Items: Forages
The Rise and Improvement of Tall Fescue
Published on Jun. 16, 2025
As forage research was well underway in Princeton, UK agronomist E.N. Fergus stumbled into forage history on the other side of the state in 1931 when he was asked to judge a sorghum syrup show. Invited to also visit the Suiter Farm in Menifee County during this trip, Fergus observed “an excellent stand of grass on a steep hillside.”
Advancing Alfalfa
Published on Jun. 12, 2025
Alfalfa has been a valued crop in Kentucky for hay production. Its high nutritional value and benefits for soil health, including its ability to fix nitrogen from the air to improve soil fertility, make it an excellent choice for livestock production.
A Closer Look at Red Clover
Published on Jun. 12, 2025
The importance of clover, another nitrogen-fixing legume, was well known to UKREC’s early agronomists and grazers. The earliest trials at Princeton included clover varieties, but red clover did not always perform as well as others. Fergus worked with many agronomists to improve red clover adaptability to Kentucky conditions.
2024 Annual Grass Report: Warm Season and Cool Season (Cereals)
Published on May. 12, 2025
Summer annual grasses provide an important forage crop option for producers in Kentucky. These grasses are mainly used as emergency or supplemental pasture, silage, or hay crops, but little information is available on their yield potential.
2024 Cool-Season Grass Grazing Tolerance Report
Published on May. 12, 2025
Cool-season forages such as tall fescue, orchardgrass, and Kentucky bluegrass are the primary pasture grasses in Kentucky. Other species such as perennial ryegrass and festulolium can also be used in pasture systems. Little is known about the effect of variety on the grazing tolerance of these cool-season grass species.
