Introduction
The use of grass species other than ryegrass is some areas of New Zealand is becoming more common. One such species is tall fescue. Tall fescue is often used in areas where temperatures are high and soil structure doesn’t lend itself to the shallower rooted grass species.
It can tolerate salinity, poor drainage and high heat more than perennial ryegrass due to its deeper roots and is a high performance grass option in summer dry areas. Tall fescue offers high feed quality and production when managed well. Tall fescue needs to be rotationally grazed.