Do not use urea if the pasture has been surfacelimed within the past three months. For more information on nitrogen forms and volatilization losses refer to Agronomy Facts AGF-205, available through county Extension offices. The need for late-summer nitrogen application on fescueclover pastures should be evaluated in terms of the forage needs of each specific operation. Forage legumes can be used to economically improve forage yield and quality of tall fescue pastures. Red clover is an excellent legume species to frost seed or no-till seed every two years into existing tall fescue stands.
Annual lespedeza is also an option in southern Ohio.
Introducing legumes into tall fescue can reduce the need for nitrogen fertilizer, improve forage quality, and dilute the toxic effects of endophyte-infected tall fescue. Research in Maryland has demonstrated greater animal gains on fescue-clover pastures in the fall compared with pure tall fescue fertilized with nitrogen. Missouri research demonstrates that red clover persists well in fescue pastures receiving late summer nitrogen applications, provided nitrogen is not applied in the spring. Grazing Management Grazing management is critical to efficient utilization of the forage. Managed grazing of stockpiled tall fescue in the winter will provide a good economic return because winter is the highest feed cost time of the vear.