Herbage and Animal Production from Tall Fescue- and Ryegrass-Based Pastures in a Summer-Dry Environment

Herbage production and animal performance were measured over 3 years In Hawkes Bay, a summer-dry region of New Z'.ealand. Tall rescue (Festuca arundinacea) (3 cultivars, all endophyte free) was compared with high endophyte perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne). All pastures were sown with white clover (Trifolium repens). Herbage production and composition were determined for all seasons while cattle were monitored for live-weight gains from spring through to autumn. Tall fescue pastures produced 27% more total dry matter/ year than the ryegrass pasture, primarily in autumn. In summer­autumn, ryegrass pastures had up to 76% dead matter and 17% ryegrass, while tall' fescue pastures had up to 56% dead matter ·and approximately 39% tall fescue. The poor summer-autumn performance of ryegrass pastures resulted in cattle being removed from these pastures in mid-summer. At this stage, live-weight gains/ha were 8- 27% higher on tall fescue pastures. When all aspects of the performance of the tall fescue pastures are taken into account (e.g., greater herbage production and animal performance, particularly in dry years), they demonstrated several advantages over the use of ryegrass-based pastures in this summer-dry environment.