Overview of the Forage Testing Program at Mississippi State University Mr. Joshua A. White-Research Associate Dr. Rocky Lemus- Forage Extension Specialist Dr. David Lang- Forage Research Profressor

Acres Distribution Summer Annuals – Sorghum, corn silage, etc = 59,312 Tall Fescue = 175,320 Annual Ryegrass = 543,667 (prepared bed and overseeded) – Marshall ryegrass- 60% Small Grains = 154,433 – Oats and Cereal rye

Acres Distribution Bermudagrass – Hay = 345,928 – Pasture = 423,671 Bahiagrass – Hay = 244,621 – Pasture = 658,536 Dallisgrass Pasture = 136,586

Goals of Forage Program To develop sustainable forage production systems. – Increase production efficiency. – Initiate and evaluate new forage varieties for adaptation to stress and grazing pressure. – Evaluate market and profitability of production systems. – Evaluate value added opportunities of existing forage systems.

Ryegrass Small Grains Alfalfa – Round-up Ready – Conventional Clovers – Annual – Perennial Tall Fescue Bermudagrass Bahiagrass Sorghum Teffgrass Crabgrass Forage Species Evaluated in Mississippi State Variety Testing

Method Planted-6x11 Plots Harvested- Z turn mower with bagging system (52 inch swath) When plots are inches tall or every 30 days Fertilized- According to soil recommendations and 50 lbs of N after each harvest

Holly Springs Tylertown

Historical Variety Trial Data Ryegrass Bermudagrass Bahiagrass SAS Program Proc GLIMMIX Data from MAFES Forage Variety Trials

Ryegrass Years Ploidy- Tetraploid, Diploid – Ploidy x Location (p=0.0239) Locations- Tylertown, Poplarville, Starkville, Newton, Raymond, Prairie and Pontotoc Varieties-45 – Variety x Location (p=.0001)

Diploid vs Tetraploid lbs ac⁻¹

Variety Performance by Location

Bahiagrass Yield Data Varieties- Tifton 9, Sand Mountain, Argentine, Pensacola – Varieties (p=0.0008) Location – Starkville New Varieties - Tiff Quick, UF Riata

Bahiagrass Yields in Starkville, MS

Bermudagrass Type- Seeded and Hybrids – Type (p=.0004) Locations- Pontotoc, Poplarville, Prairie, Raymond, Starkville – Location (Type) (p=.0043) – Location (Varieties) (p=.0001) Varieties- 40 – Varieties (p=.0203) Years

Hybrid vs Seeded Bermudagrass yields pooled from locations

Bermudagrass mean yields by location

Bermudagrass yields by location and type

Hybrid varieties means by location

Variety Improvement and its Impact

Questions ?