Quality of Coastal and Tifton 85 Bermudagrass

Tifton 85 bermudagrass was released in 1992, and where it is adapted across the Southeast, it has proved to be a superior forage in terms of hay and pasture yield, hay and forage quality, and in supporting higher growing cattle stocking rates and gains compared with other bermudagrasses. UGA animal and dairy scientists conducted a small-plot experiment to determine yield and nutritive value of Coastal and Tifton 85 bermudagrass to support larger cow-calf continuous grazing studies. Using these results, a producer could expect to earn $3,300 more for calves produced on Tifton 85 compared with Coastal pastures, if calves were sold at $115/cwt. Since bermudagrass stands may last more than a decade, economic returns could be substantial over time. Results suggest higher gains from calves grazing Tifton 85 bermudagrass during the summer could improve production efficiency in cow-calf operations across much of the Southeast.