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Trial Summary

  • Goals

    Comparing steer performance, forage productivity, and longevity of the cool-season forages available to Tennessee beef producers.

  • Setting

    Ames Plantation - 2004-2005

  • Results

    The steer preferred Persist over KY-31 and had significantly higher gains.

Trial Data

2004-2005

In 2003, The University of Tennessee's Agricultural Experiment Station planted seventeen 3-acre pastures at Ames Plantation to compare steer performance, forage productivity, and longevity of the cool-season forages available to Tennessee beef producers. Persist orchardgrass was amongst the entries.

Simply put, the steer preferred Persist over KY-31 and had significantly higher gains. In 82 days of grazing, the steer gained 99 lbs on Persist and 127 lbs on Persist with clover, compared to gains of only 59 lbs on KY-31. This data was consistent for the first two years of the experiment. We expect subsequent data from the next few years to reflect more of the same.

Download the full study

2004 Spring Steer Performance - Year One

Ames Plantation, SW Tennessee

Treatment Starting Weight Ending Weight Average Daily Gain
Persist & Clover 661 758 1.42
Persist 665 767 1.13
KY-31 E+ 690 750 0.68
Weight is lbs; 84 days of Grazing.

2005 Spring Steer Performance - Year Two

Ames Plantation, SW Tennessee

Treatment Starting Weight Ending Weight Average Daily Gain
Persist & Clover 660 794 1.68
Persist 614 716 1.29
KY-31 E+ 690 744 0.75
Weight is lbs; 84 days of Grazing.

2004 - 2005 Spring Steer Performance - 2 Yr. Average

Ames Plantation, SW Tennessee

Treatment Starting Weight Ending Weight Average Daily Gain
Persist & Clover 661 776 1.55
Persist 640 742 1.21
KY-31 E+ 690 747 0.72
Weight is lbs; 82 days of Grazing.