Present and Potential Forage Cultivars Southeast Hay Convention Macon, GA March 30, 2011 Bill Anderson Forage Geneticist USDA-ARS, Tifton, GA

 Bermudagrass ◦ Sprigged ◦ Seeded  Bahiagrass  Perennial Peanut

Coastal (1943) to Tifton 85 (1993)

 Tifton 85 was released in 1993, and is one of the fastest growing, highest yielding and highest quality grasses  Tifton 85 has larger stems, wider leaves, and is darker green than other cultivars (Coastal, Alicia, Tifton 44).  Tifton 85 has higher in vitro and in situ digestibility than other cultivars, despite having higher fiber (NDF).

 Natural hybrid found in a field in Russell Co., in eastern AL in 1970’s  CP and IVDMD similar to Coastal  Russell has finer stems than Tifton 85, and has yields slightly lower to Tifton 85 in early tests  Russell spreads very rapidly, with impressive establishment growth  Emerges early – similar to Coastal, Tifton 44

 CCII is a mutant of Coastcross I  Has comparable yields to Tifton 85  Has similar digestibility to Tifton 85  Tests show lower intake than Tifton 85 and similar to Russell  Leaves and stem more coarse than Coastal but less coarse than Tifton 85

Tifton, GA

T 85 CC IIC 6-1

C 16-4 C 16-3 C 6-3

Need for quick establishment and cold tolerance

Tifton Seeded TrialBlairsville Trial P 2 Coastal P2Laredo

TifQuikRiata

Seedling Emergence

Plant height (cm) TifQuikTifton 9

Southern Alfalfa