Stocking Strategies as Related to Animal and Pasture Productivity of Endophyte-Free Tall Fescue

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is a well adapted perennial grass used for pasture across the north-south transition zone in the United States. This 3-yr trial evaluated three stocking strategies to utilize well-fertilized spring (April to July) growth of endophyte-free tall fescue for steer and pasture production. Continuous stocked (CS) was compared with a daily allowance (DA) or lax rotation (LR) (7 to 12 d). Forage mass (in kilograms per hectare) averaged 2673 for CS, 3057 at turn on and 2844 residual for DA, and 2851 at turn on and 2559 residual for the LR. Canopies were similar being mainly leaf (54.9%), followed by dead (32.6%), stem (11.9%), and head (0.5%) fractions. Steer daily gains (0.95 kg), stocking rate (6.7 steers ha(-1)), gain per hectare (585 kg), and effective feed units (3111 kg ha(-1)) were similar among stocking strategies. Canopy in vitro true organic matter disappearance (IVTOD) was similar (747 g kg(-1)) among treatments but differed in crude protein (CP), averaging 186 g kg(-1) for CS vs. 198 g kg(-1) for rotations. Furthermore, DA was less in CP than LR (189 vs. 207 g kg(-1)) but greater in neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (623 vs. 594 g kg-1). Diet selected was similar among treatments in IVTOD (885 g kg(-1)), CP (245 g kg(-1)), and NDF (457 g kg(-1)) as was daily grazing time of 11.5 h when monitored by Vibracorder or 12.3 h when monitored by computer. Well-fertilized tall fescue pastures free of toxic endophyte can accommodate a range of stocking strategies when efficiently utilized in animal production systems.