Tennessee Yield Data
Persist has been independently tested in Tennessee since 1990. And trial after trial, against old varieties and new varieties, Persist continues to produce top yields, almost always higher than any other variety. High yields and extra persistence are what make Persist a great choice for Tennessee.
Below you will find first a summary table of the most recent Tennessee data, followed by a breakdown by location.
University of Tennessee
Orchardgrass Trials
Multiple Locations
|2007-2011
| Variety | Greeneville | Milan | Spring Hill | Crossville | All Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-2011 (3-Yr Total) | 2008-2011 (3-Yr Total) | 2007-2010 (3-Yr Total) | 2007-2010 (3-Yr Total) | 2008-2011 (Average) | |
| Persist | 11.24 | 7.49 | 8.61 | 7.71 | 8.76 |
| MegaBite | 10.48 | 6.95 | 8.70 | 7.98 | 8.53 |
| Olympia | 9.55 | 7.61 | 7.67 | 7.76 | 8.15 |
| BO7.IC1 | 10.57 | 6.59 | 8.00 | 7.07 | 8.06 |
| Benchmark Plus | 10.07 | 6.65 | 8.11 | 7.04 | 7.97 |
| Shiloh II | 9.20 | 6.73 | 8.00 | 7.42 | 7.84 |
| LSD ( P=.05) | 2.18 | 0.84 | 0.82 | 1.18 | — |
| Yield in tons DM/A. | |||||
Tennessee Trials by Location
Crossville
In the fall of 2007, a forage trial study was planted at Crossville, TN. Irrigation was applied only at the time of establishment. 60# of N was applied at green-up. Another 30# of N was applied both after the first cutting and in early September.
Orchardgrass yield difference can be significant. For example in this trial, Persist produced 38% more tonnage than the lowest-yielding variety. That's a bunch of hay!
Dry Matter Yields
Crossville, TN
|2007-2009
| Cultivar | 2008 | 2009 | 2-yr Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megabite | 5,986 | 4,314 | 10,300 |
| Persist | 5,061 | 4,357 | 9,418 |
| Olympia | 4,646 | 4,265 | 8,911 |
| Endurance | 4,985 | 3,720 | 8,705 |
| Shiloh II | 4,762 | 3,935 | 8,697 |
| Benchmark Plus | 4,720 | 3,763 | 8,483 |
| Ambrosia | 4,518 | 3,156 | 7,674 |
| Barlemas | 3,892 | 3,114 | 7,006 |
| Lsd | 1,223 | 1,033 | — |
Spring Hill
In the fall of 2007, a forage trial study was planted at Crossville, TN. Irrigation was applied only at the time of establishment. 60# of N was applied at green-up. Another 30# of N was applied both after the first cutting and in early September.
Spring Hill results showed some varieties swapping positions, with Persist producing top tonnage throughout each of the years.
Dry Matter Yields
Spring Hill, TN
|2007-2009
| Cultivar | 2008 | 2009 | 2-yr Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megabite | 8,012 | 4,932 | 12,944 |
| Persist | 7,489 | 5,200 | 12,689 |
| Endurance | 7,056 | 5,075 | 12,131 |
| Benchmark Plus | 6,565 | 5,004 | 11,569 |
| Olympia | 6,475 | 4,804 | 11,279 |
| Shiloh II | 6,966 | 4,164 | 11,130 |
| Ambrosia | 6,036 | 4,182 | 10,218 |
| Barlemas | 6,022 | 4,145 | 10,167 |
| Lsd | 1172 | 783 | — |
Greeneville
In the fall of 2008, a forage trial study was planted at Greeneville, TN. Irrigation was applied only at the time of establishment. 60# of N was applied at green-up. Another 30# of N was applied both after the first cutting and in early September.
While this trial isn't showing a statistical difference between the entries, we are pleased to report the highest numeric yielding variety was Persist and produced 22% more hay than the lowest entry.
Dry Matter Yields
Greeneville, TN
|2008-2009
| Cultivar | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Persist | 13,100 |
| Megabite | 12,887 |
| Warrior II | 12,349 |
| Survivor | 11,792 |
| Benchmark Plus | 11,555 |
| Profit | 11,238 |
| Olympia | 10,736 |
| Shiloh II | 10,618 |
| Lsd | 2,511 |
Millan
In the fall of 2008, a forage trial study was planted in Milan, TN. Irrigation was applied only at the time of establishment. 60# of N was applied at green-up. Another 30# of N was applied both after the first cutting and in early September.
This trial showed a statistical difference in yield between various varieties, with Persist performing equal to the top variety, and out-yielding the lowest entry by 53%!
Dry Matter Yields
Milan, TN
|2008-2009
| Cultivar | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Persist | 4,629 |
| Olympia | 4,392 |
| Warrior II | 4,185 |
| Profit | 4,091 |
| Megabite | 3,829 |
| Survivor | 3,600 |
| Benchmark Plus | 3,563 |
| Shiloh II | 3,330 |
| Lsd | 2,511 |
Knoxville
In the fall of 1989, a forage trial study was planted at Knoxville, TN where dry matter yield data, by individual cutting date, was obtained for five years. The test included Persist (called Syn-2 at the time), and six commercially grown cultivars.
Yields of Persist exceeded that of the mean every year. Of particular significance was its superior performance in the last two years of the trial - indicating longer persistence than the other cultivars. Additionally, Persist was almost always the highest-yielding variety during the last two or three cuts.
Dry Matter Yields - 5-Year Summary
Knoxville, TN
|1990-1994
| Cultivar | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | Ave. | 5-yr Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persist | 6,676 | 5,995 | 5,451 | 6,746 | 6,258 | 6,225 | 31,126 |
| Potomac | 6,077 | 5,185 | 5,003 | 6,325 | 5,896 | 5,697 | 28,486 |
| Rancho | 5,921 | 5,497 | 5,195 | 6,338 | 4,788 | 5,548 | 27,739 |
| Ambassador | 6,355 | 5,456 | 5,584 | 5,086 | 5,359 | 5,568 | 27,840 |
| Shiloh | 6,509 | 5,755 | 5,130 | 5,749 | 5,557 | 5,740 | 28,700 |
| Greens Exp. | 6,003 | 4,884 | 5,178 | 6,161 | 5,085 | 5,462 | 22,875 |
| Standard Error | 104.7 | 13.8 | 75.2 | 201.1 | 188.3 | 85.7 | - |
Tennessee Trials by Year
If you are interested in how Persist pulls away from the pack over time, scan through the next five tables and notice its performance compared to the other varieties in the trial. Also, take note of the later cuttings. Persist is almost always on top!
1990
Dry Matter Yields
Knoxville, TN
|1990 Harvest
| Cultivar | April 5 | May 15 | June 13 | July 18 | Aug 24 | Nov 15 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persist | 1782 | 1481 | 617 | 353 | 1132 | 1311 | 6676 |
| Potomac | 1776 | 1326 | 609 | 339 | 957 | 1070 | 6077 |
| Rancho | 1630 | 1577 | 604 | 435 | 882 | 793 | 5921 |
| Ambassador | 1799 | 1456 | 616 | 384 | 1101 | 999 | 6354 |
| Shiloh | 1824 | 1354 | 652 | 386 | 1106 | 1187 | 6509 |
| Green's Exp. | 1639 | 1480 | 564 | 348 | 854 | 1018 | 6003 |
| standard error | 29.2 | 32.1 | 10.6 | 13.0 | 36.3 | 62.9 | 104.7 |
1991
Dry Matter Yields
Knoxville, TN
|1991 Harvest
| Cultivar | Apr 18 | May 21 | Jun 28 | Aug 23 | Sept 24 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persist | 1934 | 923 | 1985 | 420 | 733 | 5995 |
| Potomac | 1858 | 779 | 1706 | 235 | 607 | 5184 |
| Rancho | 1842 | 947 | 1882 | 183 | 644 | 5497 |
| Ambassador | 2013 | 792 | 1852 | 179 | 618 | 6456 |
| Shiloh | 2049 | 850 | 1982 | 219 | 659 | 5755 |
| Green's Exp. | 1575 | 906 | 1533 | 153 | 717 | 4884 |
| standard error | 58.6 | 24.8 | 61.1 | 34.2 | 18.5 | 137.8 |
1992
Dry Matter Yields
Knoxville, TN
|1992 Harvest
| Cultivar | Apr 23 | May 26 | Sept 11 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persist | 1881 | 857 | 2706 | 5451 |
| Potomac | 1672 | 770 | 2561 | 5003 |
| Rancho | 1373 | 1024 | 2797 | 5195 |
| Ambassador | 1802 | 895 | 2887 | 5584 |
| Shiloh | 1823 | 680 | 2627 | 5130 |
| Green's Exp. | 1683 | 851 | 2644 | 5177 |
| standard error | 77.3 | 46.0 | 50.7 | 75.3 |
1993
Dry Matter Yields
Knoxville, TN
|1993 Harvest
| Cultivar | Apr 30 | May 26 | Sep 10 | Nov 12 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persist | 1553 | 528 | 3459 | 1206 | 6746 |
| Potomac | 1467 | 521 | 3257 | 1080 | 6325 |
| Rancho | 1022 | 1150 | 2990 | 1176 | 6338 |
| Ambassador | 1521 | 502 | 2173 | 890 | 5086 |
| Shiloh | 1436 | 547 | 2876 | 1090 | 5749 |
| Green's Exp. | 1232 | 868 | 2724 | 1337 | 6161 |
| standard error | 98.4 | 100.5 | 158.8 | 52.1 | 201.1 |
1994
Dry Matter Yields
Knoxville, TN
|1994 Harvest
| Cultivar | May 13 | Aug 25 | Dec 13 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persist | 4160 | 1602 | 496 | 6258 |
| Potomac | 3375 | 2087 | 434 | 5896 |
| Rancho | 2692 | 1665 | 431 | 4788 |
| Ambassador | 3550 | 1505 | 304 | 5359 |
| Shiloh | 3586 | 1509 | 412 | 5557 |
| Green's Exp. | 2819 | 1693 | 573 | 5085 |
| standard error | 212.0 | 98.5 | 39.7 | 188.1 |