West coast users of friendly/beneficial endophyte fescues

[Rhune]

Hey guys.

I am in southern Oregon and trying to develop my pastures. We have wet winters and springs and dry summers. I noticed that one of my new fields of endophyte free fescue is not looking well after two years of haying and rotational grazing. I am concerned that summer drought plus grazing has put more stress than the fescue (fawn) can handle. Of course, i want to have as hardy a grass crop as I can have in this region. So I started googling...

I started reading about Jesup Max Q and Baroptimal Plus E34 brands of friendly infected endophyte seed. The research/reports look awesome. I live in a zone where it would grow. My area is NOT affected by endopyte fescue, but I think my pastures and cattle would benefit from these new types of friendly endophyte infected seeds.

Next I asked locally. The co-op has never heard of them. The local extension shrugged their shoulders. The couple of ranchers I know had no comment. Online searches only show vendors on the east coast.

Does anyone out there use any of these varieties of fescue on the west coast with any success or am I on some fools errand?


Thanks in advance!

 

[Kingfisher]

Don't know much about what you speak of but it's going to be ok after the drought.

 

[Lucky_P]

Can't comment on how they'll perform in the PNW, but endophyte-free fescues here lasted about 2 years - looked GREAT the first spring, after a fall drill-in. Second year, with significant drought conditions and heavy grazing - it virtually disappeared.
Combo planting of Max-Q and Persist orchardgrass, with Kopu II white clover have done well here - and the MaxQ/Persist combo has done well in trials in TN & MS. 6 years out from the first 45 acres we drilled, I did another 40 last year; has done well this year; time will tell if it's as persistent as good ol' 'dirty' KY-31.
Pretty pricey, and I don't know that I'd advocate for killing out a stand of established endophyte-infected fescue to plant it, though it's possible that improved animal performance *might* make it pay for itself.
In my case, I was converting row-crop ground to pasture, and in the most recent planting, re-doing a failed renovation after following NRCS guidelines.

 

[Rhune]

Pretty pricey, and I don't know that I'd advocate for killing out a stand of established endophyte-infected fescue to plant it, though it's possible that improved animal performance *might* make it pay for itself.

yeah it is pricey.. and even more so if I have to ship it! There is zero endophyte-infected fescue here. I would plant in among the endophyte free stuff and a few other test areas that are heavily grazed.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

We just had our fall tour with the extension, and they were pushing the Bar Optima pretty hard. Right now they are doing feed studies using heifers that are known carriers of the gene that is affected by hot fescue (all heifers were DNAd for the gene). Half are being fed k31 and half fed Bar Optima. We will see the results next year. But it looks promising. Of course, that is in MO where we USUALLY get a lot of rain!!! Not this year though, nor last year.... But Bar Optima is easy to find out here. Have your extension agents look up the research at the extension out here...

 

[chukar]

Rhune, where in s oregon? I am east of klamath and planted a mix from barenbrug a couple years ago. It is rocking for production. You can buy directly from a rep, and depending on how much you can pick it up yourself in Tangent.

We got an independent dealer over here too that peddles forage first seed. I put a variety of endophyte free fescue in with an alfalfa planting last fall, no-till, that is also rocking this year. I have only hayed these so far as to get a good established root system, but my plan is to eventually graze it all.

Mine is all under irrigation, so maybe different than your set up, but pm me if you want names. If you have time and want to come see the fields that will work too.

 

[Rhune]

Rhune, where in s oregon? I am east of klamath and planted a mix from barenbrug a couple years ago. It is rocking for production. You can buy directly from a rep, and depending on how much you can pick it up yourself in Tangent.

We got an independent dealer over here too that peddles forage first seed. I put a variety of endophyte free fescue in with an alfalfa planting last fall, no-till, that is also rocking this year. I have only hayed these so far as to get a good established root system, but my plan is to eventually graze it all.

Mine is all under irrigation, so maybe different than your set up, but pm me if you want names. If you have time and want to come see the fields that will work too.

Chukar,

I am in Roseburg, mile marker 125 on I 5. No irrigation on my fields.

 

[chukar]

I used to live in Green.

Anyways, I was over there last week before they tricked me into back surgery, and I would say this year you are gonna have to just hold tight and wait for rain. I have never seen it that dry over there as this year.

Have you soil tested?

Seems lots of the ground off the bottoms there is shallow and rocky. Have you talked to Shelby Filly?

 

[Rhune]

I have talked with Shelby a bunch.. recommended the endophyte free fescue. Soils are black clay lower ph. Really wet in winter/spring... dry in summer.