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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center » Dairy Forage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #314855
Title: Registration of 'Hidden Valley' meadow fescue

Author
item Casler, Michael
item Brink, Geoffrey

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Registrations
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/2/2015
Publication Date: 6/15/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/62397
Citation: Casler, M.D., Brink, G.E. 2015. Registration of 'Hidden Valley' meadow fescue. Journal of Plant Registrations. 9:294-298.

Interpretive Summary: Hidden Valley is a new variety of meadow fescue grass, suited for use in pastures, that was developed by USDA researchers. It originated in Europe, but was brought to Mineral Point, Wisconsin sometime in the late 1800s or early 1900s, where it was allowed to survive and become adapted to local conditions before being rediscovered and developed as a new variety. Compared to other pasture grasses, Hidden Valley has a forage yield approximately 9% lower than orchardgrass and tall fescue. But it is more digestible by cattle; neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) is approximately 9% higher than for these two species. Compared to the only other existing meadow fescue cultivar within this region, Hidden Valley has 2% higher forage yield and 1.4% higher NDFD. Hidden Valley is adapted to a wide range of pasture managements and conditions in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 5, especially the northern portions of this range. When used to renovate pastures, Hidden Valley will provide a direct and significant benefit to livestock producers in the central and northeastern USA.

Technical Abstract: 'Hidden Valley' (Reg. No. CV-xxxx, PI xxxxxx) meadow fescue [Schedonorus pratensis (Huds.) P. Beauv.; syn. Festuca pratensis Huds.; syn. Lolium pratense (Huds.) Darbysh.] is a synthetic population originating from 561 parental genotypes. The original germplasm is of unknown central or northern European origin, but is thought to have become naturalized to the Driftless Area of the Upper Mississippi River Valley over approximately 100 years. Hidden Valley has forage yield approximately 9% lower than orchardgrass and tall fescue, but neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) approximately 9% higher than for these two species. Compared to the only other existing meadow fescue cultivar within this region, Hidden Valley has 2% higher forage yield and 1.4% higher NDFD. Hidden Valley is adapted to a wide range of pasture managements and conditions in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 5, especially the northern portions of this range.