Comparative Productivity of Five Cool-Season Pasture Grasses Under Intermittent Flood Irrigation Grazed by Beef Cow-Calf Pairs Using Management Intensive Grazing Practices

Description of Project A 12.5 acre field used for silage corn production the previous three years was prepared for a late fall, dormant seeding of cool-season grass species commonly used for irrigated pasture. Four equally spaced burms were raised separating the field into five strips 125 ft x 870 ft. An electric fence was placed on each burm. The burm aided control of flood irrigation. Each of the five strips was then subdivided into two equal plots, 125 ft x 435 ft. Each of the resulting ten 1.25 acre plots was then randomly assigned one of five grass species with two plots per species: 1. Regar Meadow Brome 2. Ambassador Orchard Grass 3. BG3 Perennial Ryegrass 4. Fawn Tall Fescue 5. Fuego Tall Fescue Seeding rate for all of the species was 20 lbs per acre. Seeding was accomplished using a roller packing type drill.