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Persist

Orchardgrass

It's gonna be around for a long time.

If you want an orchardgrass that will last, even under intense grazing pressure, look no further than Persist orchardgrass! Persist orchardgrass was specifically selected for long-term performance and persistence under grazing.

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Forage Quality

Data from multiple trials confirm that Persist's nutritional quality is just as good as its ability to survive.

Pennsylvania

Penn State University

Penn State Nutrition Quality

Rock Springs, PA

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2005

VarietyProteinADFNDF
Barexcel15.626.756.5
Persist14.927.457.4
Command14.728.457.8
Bounty15.427.158.0
Niva15.428.258.5
Century15.127.058.3
Pennlate15.127.258.3
Extend14.627.658.5
Shiloh II14.828.259.5
Haymaster13.230.060.9
Athos13032.961.9
Barlemas13.531.762.0
Measured with NIR.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin State University

Palatability Rating (1-5)*

Lancaster, WI

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2006

VarietySpeciesMay 5Jun 8Jul 2Sep 9Nov 1Average
PersistOrchardgrass3.04.04.02.83.83.7
FelopaFestulolium3.63.03.43.33.43.3
AgulaFestulolium3.43.03.633.83.2
HarversterOrchardgrass3.03.23.23.33.83.1
MatrixFestulolium3.42.43.233.33.1
SulinoFestulolium3.62.832.83.53.1
*PALAT. = Palatability rating 0=0% grazed, 1=20%, 2=40%, 3=60%, 4=80%, 5=100% grazed. Palatability of grasses under grazing is determined by visual estimation of percent defoliation of plots. The visual determination is made midway during mob grazing by beef cows of the grass plots for intake determination.
Lsd = 0.5

Missouri

Ozark Empire Fair Hay Contest

Dry Hay Class - Cool-Season Grasses

Multiple Locations

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2023

EntryLocationCut DateRFQRFVADFNDFNELTDNCP
Cajun II FescueClever, MO4/11/2023208.00156.0022.0042.750.7269.8220.60
Persist OrchardgrassPurdy, MO4/28/2023166.00123.0028.2250.520.6664.6813.50
Kentucky 31 Fescue/OrchardgrassAurora, MO7/15/2023132.00114.0029.7853.750.6463.3913.80
Kentucky 31 FescueVerona, MO5/20/2023110.0097.0034.8658.930.6059.2011.40
Kentucky 31 FescueBillings, MO5/20/2023109.0096.0034.7459.910.6059.3010.60
Smooth Brome MixStrafford, MO5/24/2023107.0096.0034.3959.940.6059.5910.10
Cow Pro FescueSheldon, MO6/13/2026106.0095.0035.2360.030.5958.867.80
Annual Ryegrass/OrchardgrassVerona, MO5/30/202391.0087.0037.3264.260.5757.179.00
Kentucky 31 FescueJenkins, MO5/24/202387.0083.0040.0064.380.5555.009.30
Kentucky 31 FescueSheldon, MO6/14/202381.0079.0039.8667.840.5555.079.40
Average - 10 entries120.00103.0033.6458.230.6160.2111.50
See full results.

Ozark Empire Fair Hay Contest

Dry Hay Class - Cool-Season Grasses & Legumes

Multiple Locations

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2023

EntryLocationCut DateRFQRFVADFNDFNELTDNCP
WL 357 Alfalfa/Benchmark OrchardgrassMonett, MO6/28/2023187.00171.0027.7836.670.6967.5617.40
Cimaron Alfalfa/Persist OrchardgrassPurdy, MO7/1/2023163.00132.0028.5546.900.6866.7019.70
VNS Alfalfa/Hallmark OrchardgrassBillings, MO6/18/2023160.00134.0032.9843.780.6362.0117.70
WL 359 Alfalfa/Annual GrassAurora, MO6/12/2023156.00136.0030.5144.460.6664.6420.30
WL 365 Alfalfa/Persist OrchardgrassAurora, MO6/18/2023152.00132.0030.1646.160.6665.0218.00
Ameristand Alfalfa/CrabgrassOzark, MO7/10/2023151.00129.0030.6746.880.6664.4815.90
Red Clover/OrchardgrassPurdy, MO7/9/2023141.00127.0030.0448.050.6463.1813.60
Venus XDT Alfalfa/Crown Royal OrchardgrassHoustonia, MO5/24/2023116.00108.0035.9252.290.5958.8815.20
Orchardgrass/Fescue/Red CloverCrane5/25/202398.0095.0038.5957.590.5656.1210.90
Average - 9 entries147.00129.0031.6946.980.6463.1816.50
See full results.

Persistence

Tennessee

Some of the most significant data has come from a persistence study conducted at the Ames Plantation in SW Tennessee where a comparison grazing study was conducted with Persist and a well-known orchardgrass. Both varieties were planted in separate pastures, with and without clover.

After an intense drought and stressed period in 1999, two years after the began, there was a dramatic difference in the performance of the two cultivars. The other variety simply could not handle or recover from the stress. Persist, on the other hand, continued to not only survive but to provide good, healthy stands of grass, even when the clover died out in the third year.

Persist Orchardgrass - Ames Plantation - 2005

Observations

The following are the recorded observations of the University of Tennessee research team:

Spring 1997

All pastures seeded in a pure stand of orchardgrass are well established, with no visible difference with regard to variety. The grass is too tall and the stands too thick to make quantitative estimates. All the orchardgrass-clover mix pastures have about the same grass-clover ratio.

Spring 1998

The orchardgrass-clover pastures have about a 50:50 ratio of grass-clover. Pure orchardgrass pastures appear to be equal.

Summer 1999

One of the Persist-clover and one of the other variety/clover pastures has a decrease in clover to about 30%. The clover in one of the Persist pastures has increased to about 60%.

Fall 1999

All pastures show drought stress. Pastures with clover appear better than those with orchardgrass as a pure stand. Pastures with Persist in a pure stand are superior to those with the other variety in a pure stand.

Spring 2000

Persist pastures in a pure stand have a good stand of grass. The other variety pastures in a pure stand are thin and have little available grass. The other variety pastures with clover have a loss of grass. The grass in these pastures appears stressed and is not as green as those with Persist.

Fall 2000

Clover has been lost in all pastures that were originally seeded with clovers. Orchardgrass stands are approximately 70-80% in Persist Pastures seeded without clover and 0-10% in the other variety's pastures seeded without clover.

Spring 2001

Stands of Persist in pastures seeded without clover is about 80%. The stands of the other variety (also seeded without clover) are less than 10%.

Canada

In 2007 Persist was planted at five trial sites throughout Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island on the far east side of Canada. Using a series of statistical calculations, the researchers evaluated Persist and the other entries to determine persistence. The value generated from these calculations is then used to help determine if the entered varieties would be approved for sale in Canada. It is also a measurement they use to compare varieties to one another, even if they were tested in different years.

Not only did Persist pass the test with flying colors and is now approved for sale in Canada, but Persist's "Percent Persistence" score is now the HIGHEST of all the US commercial varieties entered in their trials since 1990 and superseded only by a Swedish variety. Not bad for a Tennessee-bred orchardgrass, eh?

Persistence Cumulative Scores

Orchardgrasses seeded from 1990-2011

VarietyPersistence Score
Dactus7.1
Persist6.3
Niva5.6
Frode5.0
Okay2.8
Kay0.4
Crown Royale-1.4
Okamidor-2.2
Jay-2.3
Baridana-3.2
AC Nordic-3.8
AC Splendor-3.8
Lidacta-7.5
Artic-8.9
Intensiv-9.3
Glorus-13.5

Kentucky

Persist was planted in 2004 in Princeton, KY under a "hay-style" management trial. No significant difference was detected in most of the varieties' persistence until after the drought of 2007. All varieties saw the effect of the drought, as measured in the stand percentage ratings in October of 2007. This data speaks of the value of Persist, even under a non-grazing regime.

Drought Data

Princeton, KY

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Oct 2007

th
VarietyPercent Stand
Persist65%
Shiloh II58%
KYDG980155%
KYDG930353%
Ambassador48%
94-10048%
KYDG010145%
ECF2745%
Extend43%
Hallmark43%
Command12%
LG-217%

Maturity

Persist has a similar maturity date to Potomac and Benchmark, but consistently produces more forage later in the season than those two varieties. Data on maturity has been recorded at several locations.

Pennsylvania

Penn State University

Cut Date - 2005 Harvest

2005

CultivarCut Date
Century5/16/2005
Persist5/16/2005
Pennlate5/16/2005
Niva5/26/2005
Extend5/26/2005
Command5/26/2005
Takena II5/26/2005
Barlemas6/1/2005
Athos6/1/2005
Cut date refers to 1st cutting date which is at late boot to early heading.

Kentucky

University of Kentucky

Maturity

May 9, 1994

CultivarMaturity
Boone10.00
Potomac9.75
Shiloh9.75
Persist9.67
Paiute9.50
Latar9.25
Elsie8.75
Shawnee8.50
Warrior8.50
Condor8.33
Dawn7.50
lsd1.19
Maturity rating scale: 1 = vegetative, 3 = early boot, 5 = mid boot, 7 = late boot, 9 = early head, 11 = full head

University of Kentucky

Maturity

Lexington, KY

|

May 13, 2004

CultivarRating
Hallmark59.5
Persist54.5
Vision52.0
Udder51.0
Takena II41.0
Intensive38.0
lsd7.8
Maturity rating scale: 37 = flag leaf emergence, 45 = boot swollen, 50 = beginning of inflorescence emergence, 58 = complete emergence of inflorescence, 62 = beginning of pollen shed.
First year of trial.

University of Kentucky

Maturity

Lexington, KY

|

May 13, 2005

CultivarRating
Persist58.0
Hallmark57.5
Vision56.0
Udder55.5
Takena II54.5
Intensive51.5
lsd1.4
Maturity rating scale: 37 = flag leaf emergence, 45 = boot swollen, 50 = beginning of inflorescence emergence, 58 = complete emergence of inflorescence, 62 = beginning of pollen shed.
Second year of trial.

University of Kentucky

Maturity

Princeton, KY

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May 10, 2005

CultivarRating
Ambassador51.0
Hallmark50.8
Persist50.8
Shiloh II47.8
Extend46.5
Takena46.5
Command40.0
LG-3136.5
lsd6.6
Maturity rating scale: 37 = flag leaf emergence, 45 = boot swollen, 50 = beginning of inflorescence emergence, 58 = complete emergence of inflorescence, 62 = beginning of pollen shed.
First year of trial.

Seedling Vigor

Data from the University of Kentucky indicates that Persist has very good seedling vigor. Seedling vigor is an indicator of how fast a stand will initiate and begin to grow.

University of Kentucky

Seedling Vigor

Lexington, KY

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October 21, 2003

CultivarLexington
Intensive5.0
Takena II4.5
Persist4.0
Vision3.5
Hallmark2.0
Udder2.0
lsd0.5
Planted September 1, 2003.
Seedling vigor scale based on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the most vigorous seedling growth.

University of Kentucky

Seedling Vigor

Princeton, KY

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December 21, 2004

CultivarRating
Persist4.3*
Takena4.0
Ambassador3.8
Shiloh II3.5
Hallmark3.3
Extend3.3
LG-313.3
Command3.0
lsd0.6
Planted September 1, 2004.
Seedling vigor scale based on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the most vigorous seedling growth.
* Highest commercial variety score

Cold Tolerance

Kentucky

The following photos illustrate how Persist compared to some other varieties regarding performance through a very cold winter in Kentucky, including a winter that had a significant ice storm. The performance of Persist has been very good throughout the trial, as reported on the Grazing Data page.

Entering winter, multiple varieties still had decent ground coverage. That number has now been reduced. This past winter was very cold in KY, including an ice storm dubbed "the biggest natural disaster that (Kentucky) has ever experienced in modern history." The stress of grazing combined with the harsh winter simply has gotten the best of them. While Persist lost about 10% of its ground cover, the variety shown to the right of Persist lost FIFTY-FOUR (54%) of its ground cover. Ratings in the Fall of 2009 indicate that those plants never did come back.

Canada

In Canada, new forage varieties are required to have a certain amount of years of testing before they are approved for use. Part of the testing is to evaluate whether they are better than the existing varieties available. Persist was entered into such a set of trials in 2007. In January 2010, Persist was given the green light and is now on their list of cultivar selections for the challenging climate of the Maritime Provinces* of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island!

Here are some points to note:

  • Persist survived - not all varieties do that!
  • Persist had the HIGHEST second-year Mean Annual Yield** of all the trial entries!
  • Persist was given the HIGHEST score for "2-year Persistence".

*Persist was tested at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Fredericton, Nova Scotia; Woodstock, New Brunswick; Truro, Nova Scotia; and Old Barns, Nova Scotia.

**Mean Annual Yield is a particular calculation used by agrapoint.ca to compare varieties evaluated over different time periods in order to predict potential yields. Its purpose it attempt to accurately portray a variety's performance potential. A further clarification can be provided by agrapoint.ca.

Information used by permission of agrapoint.ca.

Cumulative Yields Summary

Eastern Canada

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Orchardgrass seeded from 1990-2007

Cultivars3-Yr Mean Annual Yield**
Persist8.07
Crown Royale8.07
AC Splendor8.05
Dactus7.91
Kay7.91
Intensive7.90
Jay7.83
Glorus7.80
Artic7.70
Niva7.69
AC Nordic7.68
Baridana7.67
Okamidori7.67
Okay7.64
Lidacta7.59
Frode7.45
**Mean Annual Yield is a particular calculation used by agrapoint.ca to compare varieties evaluated over different time periods in order to predict potential yields. Its purpose it attempt to accurately portray a variety's performance potential. A further clarification can be provided by agrapoint.ca.