Fescue is a hardy, cool season forage that is highly productive and maintains its quality well into the winter months, offering opportunity for stockpiling and winter grazing. This forage is commonly found in what is known as “the fescue belt.”

Solar development is expanding in the fescue belt, bringing the forage to many sites spanning from Virginia to Missouri, Ohio to North Georgia. While fescue provides an opportunity for solar grazing, it is not without its challenges.

The KY-31 variety of fescue has a symbiotic relationship with an endophytic fungus that makes the plant more resilient, yet produces a toxin that affects grazing livestock. While significant impacts are observed in cattle, lesser impacts are observed in sheep. Additionally, novel endophyte varieties exist that do not cause the negative impacts observed with KY-31.

During this workshop, we heard from Dr. Andrew Weaver, Dr. Matt Poore, Dr. Camren Maierle, and Johnny Rogers about the basics of fescue biology, varieties available, and pros and cons of grazing fescue with sheep. We also dove into practices that can be implemented in a solar grazing system to capitalize on the opportunity with fescue while minimizing potential negative side effects.

Tall fescue presents both challenges and opportunities for solar grazing operations. Fescue has a large presence in the US, with many solar sites selecting fescue due to its persistence and erosion control capabilities. However, fescue toxicosis can have a negative economic impact on the grazing industry, though sheep are less effected than cattle.

Regional and environmental factors significantly impact fescue management approaches. A particular challenge occurs when solar sites were established with turf-type fescue varieties, which often contain high endophyte levels. Additionally, variations in shade, moisture, and soil conditions within solar sites create diverse management challenges. The east-central United States, from Virginia to Missouri and Kansas and known as the Fescue Belt, experiences the highest prevalence of toxic fescue.

Several strategies can help mitigate fescue toxicity issues in solar grazing operations. This involves planting strategies to incorporate different forages, maintaining adequate grazing heights, animal selection, and grazing timing. Timing considerations are critical for effective fescue management, as toxin levels increase during spring growth and are most pronounced during hot weather.

Despite its challenges, effective fescue management strategies provide significant operational advantages. Stockpiled fescue can reduce winter feeding costs and improve animal performance. Fescue’s durability provides long-term vegetation for solar sites with reduced inputs. With proper management, fescue-based systems can support profitable sheep production despite toxicity challenges.