KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Center for Native Grasslands
Management is hosting a Twilight Forage Tour on July 10 near Knoxville. The
tour, which will be held at UT East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center’s
Holston Unit, will feature a new research project focused on using native grasses,
including big bluestem and Indian grass, for season-long summer grazing.
Pat Keyser, director of the UT Center
for Native Grasslands Management and coordinator for the event, says those
attending will learn first-hand about our native grasses and just how well they
can perform for livestock.
Keyser says the native grasses are highly drought tolerant, low input,
warm-season perennials and can produce high yields of hay (4 – 5 tons/acre) and
excellent animal performance when grazed during summer. Average daily gain (AGD) can measure about 2.1 pounds on steers, he says.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. EDT and
includes a sponsored supper. After a brief presentation, the group will tour the
research center’s native grass pastures with the researchers, extension
specialists and the center staff managing the grazing projects.
There is no cost for the tour, but you must register by July 8, in order to
attend.
To
register, please contact your county Extension office. You may also register by
sending your name,
affiliation (producer, business or agency name), and contact information
(mailing address, phone and, if available, e-mail address) to Kim Lane at kalane@utk.edu or by phone: 865-974-7201. You may register multiple
individuals, but please provide the requested information for each person.
The East Tennessee AgResearch and
Education Center Holston Unit is located at 3723 Riverside
Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914. Directions
are available here. Please call 865-974-7201 to request an accommodation
for accessibility.
The UT Center for Grasslands Management is a program of the Department of
Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries in the UT Institute of Agriculture. The UT
Institute of Agriculture provides instruction, research and public service
through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the UT
College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch, including its system of 10
research and education centers, and UT Extension offices in every county in the
state.
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Contact:
Dr. Pat Keyser, UT Center for Grasslands Management,
865-974-0644, pkeyser@utk.edu