Forage Utilization and Nitrogen Management of Tall Fescue Stockpiled for Winter Grazing

The Southeastern United States offers a beneficial environment for stocker and cow-calf production. Abundant tall fescue grass offers a feed source that has been underutilized. These studies evaluated how nitrogen rate and source can affect yield and nutritional quality of fall stockpiled tall fescue, and how grazing methods impact weight gains, forage utilization, and forage nutritive value. The first study evaluated the impact of N rate and source on the yield tall fescue stockpiled for winter grazing. In mid-September, seven N sources (ammonium sulfate (AS), ammonium nitrate (AN), urea + Agrotain @ 2.1 l/Mg (AG2), urea + Agrotain @ 4.2 l/Mg (AG4), urea + Agrotain @ 6.3 l/Mg (AG6), Nutrisphere (NuS), and urea) were applied at 0, 45, 90, and 135 kg N/ha. Ammonium sulfate produced the highest nutritive values of all N sources. Only yield in 2012 was found to be influenced by N volatilization inhibitors; said products had no effect on nutritive value. The second study evaluated how grazing methods impact nutritive value, ADG, and utilization of tall fescue stockpiled for winter grazing. Three treatments (continuous grazing, moved once per week, and moved twice per week) were used. In year one, cattle moved once and twice per week showed significantly higher ADG (P < 0.05) than the continuous treatment. In year two, cattle that continuously grazed had higher ADG (P <0.05), than cattle moved once and twice per week. Cattle moved once and twice per week showed greater forage utilization (P < 0.05) than cattle that continuously grazed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Animal and Poultry Sciences

Department dc:contributor.department

Animal and Poultry Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Shireman, Nathan Todd

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Campbell, Brian Thomas

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• McCann, Mark A.
• Teutsch, Christopher D.

• tall fescue
• cattle
• grazing
• forage
• stockpiling

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:5913

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/53959