Persist II

Orchardgrass

Higher yields, longer life.

Selected 100% from the original variety Persist, Persist II orchardgrass has even better persistence, disease resistance, and vigor than its well-loved predecessor.

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History

Persist II orchardgrass was selected 100% from the original variety Persist. In 2009, a paddock of Persist was planted at the Blount Unit, Univ. of Tennessee. The paddock was grazed under high pressure until spring 2013, resulting in the desiccation of 90% of the stand. Out of the remaining 10%, individual plant selections were made, having demonstrated good grazing tolerance. The selections were further rated for vigor, maturity, growth habit, and disease resistance for an additional three years, culminating in a final selection of eight parents, which were polycrossed into the new variety Persist II.

Forage Yield

Persist II is a high-yielding, early orchardgrass that makes tons of early-harvest hay.

Tennessee

University of Tennessee

Forage Yield (Tons DM/A)

Springfield, TN

2021-2024

Variety	2022 Total	2023 Total	May 16, 2024	July 11, 2024	2024 Total	3-Year Total
Persist II	1.64	4.82*	1.96	1.31*	3.26*	9.73*
Persist	1.39	4.82*	1.91	1.12*	3.04*	9.24*
Endurance	1.68	4.40*	1.83	1.08*	2.91*	8.98*
Inavale	1.66	4.68*	1.69	0.79	2.49	8.81*
Albert	1.60	4.53*	1.46	1.08*	2.54	8.67*
INTENSIV	1.57	4.66*	1.59	0.82	2.41	8.64
Rushmore II	1.66	4.23	1.77	0.84	2.61	8.50
HLR	1.45	4.56*	1.67	0.86	2.53	8.43
Olathe	1.52	4.61*	1.47	0.80	2.27	8.40
Potomac	1.51	4.49*	1.68	0.73	2.41	8.40
Devour	1.59	4.59*	1.17	0.84	2.01	8.17
Bighorn	1.47	4.39*	1.36	0.86	2.21	8.07
Ammo	1.49	4.20	1.58	0.77	2.34	8.03
Tucker	1.66	3.62	1.56	0.77	2.32	7.59
Lsd	nd¹	0.64	nd	0.34	0.58	1.06
Planted September 14, 2021.
Please note that in 2022 drought affected yield and only one harvest when possible. Extreme drought at the end of Summer 2024 did not allow for a Fall harvest.
*Yielded statistically the same as the top-yielding variety.
nd¹ = no significant differences among the varieties.
Fertilization: Soil amended when required for Lime, P, and K. Nitrogen Application: 60 lb/acre at green-up, 30 lb/acre after first cut, and 30 lb/acre in September.

University of Tennessee

Forage Yield (Tons DM/A)

Springfield, TN

2017-2021

	2018	2019	2020	2021
Variety	Total	Total	Total	Apr 28	Jun 17	Total	4-Yr Total
Olathe	3.74	3.53	3.06	0.87	1.04	1.90	12.23
Persist II	3.46	3.25	3.16	1.32	0.87	2.20	12.06
Quickdraw	3.39	3.18	3.04	1.00	0.93	1.93	11.54
Inavale	3.50	3.29	2.76	0.82	1.15	1.97	11.51
Persist	3.12	2.91	3.36	0.95	1.00	1.95	11.33
Endurance	3.32	3.11	3.08	0.86	0.91	1.77	11.27
Olympia	3.30	3.09	2.95	1.01	0.88	1.89	11.24
Tucker	3.20	2.99	2.96	0.94	0.98	1.92	11.07
Albert	3.24	3.03	2.92	0.82	1.05	1.86	11.03
Potomac	3.29	3.08	2.90	0.87	0.88	1.75	11.01
Excellate SA	3.06	2.85	2.59	0.78	0.90	1.67	10.17
LSD (P<0.05)	nd1	nd	nd	nd	nd	nd	nd
Planted September 18, 2017.
nd = no significant differences among the varieties.

Virginia

Virginia Cooperative Extension Variety Evaluation

Forage Yield (Tons DM/A)

Glade Springs, VA

2020-2024

Variety	2021 Total	2022 Total	2023 Total	2024 Total	4-yr Total
Persist II	7.0*	9.6*	7.2*	7.7*	31.4
Benchmark Plus	6.8*	9.4*	7.2*	7.9*	31.3
Bighorn	6.9*	9.7*	6.8*	7.3*	30.7
Persist	6.5*	9.8*	7.0*	7.3*	30.6
SS-0708GDT	6.9*	9.3*	6.8*	7.2*	30.2
Rushmore II	6.5*	9.1*	7.2*	7.5*	30.2
Alpine II	7.0*	9.4*	6.2*	7.2*	29.9
Potomac	6.9*	9.2*	6.6*	7.2*	29.8
Blizzard	6.5*	9.3*	6.8*	6.9	29.4
Albert	6.8*	9.2*	6.8*	6.5	29.3
Devour	6.5*	8.7*	6.5*	7.0	28.7
Tucker	6.3*	8.5*	5.2	6.3	26.3
Swante	6.6*	8.7*	5.6	5.1	26.0
Seeded Fall of 2020.
^*Varieties are not significantly different from the top scoring variety.
Complete data available upon request.

Kentucky

University of Kentucky

Forage Yield (Tons DM/A)

Lexington, KY

2020-2023

	Maturity	Yield
Variety	5/7/21	2021	2022	2023	3-Yr Total
Bighorn	46.3	6.59*	2.68*	0.73*	11.23*
Harvestar	48.0	5.89*	2.54*	0.80*	10.45*
Prodigy	53.0*	5.38*	2.69*	0.83*	9.99*
Persist II	52.5*	5.59*	2.64*	0.81*	9.98*
Prairie	53.5*	5.50*	2.46*	0.81*	9.82*
Tucker	51.0*	5.19	2.46*	0.70	9.27
Olathe	46.3	5.14	2.29*	0.62	9.08
Persist	53.5*	4.73	2.39*	0.77*	8.83
Alpine II	45.0	5.16	2.07	0.49	8.80
Profit	46.8	4.99	2.11	0.62	8.68
Intensive	45.0	4.83	1.94	0.48	8.22
HLR	45.0	4.59	1.99	0.48	8.04
Devour	45.0	4.31	1.95	0.59	7.94
Swante	46.3	4.03	1.89	0.52	7.40
Captur	45.0	4.70	1.47	0.27	7.27
LSD	3.0	1.23	0.41	0.10	1.73
Planted Aug 28, 2020.
Maturity rating scale: 37=flag leaf emergence, 45=boot swollen, 50=beginning of inflorescence emergence, 58=complete emergence of inflorescence, 62=beginning of pollen shed.
*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

University of Kentucky

Forage Yield (Tons/Acre)

Lexington, KY

2021-2023

	Maturity	Yield
Variety	05/16/2022	2022	2023	2-Yr Total
Profit	55.0	4.14*	2.49*	6.62*
Prodigy	57.5*	3.88*	2.52*	6.40*
Persist II	58.0*	3.75*	2.52*	6.27*
Alpine II	52.5	3.94*	2.31*	6.25*
Persist	58.0*	3.71*	2.51*	6.22*
Prairie	58.0*	3.77*	2.38*	6.15*
Potomac	58.0*	3.70*	2.17*	5.87*
Captur	52.0	3.65*	2.14*	5.79*
Intensiv	47.5	3.57*	2.21*	5.78*
Bighorn	55.5*	3.45	2.17*	5.62
Barlegro	48.5	2.93	2.08	5.02
LSD,0.05	2.8	0.64	0.40	0.91
Planted Sept 10, 2021.
Maturity rating scale: 37=flag leaf emergence, 45=boot swollen, 50=beginning of inflorescence emergence, 58=complete emergence of inflorescence, 62=beginning of pollen shed.
*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

University of Kentucky

Forage Yield (Tons/Acre)

Princeton, KY

2020-2023

	Maturity	Yield
Variety	05/10/2022	2022	2023	2-Yr Total
Bighorn	31.0	4.98*	4.01*	8.99*
Persist	54.5*	4.89*	3.86*	8.75*
Persist II	54.0*	4.76*	3.86*	8.62*
SS0708OGDT	55.0*	4.76*	3.79*	8.55*
Prodigy	54.0*	4.60*	3.84*	8.44*
Prairie	53.5*	4.17*	3.52*	7.69
Potomac	47.8*	4.28*	3.30	7.58
Captur	31.0	3.93	3.41*	7.34
Barlegro	31.0	4.00	3.30	7.30
Alpine II	39.3	4.15*	3.11	7.27
Intensiv	31.0	4.14*	2.98	7.12
Profit	39.8	3.73	3.31	7.04
LSD,0.05	8.8	0.91	0.62	1.18
Planted Sept 3, 2021.
Maturity rating scale: 37=flag leaf emergence, 45=boot swollen, 50=beginning of inflorescence emergence, 58=complete emergence of inflorescence, 62=beginning of pollen shed.
*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

University of Kentucky

Forage Yield (Tons/Acre)

Lexington, KY

2019-2022

	Maturity	Yield
Variety	5/7/2020	2020	2021	2022	3-Yr Total
Quickdraw	53.5	3.74	5.21	2.75	11.71*
Persist II	49.5	3.92	4.73	2.80	11.46*
Persist	52.0	3.45	4.61	2.77	10.83*
Blizzard	49.8	3.81	4.26	2.75	10.81*
Echelon	40.5	3.59	4.20	2.73	10.52*
Albert	46.3	3.45	4.26	2.67	10.39*
Prairie	53.0	3.36	4.24	2.58	10.17*
Profit	42.0	3.04	4.43	2.61	10.09*
Tekapo	47.8	3.28	4.35	2.26	9.88*
Prodigy	53.0	3.27	3.95	2.39	9.61
LSD	0.8	0.84	1.10	0.36	2.03
Planted Aug 30, 2019.
Maturity rating scale: 37=flag leaf emergence, 45=boot swollen, 50=beginning of inflorescence emergence, 58=complete emergence of inflorescence, 62=beginning of pollen shed.
*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

New York

Cornell University

Forage Yield (Tons DM/A)

Ithaca, NY

2019-2022

Variety	2020	2021	2022	3-Yr Total
Persist II	3.04*	4.88*	3.65*	11.57*
Persist	3.19*	4.83*	3.34	11.35*
Pennlate	3.12*	5.02*	3.17	11.32*
Potomac	2.89*	4.86*	3.08	10.82*
Albert	2.89*	4.81*	2.70	10.40
Bighorn	2.65	4.72*	2.97	10.33
Devour	2.76	4.56	2.99	10.30
Alpine II	2.57	4.53	2.79	9.89
Barlegro	2.81	4.38	2.41	9.59
LSD(.05)	0.39	0.43	0.30	0.85
Planted May 22, 2019.
*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

Grazing Tolerance

Long-term data from the University of Kentucky shows Persist II handles grazing pressure as good, if not better than Persist!

Kentucky

University of Kentucky

Grazing Tolerance (% Stand)

Lexington, KY

2021-2024

Variety	10/5/21	10/24/22	10/17/23	09/30/24
Persist II	100	100	96*	97*
Devour	100	100	94*	95*
Profit	100	100	88*	94*
Persist	100	100	94*	94*
Potomac	100	100	94*	93*
Prairie	100	100	91*	92*
Prodigy	100	100	91*	91
Intensiv	100	100	68	84
Barlegro	100	100	72	82
LSD,0.05	0	0	11	5
Planted Sept 5, 2021.
*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

University of Kentucky

Grazing Tolerance (% Stand)

Lexington, KY

2020-2024

Variety	10/2/20	10/7/21	10/24/22	10/17/23	09/30/24
Persist II	100	100	100*	98*	98*
Devour	100	100	100*	98*	97*
Persist	100	100	99*	98*	97*
Prairie	100	100	100*	96*	96*
Profit	100	100	99*	91*	95*
HLR	100	100	99*	92*	90*
Intensiv	100	100	99*	82	87
Swante	100	100	90	69	66
LSD,0.05	0	1	3	9	8
Planted Sept 8, 2020.
*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

Forage Quality

New York

Cornell University

Forage Quality at Boot Stage in 2021

Ithaca, NY

2019-2021

Variety	Cut Date	%NDF	%NDFD
Persist	May 18	58.3	77.4
Potomac	May 18	59.1	75.8
Persist II	May 20	59.1	75.8
Pennlate	May 20	61.0	77.5
Alpine II	May 22	63.2	76.9
Bighorn	May 22	64.9	77.2
Devour	May 23	66.0	77.5
Barlegro	May 28	65.6	73.1
Planted May 22, 2019.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania State University

Forage Quality at First Cut in 2022

Rock Springs, PA

2021-2022

Variety	Cut Date	CP	ADF	aNDF	NDFD 30	TTNDFD
Excellate SA	May 24	13.91	37.21	59.89	52.37	50.67
Persist II	May 17	15.33	35.45	58.29	53.86	53.28
Persist	May 17	14.69	35.14	57.87	54.70	53.88
Pennlate	May 17	15.59	35.08	56.89	54.91	53.65
Bighorn	May 18	16.35	33.17	54.12	56.30	56.07
Capture	May 24	13.68	37.12	59.47	53.76	50.91
Potomac	May 17	15.11	35.88	58.12	55.58	54.60
HLR	May 24	13.48	37.46	60.08	51.93	49.92
Alpine II	May 24	13.42	37.07	59.86	53.14	51.42
Planted April 23, 2021.