Chisholm Fescue
Persistent, Perennial Cool-Season Grazing
Chisholm Fescue is an endophyte-free tall fescue cultivar of Tunisian parentage with excellent persistence recently released by the Noble Research Institute. It was developed to provide livestock producers with a persistent, perennial cool-season grazing option and is adapted to the hot, dry summer environment typical west of Interstate 35 in Oklahoma and Texas where summer-active types fail to survive and offers more resilience during drought periods in traditional fescue zones.
Chisholm is capable of producing high-quality pasture from autumn through spring suitable for grazing livestock before entering summer-dormancy; this fills the forage gap by reducing the need to feed hay and provides a perennial grazing option to complement or replace winter annual plantings. Chisholm tall fescue can be used in both tilled and no-till forage-based livestock production systems.
Perennial grasses like Chisholm can also benefit soil health by sequestering carbon in the soil year-round, improving organic matter and reducing soil erosion.
Chisholm summer-dormant tall fescue seed is a PVP cultivar #:201800411 and commercially licensed to Warner Brothers Seed Company located in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Where to Plant
- Areas with 24″+ annual rainfall
- Irrigate Chisholm in drier areas
- Areas with wet winters and dry, hot summers
- Ground that is moisture retentive, clay, black, loam soils,or sandy loam; fertile and pH 5.5 – 7.5
- Do not plant in low fertility, deep, loose, sand, or droughty soils.
When to Plant
| Location: | Plant Before: |
|---|---|
| North Oklahoma | September 15th |
| South Oklahoma | September 30th |
| North Texas | October 15th |
| Central Texas | October 31st |
| South Texas | November 15th |
| Southern and Southeastern states | Sept.15 to Nov.1 |
| South Central U.S | Oct. 1 to Nov. 15 |
| Mid-South, Midwest and Northeastern states | Aug. 15 to Oct. 1 or spring planted in March and April. |
Seed Cost: $4.70/ pound, $235.00/50 LB. Bag
Rate: 15 Lbs./Acre in prepared seedbed or 15-20 Lbs./Acre in sod-seeded in stubble
This field of Chisholm Fescue was one year old. In August 2020 it was fertilized. It rained 3 inches on September 1, 2020. It averaged an inch a day growth in 22 days.
5 more days of growth
Horses on Chisholm Fescue.
Chisholm Fescue is an endophyte-free cultivar. We had it tested to verify it and this is our 5th year of production. I have a friend that had 3 old brood mares from 17 to 21 years old. He said they were in poor shape and could see their ribs, even though he had been feeding them well. He visited with his veterinarian and he said it was probably due to their age. He put the horses in the Chisholm Fescue pasture with the cattle and when I looked at them about 2 months later they had a shiny, healthy, bloom and looked 10 years younger. One of mares foaled while she was still on the Chisholm Fescue. He said he was going to put more of his horses on it next season.
Seed Depth 1/8″ to 1/2″
Potential use as a quick cover commercial and residential turf grass with shade tolerance and less water requirements.
Rate: 8-10 Lbs./1000 Square Ft.
