Neotyphodium coenophialum interacts mutualistically with its host grasses. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) plants infected by the fungal endophyte, Neotyphodium coenophialum (Morgan-Jones and Gams) Glenn, Bacon and Hanlin, often perform better than non-infected plants, especially in limited resource environments. However, there is a scarcity of information about endophyte-grass ecotypes interaction in Andisols of temperate regions. Clones of three tall fescue ecotypes (Fukaura, Koiwai and Showa) either infected with N. coenophialum (E+) or noninfected (E)) were grown in Andisols (Black Andisol: naturally low content of phosphorus, high in other nutrients; Red Andisol: naturally high content of phosphorus, low in other nutrients) for 133 days in a controlled environment. Cumulative shoot dry weight, daily regrowth rates (tiller number, plant height and shoot dry matter) after clippings and nutrient uptake, transport and efficiency ratios were measured. In Black Andisol, E+ plants had significantly higher cumulative shoot dry weight as well as daily regrowth rates than E) plants, while in Red Andisol the reverse was true. Among the ecotypes studied, Showa had the highest shoot growth. Significantly higher phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) uptake as well as transport were identified in E+ vs. E) plants grown in Black Andisol. With few exceptions, values for nutrient efficiency ratios were not significantly different between E+ and E) plants grown in both soils. Significant three-way interaction (endophyte · ecotype · soil) for cumulative shoot dry weight and regrowth rate revealed that the ecotype specific regrowth responses to endophyte infection were depended on soil nutrient conditions. Vegetative growth and nutrient acquisition in tall fescue varied with ecotype and were modified by abiotic (soil fertility status) as well as biotic (endophyte infection) factors.

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Breeding for high magnesium (Mg) concentrations pas been conducted for several forage species. Mgwell, Magnet, and HiMag are the first experimental strains, bred for increased Mg concentrations of orchardgrass, Italian ryegrass, and tall fescue, respectively. This experiment compared the performance and genetic variability of these high-Mg cultivars grown in solution culture with other cultivars in each species. Three mineral absorption experiments were carried, out with one month aged seedlings. Seedlings were evaluated for shoot dry weight, uptake and concentration of Mg, calcium (Ca), and potassium (K), and also the

We compared haylage prepared from festulolium (×Festulolium Braunii) ‘Paulita’ (a cultivar with high flooding tolerance) with those from festulolium ‘Evergreen’ (a standard cultivar in Japan) and timothy (Phleum pratense L.) ‘Nosappu’ (a common early‐maturing cultivar in Japan), in terms of chemical composition, short‐term (during the first hour after the start of the morning meal) and daily intakes, animal performance and rumen degradability in dairy cows. Fermentation of the forages was depressed, leading to low concentrations of lactic acid and volatile fatty acids. ‘Paulita’ haylage showed a significantly higher content of total digestible nutrients than ‘Evergreen’ and ‘Nosappu’ haylages. Short‐term intake rate of haylage and daily voluntary intake of feeds were higher for ‘Paulita’ than for ‘Evergreen’. The in sacco potential dry matter degradability and the disappearance of neutral detergent fiber at 96 h were highest for the ‘Paulita’ haylage. Milk yield was highest in animals fed the ‘Paulita’ diet. We conclude that ‘Paulita’ haylage has adequate nutritive value and can be ingested by dairy cows more efficiently than haylages prepared from the common temperate grasses.