ALABAMA~ AGIUTRLE*EIETSAINAUUNUNRf GALE~~ A.BCAADRCO UBR NVRIY LBM ~ ~ ~ CICUAR 25 CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ............................................ 3 DEVELOPMENT OF OASIS PHALARIS............................4 CHARACTERISTICS OF OASIS PHALARIS.........................4 Winter Forage Production.............................. 4 Mixtures With Other Species........................... 6 Response of Management.............................. 6 Cold Tolerance....................................... 7 Pests..................................................7 Forage Quality........................................ 8 Animal Performance................................... 8 SUMMARY.................................................9 LITERATURE CITED........................................10 FIRST PRINTING 4M, May 1982 Information contained herein is available to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin. OASIS PHALARIS A New Cool Season Perennial Grass C. S. HOVELAND, R. L. HAALAND, C. D. BERRY, and J. F. PEDERSEN* INTRODUCTION (Phalarisaquatica L.) is a cool-season perennial grass widely grown for pasture in the winter rainfall regions of southern Australia. It is also an important grass in winterrainfall, dry-summer areas of California where it is known as "hardinggrass." In addition, it is grown in Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand, and a number of Mediterranean countries. Trials with California and Australia phalaris varieties have generally been disappointing in the Southeastern United States (3). Poor summer persistence has been a problem in the humid South. The reasons for declining stands are complex: summer weed competition, nematode susceptibility, and failure to reduce defoliation in late spring to allow carbohydrate storage in root corms. Phalaris has many advantageous characteristics such as good seedling vigor, excellent autumn and winter forage production, high nutritive quality, and drought tolerance. Screening of phalaris plant introductions was begun in Alabama during 1959. Several nonselected phalaris introductions produced nearly twice as much winter (November to February) forage as Ky-31 tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceaSchreb.) or Auburn reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) over a 4-year period in central Alabama (4). In 1969, a phalaris breeding project was initiated at Auburn University. *Professor (resigned, now at Agronomy Dept. Univ. of Georgia), Associate Professor (resigned), Associate Professor (resigned), and Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy and Soils, respectively. PHALARIS DEVELOPMENT OF OASIS PHALARIS The phalaris cultivar, Oasis, (previously reported as AP-2) was developed by mass selection. Space plants grown from phalaris plant introductions were evaluated for vigor, winter growth, regrowth potential, and disease resistance. An openpollinated progeny trial, grown and harvested for 3 years, was used to evaluate forage yield distribution. Clonal selections were made from the following PI's: 240280 (Portugal), 236482 (Australia), 240284 (Italy), 207960 and 207960 (South Africa), 219636 (Iraq), 240242 (Algeria), and PS-68-264 from an old grass nursery; and placed in isolation. Seed from the clonal selections were planted into an expansion block at the Plant Breeding Unit in Alabama and will serve as the source of breeder's seed. CHARACTERISTICS OF OASIS PHALARIS Winter Forage Production Winter forage yields of Oasis phalaris in Alabama have averaged 41 percent more than Ky-31 tall fescue with differences being much greater at locations in the southern part of the State, table 1. Oasis phalaris is not adapted to northern Alabama. Winter forage is more valuable than late spring production since it reduces the need for expensive stored forage, figure 1. Winter productivity of phalaris is a result of rapid development of new leaves and rapid leaf expansion during short periods of favorable temperature (5). TABLE 1. WINTER FORAGE PRODUCTION OF OASIS PHALARIS AND KY-31 TALL FESCUE AT Six LOCATIONS IN ALABAMA Location Tennessee Valley Substation, Belle Mina Piedmont Substation, Camp Hill Prattville Exp. Field, Prattville Plant Breeding Unit, Tallassee Black Belt Substation, Marion Junction Gulf Coast Substation, Fairhope Average Years tested Winter growth period Dry forage yield per acre Oasis Lb. 610 1,710 1,210 1,630 2,130 2,990 1,710 Ky-31 Lb. 1,300 1,380 700 640 1,930 1,340 1,210 2 2 2 3 2 2 Late Feb.-early April Late Feb.-early April Feb.-mid-March Jan.-Mid-March Late Feb.-early April Jan.-mid-March [4] 1'1(. I Exclle t siottr foragegrt ofOai h l k at1Icii S b ain ()a,ssaari \\ jutcrgrccu s a c" ueiri jplrtInsi, (IU\ cl1oped' nn in r rdcinto ITQxas, aL1nd K -:31 tall fcs- (s1)((ia]> d~\ auitacu s~LI Iighh-(ftudlit\ g1rt/ilg can supt iInc p]\ theuceds(of da~iry cattle and ;ro\\ ing beef, calk cs when'1 smnal g crain1 pasture is not i\ ailal)IU. I \i r)) l l(I I 1\', l\\I~i\I i \ k0Ai P81( ) gl' \I\I IC AL( FIW IF\P[1F',FItiF\ :I 1,1v \ )\m i r, l s:(X ()I ) 1s H 3.O ssphialaris .Al I r Un r~oot colims, h ighi esp)illy wxxxith nitrogell frtilizatiou, can b (2 its high attitim aad Witer \ icid p)ot(ntiatl, grazinig pressure oti oasis phalaris should b)c retioii (10)). Ihis, to at(Iic\ ducI((d during hlcadliig, figuire 3. Cold Tolerance O as is p1lalari s is 1est adapted fromiV centrial Alabamalh southxwa~rd. It wxill sotrxix c iun torthicrn Alalbama 1)Iit lox wXiniter tciiiperattircs causI5( conisiderale (damiage to leaf tissue after wXarmt p)&riods5 ihav c stiillit&(I Iww\ groxx tl Pests on O asi s )st Ncl ato(Ies arc' the onl serou pe100 prolem(i ( phualaris. Oni saili soils, nemivatodecs caln sharply reduIce autforag( y ie (315(). Un dler dIrought condlIitiiiii and capw'tr tions5 oil sandy~ soils. decstrulctionl of roots 1)\ nemiatode~s max callise stand1 losses. N (iiatodl( susceptilit oOasis phalaris breedc( cai arx grass (Pit1(aU is (1nt ttdi'acca is 1(ss ser ius th an f,] L.) (7). Beccauise of iiemiatode2 suIsceptibility , Oasis phalaris is (tlan wheXtre nicimatodh's cautise be)st adIaptedl to clay soils or we less (lailagc.'I'his grass is especial xx ('11-adaptced to clax soils the( Black Blt of Alabama and MIississippi. that occur ini 171 Forage Quality l'orag( iIIX itr() (lr\ matter dligestib~ility during aiitumin andl w iter has rnged front (3 to 74 percent (10). lDigcstihilitx has ren amedI a(( \ 60 per'cen1 t uip to ii Iflor(scevn(e emHergence( )t i) o leclilie(( rap~idly wXith finrther inaturit\ . Althou)lgh digestib~ility of O asis; phlalaris dleclines wi th mfattlrit\, the qulality, is still gcllerall\ suiperior to that of' warm season perennial grasses. C rudel fprotcil of( )asis phalaris f''age is often high, ranging fronm 17 to 2.5 p)ereit (10). l loxvc c\ r, ntitrate lic eis of' forage h av e lheci bcI~e potential toxic lev.els. Alkaloids hav.e beetn a m\ problemI ot plalaris 1)astllI'es iu Australia, partictlarl' withl sheep. I lox ' cr, O as is phalari s has lowX al kalo id leN els so antim al tox\icity is utulikel\ (1). Animal Peformance Beef, ste er pe 1()1 ntie on O asi s plhalari s has b~een good, figure 4. In a 3-\ ear grazing trial at the Black Belt Substation, tie ax (ragc (kLI gain of steers wvas 1.73 poutttds and~ beefgain pcr acre w.~as 347 pounds (6). 'FT(e a'. (rage dlaily gain oh~taiiwd~ ont phalaris is similar to that ob~tainted ont high (jutalit\ small gri4ast-s IG. -1. Beef steers in (excellent conidition njear endl of grazinig seasonI at Black Belt Subs~tation (Juone 2, 1978). 1 8I ( o .12. 1973). O asis phtalaris has beent particilary uiseful for dlair\ COW\ pa~sture( Since( it Ititi iishes high ( 1 IIatity Iotrag( ill cark\ altomn \\hen1 no other ighi~ t-( il it\ paistuire is a\ ailalc, figure 5D. is It ch~eap)er to gl-mv thani w inter animals and( proiucees atfirm s0(d to i((lmce "puing"ii b cattle (hiing wet (1\vatler. 1Breeder's seedl is produced and al niatajined lb\ the Alabamna \gricoltuiinl IF;\1 )(imII(t Station, Aubtllulfl(Ik\ rsit\ Ccrtifieoi seedl ()asis phailaris arec proulced and(m Il-kceod onl an (,Vc1u5i\ c basis b)\ Intterniationtal Soeeds, Ifilse\ , Oregon. Seed nrhi\ ite t\ aila luh to farmers ill 1 98-4. SUMMARY O asis phailaris is a ncew cool-seasoll pereinnial grass I'Mr the Souatheastert Unhitedl States that has sec era] v aluiable characteristics: gOool v iell of ligh ouiality forage ini autulm ando \\iItcr: aima dilI\ gain is equl ui~l to that on aiuimual rx egrass and(gemieral lxsupIerior to that obtiniedl ou tall] fesce; buhhi t\ pc grass that o)ffers less (ohlh1)titioil than tall fecscue to asso ciat( cdm cr5; Oais ph alari s is lbest adapted to clay soils or w\et land1( ini areas Such as central Alabamja. It is not coldl-hardyv in 110 rthi t Alalbamia. 9!y LITERATURE CITED BALL, D. M. AND C. S. HOVELAND. 1978. Alkaloid Levels in Phalaris aquatica as Affected By Environment. Agronomy J. 70:977-981. (2) BERRY, R. F. AND C. S. HOVELAND. 1969. Summer Defoliation and Autumn Winter Production of Phalaris Species and Tall Fescue Varieties. Agronomy J. 61:693-497. (3) HOVELAND, C. S. 1974. Possibilities for the Genus Phalarisin the South. Proc. Southern Pasture and Forage Crop Improvement Conference. 31:155-160. (4) and W. B. ANTHONY. 1971. Winter Forage Production and In-vitro Digestibility of Some Phalaris aquatica Introduction. Crop Sci. 11:461-463. (5) , H. W. FOUTCH, AND G. A. BUCHANAN. 1974. Response of PhalarisGenotypes and Some Other Cool Season Grasses to Temperature. Agronomy J. 66:686-690. (6) , R. L. HAALAND, C. C. KING, JR., W. B. ANTHONY, J. A. McQUIRE, L. A. SMITH, H. W. GRIMES, and J. L. HOLLIMAN. 1979. Tall Fescue and Phalaris Pasture for Steers. Alabama Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 515. (1) (7) (8) (9) , and R. RODRIGUEz-KABANA. 1979. Forage Production of Phalaris Species as Affected by Nematode Populations. Nematropica 9:22-27. , R RODRIGUEZ-KABANA, and C. D. BERRY. 1975. Phalaris and Tall Fescue Forage Production as Affected by Nematodes in the Field. Agronomy J. 67:714-717. , L. A. SMITH, AND H. W. GRIMES. 1979. Tall Fescue and Phalaris on Dallisgrass Sod in the Black Belt. Alabama Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 514. (10) SALIBRO, J. C., C. S. HOVELAND, AND J. C. WILLIAMS. 1978. Forage Yield and Quality of Phalaris as affected by N Fertilization and Defoliation Regimes. Agronomy J. 70:497-500. [10] 111] ALBUFLR N LKISII i With 'in 'gricul(ural research unit in )1 every mai(w (il - area, uhurn Universitv serv1es the needs oft C O O O tield crop. livestock, forestry and horticultural producers in each region in \Iahamla. Everv c itiZel )to State has a the stake in this research program. since anl y advantltage froi)nl n~ew anld na )re Cl'C)it( lof po()duc it:tl \\JS ing and handl ing r O 0 CI 0 n farm- prodluc ts di-_rec t ly henihts the (. nsu ing pt uhlic Rc-'c" hell~- I'It;!I1> Illiiic<';0ollr~r I ® Main Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn. E. V. Smith Research Center, Shorter. 1 Tennessee Valley Substation. Belle Mina 2. Sand Mountain Substation, Crossville 3. North Alabama Horticulture Substation, Cullman. 4 Upper Coastal Plain Substation, Winfield. 5. Forestry Unit, Fayette County 6. Foundation Seed Stocks Farm, Thorsby 7 Chilton Area Horticulture Substation, Clanton 8 Forestry Unit, Coosa County 9 Piedmont Substation, Camp Hill 10 Plant Breeding Unit, Tallassee 11.Forestry Unit, Autauga County 12 Prattville Experiment Field, Prattville 13 Black Belt Substation. Marion Junction 14 The Turnipseed-tkenberry Place, Union Springs. 15 Lower Coastal Plain Substation, Camden 16 Forestry Unit, Barbour County 17 Monroeville Experiment Field, Monroeville 18 Wiregrass Substation, Headland 19 Brewton Experiment Field, Brewton. 20 Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center, Covington and Escambia counties. 21 Ornamental Horticulture Field Station, Spring Hill. 22 Gulf Coast Substation, Fairhope