Summer accumulation of tall fescue at low elevations in the humid Piedmont: II. Fall and winter changes in nutritive value

The mild but variable temperatures and predominant rainfall during the wint er could reduce the nutritive value in the winter of summer-accumulated tal l 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 f rom 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 l ess than or equal to 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 accumulat ed 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) concentra tions showed little change from November to March (mean = 121 g kg(-1)). Gr een tissue in accumulated forage retained high IVDMD (mean = 714 g kg(-1)) throughout the winter, but the proportion shifted from about 73% green in N ovember to 36% in January. Dead tissue, consistently low in IVDMD (mean = 3 93 g kg(-1)), reduced canopy IVDMD from 26 to 55 g kg(-1) for each 10 perce ntage unit increase. Tall fescue can be accumulated during the summer in th e Piedmont and can provide forage of high nutritive value until January or until dead tissue dominates in the forage.