Summer Accumulation of Tall Fescue at Low Elevations in the Humid Piedmont: II. Fall and Winter Changes in Nutritive Value

TL;DRAbstract

The mild but variable temperatures and predominant rainfall during the winter could reduce the nutritive value in the winter of summer‐accumulated tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). The objective of our 3‐yr study was to determine the nutritive value of tall fescue accumulated from 1 June, 1 July, 1 July + N (67 kg N ha −1 ), 1 August, and 1 September and sampled from October to March. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Delaying accumulation from 1 June to 1 September increased in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) linearly ( P ≤ 0.05) at each monthly sampling from October to March. Highest IVDMD (717 g kg −1 ) was obtained from the 1 September accumulation sampled in October and declined to 623 g kg −1 in March. Forage accumulated from 1 June and 1 July was lowest in IVDMD and averaged 590 g kg −1 in October and declined to 539 g kg −1 in March. Crude protein (CP) concentrations showed little change from November to Ma

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