Fescue Toxicity - Syndrome caused by ingestion of endophyte-infected tall fescue plants eliciting a toxic response in the animal.
Reducing fescue toxicity:
- Grow a legume with tall fescue.
- Feed hay other than tall fescue in winter, when cattle are grazing toxic fescue pasture.
- Avoid heavy applications of broiler litter or nitrogen fertilizer on tall fescue when it is sole source of pasture hay.
- Replant infected fescue pastures with stress-tolerant tall fescue with non-toxic endophytes.
- Plant seed of the new, improved, winter-productive Triumph variety.
- Preform an economic analysis of the productivity and longevity of endophyte-free fescue as compared with endophyte-infected pastures.
