you have to have high endophyte levels to do this, and we want to prevent that to begin with, which brings me to the 3rd way to deal with the fescue. Don't let the levels build up. The highest concentration of the endophyte is in the seed head. So, prevent it from forming. There are chemical suppressants to do this but those aren't what I'm talking about. You want to keep the plants from forming seed heads anyway as plant growth and hence forage production slows (less feed) if seed heads do form. Fortunately, tall fescue plants produce all (most) of their seed all at once. So, graze the tall fescue when it starts to bolt or mow the tops off to stop the seed heads from forming. Also, graze the tall fescue frequently. Yes, you have to rest it after each grazing, but rest it for only 28 days, not 40 or 60. The endophyte concentration builds in older plant material. A note on this before anyone says anything: Stockpiling fescue is the best forage to stockpile. Don't utilize the stockpile until after a good, hard freeze. The freeze will kill the endophyte as well as make the tough, stockpiled fescue highly palatable to the livestock. The sugar content in the fescue increases significantly after a freeze.</p><p></p><p>I've seen too many 'so called' forage and grazing experts that don't have to pay the cost and manage the pasture long term say you HAVE to replace it. I have to be careful as I just described myself, with the exception that I don't advocate for KY31 elimination. You do NOT have to replace it by any stretch. Producers have been successful WITH it since 1943. Your farm is not going to fail because you have it. Quite the opposite really if you MANAGE it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mark Reynolds, post: 1837090, member: 43196"] First, slow down and take a breath. Th3 endophyte has been a known 'problem' since the late 70's. KY31 (with the endophyte) was released as a 'variety' in 1943. It was found growing in a pasture doing well where everything else had been decimated several years before that. You aren't going to 'solve' the KY 31 'problem' here or anywhere within the forseeable future. IF you do, forget raising cows, you just made yourself independently wealthy. :) Before you start testing your fescue to see if you have the endophyte, (you DO have it) you need to decide what you want to do about it. If you decide to 'live with it', there probably isn't much point in testing to begin with. Testing for levels doesn't go much good as the levels vary from field to field to year to year to week to week. My advice, and you can do what you want, is the same as option "C" that [USER=7014]@10-e-c-dirtfarmer[/USER] said, learn to live with it. I have heard of some confirmed reports of KY31 being kept at bay for more than 10 years. They [S]probably[/S] aren't practical for you. [USER=7014]@10-e-c-dirtfarmer[/USER] listed 2 ways to deal with the fescue present. dilution, with legumes, and genetic selection of the livestock. I'll offer a 3rd in a sec. The legumes make a significant impact, but be sure you maintain them (don't graze out and watch the soil pH. You won't keep the clover with a pH below 5.5. The cattle genetics might be a problem to determine which are resistant within your herd as you have to have high endophyte levels to do this, and we want to prevent that to begin with, which brings me to the 3rd way to deal with the fescue. Don't let the levels build up. The highest concentration of the endophyte is in the seed head. So, prevent it from forming. There are chemical suppressants to do this but those aren't what I'm talking about. You want to keep the plants from forming seed heads anyway as plant growth and hence forage production slows (less feed) if seed heads do form. Fortunately, tall fescue plants produce all (most) of their seed all at once. So, graze the tall fescue when it starts to bolt or mow the tops off to stop the seed heads from forming. Also, graze the tall fescue frequently. Yes, you have to rest it after each grazing, but rest it for only 28 days, not 40 or 60. The endophyte concentration builds in older plant material. A note on this before anyone says anything: Stockpiling fescue is the best forage to stockpile. Don't utilize the stockpile until after a good, hard freeze. The freeze will kill the endophyte as well as make the tough, stockpiled fescue highly palatable to the livestock. The sugar content in the fescue increases significantly after a freeze. I've seen too many 'so called' forage and grazing experts that don't have to pay the cost and manage the pasture long term say you HAVE to replace it. I have to be careful as I just described myself, with the exception that I don't advocate for KY31 elimination. You do NOT have to replace it by any stretch. Producers have been successful WITH it since 1943. Your farm is not going to fail because you have it. Quite the opposite really if you MANAGE it. [/QUOTE]
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