Gene Olson, the UK Forage Variety Coordinator, has just released the trial results from 2017 showing the yield and grazing tolerance of 20 different forage species. Each year, Gene also pulls together the test results from the last 15 years into a comprehensive summary report. The “2017 Long-Term Summary of Kentucky Forage Variety Trials” shows variety performance in KY over the last 15 years in a user friendly format. Simply refer to one of the 23 tables in the publication to see the varieties that have performed “above” or “below” average over the years. For example, table 2 shows that Freedom red clover yield is 109% of average (100%) and common red clover is only 79%. Also, the more times a variety has been tested the more confidence you can have in it’s potential performance on your farm.

This report and all the detailed forage variety reports are available from your local county agent or at the University of Kentucky Forage website.