| GEORGIA-5 TALL
FESCUE is the first
commercially available cool-season perennial grass
variety adapted specially for the Coastal Plains region
of the Southeastern United States. Along with Jesup,
Georgia-5 is one of the only two tall fescue types
available with MaxQ, the new anti-toxicosis endophyte
developed by AgResearch (New Zealand) and sold by
Pennington Seeds. MaxQ promotes plant growth without
leading to toxicosity and reproduction problems in
grazing animals. Released by the UGA Agricultural
Experiment Station in 1993, Georgia-5 produces a
permanent |
winter pasture and
can be sod-seeded into dormant bermuda or bahiagrass for
winter grazing. Or it can be grown with legumes as a
fattening pasture in place of winter annuals. Both
systems help livestock producers reduce the cost of
feeding hay to cattle and sheep during the cool season
months. Forage yield trials conducted across the south
show that Georgia-5 is adapted to a wide range of
climatic conditions and soil types. In winter performance
trials (December through April) near Tifton GA, yearling
heifers gained up to 1.2 lbs/day with no hay feeding,
depending on stocking rates. |
GEORGIA-5 TALL
FESCUE was developed by Dr. Joe Bouton at the University
of Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station in Athens GA.
AgResearch (New Zealand) holds the patent on the MaxQ
endophyte. Georgia-5 Tall Fescue is a protected variety
that can only be sold as a class of certified seed and
only by individuals licensed by the Georgia Seed
Development Commission (GSDC) under guidelines
established in conjunction with the University of Georgia
Research Foundation (UGARF). |
