REFERENCE SUFFICIENCY RANGES
FORAGES AND HAY CROPS

Tall Fescue

G. M. Lessman and W. O. Thom

• Critical Values
  
  

  N	P	K
  2.5%	0.2%	2.2%

• Sampling Procedures

  Samples should be collected every five to six weeks during growing season before flowering. Collect above ground portion of 20 plants.

• Sufficiency Ranges
  
  
  • Actively Growing Plants
    
    

    Macronutrients
    N	P	K
    2.8–3.8%	0.26–0.40%	2.5–3.50%

• DRIS Norms

  No DRIS norms have been established.

• Remarks

  Forage grasses that contain less than 0.2% Mg are inadequate for grazing and may cause grass tetany. Fescue containing less than 0.2% Mg will still produce high dry matter yields.

• References

  Hallock DL, Brown RH, Blaser RE. 1966. Response of Coastal and Midland bermudagrass and Kentucky 31 fescue to nitrogen in southeastern Virginia. Blacksburg (VA): Virginia Polytechnic Institute Agricultural Experiment Station. Research Report 112.

  Hannaway DB, Bush LP, Leggett JE. 1980. Plant nutrition: magnesium and hypomagnesemia in animals. Lexington (KY): University of Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin 716.

  Jones JB Jr, Wolf B, Mills HA. 1991. Plant analysis handbook: a practical sampling, preparation, analysis, and interpretation guide. Athens (GA): Micro-Macro Publishing. 130 p.

  Mayland HF, Grunes DL. 1979. Soil-climate-plant relationships in the etiology of grass tetany. In: Grass tetany. Madison (WI): American Society of Agronomy. Special Publication No 35. p 123–75.

  Reid RL, Post AJ, Jung GA. 1970. Mineral composition of forage. Morgantown (WV): West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin 589T.

Electronic Document Prepared by:
Catherine Stokes, Communication Specialist
Agronomic Division of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. July 2000.