Kentucky horse farms need to act now to secure seed

Kentucky's equine farms heavily rely on Oregon's Willamette Valley for their seed supply, which is renowned as the global hub for producing turf grass and cool-season forage seed. The ongoing drought conditions are straining this supply chain, prompting University of Kentucky forage specialists to advocate for early seed procurement among horse farm proprietors.

Krista Lea, coordinator of the Horse Pasture Evaluation Program at the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, emphasized that many stores that cater to horse owners, particularly those seeking premium seed varieties, do not always stock adequate inventory. Lea underlined the importance of proactive inquiries and timely orders to ensure a smooth flow of seed.

Tall fescue, a cool-season perennial grass, covering over 36 million acres of American pastureland. Renowned for its resilience in the face of drought, flooding, and heavy grazing, tall fescue does harbor a fungal endophyte that produces harmful ergot alkaloids, leading to tall fescue toxicosis in livestock. While Kentucky-31 Tall fescue contains this endophyte, innovative endophyte-free varieties offer a solution, albeit harder to find in the current seed market.

Neglecting timely seed acquisition could result in a host of predicaments for horse farm owners. Overseeding efforts might yield a sparser stand and increased weed presence. Quality forage could decrease, necessitating earlier hay feeding. Establishing new pastures poses even greater challenges, potentially delaying grazing by six months or requiring less preferred grass varieties.

Kentucky's capricious autumn weather further complicates pasture seeding, underscoring the need for early action. Last year's successes were tied to early seedling, as later efforts faltered due to dry conditions.

Horse farm proprietors must secure seed promptly to ensure successful pasture establishment. Seed left untouched in bags or distant locales won't contribute to thriving pastures.

To learn more about novel endophyte tall fescue, visit https://grazer.ca.uky.edu/content/novel-endophyte-tall-fescue.

To learn more about pasture renovation, visit https://grazer.ca.uky.edu/content/overseeding-pastures-kentucky.
 

To learn more about establishing horse pastures, refer to the UK Cooperative Extension Service publication https://forages.ca.uky.edu/files/establishing_horse_pastures.pdf.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-patrick-jennings