FORAGE GENETICS AND PRODUCTION Differences in Sward Structure and Quality Among Temperate Perennial Grasses

This report is reproduced essentially as supplied by the authors. It received minimal publications editing and design. The authors' views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over others not mentioned. Appreciation is expressed to Peggy Carroll for her dedication to the task of typing and assembling this research summary. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202)720-2600 (voice and TDD). Preface It s a pleasure to brng you these summares of research conducted over the past year at the U.S. Dary Forage Research Center (USDFRC). The Center's mission is to build a knowledge and technology base for the dary ndustry to fully explot the use of forages n the producton of mlk. The Center was establshed n 1980 on the Unversty of Wsconsn-Madson campus n Madson, WI, but s a federal unt of the Agrcultural Research Servce, U.S. Department of Agrculture (USDA). We employ agrcultural engneers, plant and sol scentsts, mcrobologsts, rumnant nutrtonsts, and chemsts, who all work together to increase the efficiency of forage production and utilization by dairy farmers. At present, we have 22 scientists: 17 at Madison, two at Marshfield, two cluster scientists at the Unversty of Mnnesota n St. Paul, MN, and one cluster scentst at Cornell Unversty n Ithaca, NY. Many of these scentsts hold faculty appontments n unversty departments and provde supervson for approxmately sx to eght graduate students and four postdoctoral fellows. We functon n close cooperaton wth the agrcultural experment statons of several states. The Center's 2,000-acre research farm s located n Prare du Sac, WI and has facltes for housng and feeding 320 milking cows and 350 replacement heifers and dry cows. On September 29, 2004, the USDA receved custody of 1,943 acres of Badger Army Ammunton Plant (BAAP) land that had been prevously leased by the USDFRC research farm. Ths acreage s dvded nto cropland, pasture, small-plot research, woodland, buffer strips, …