University of Kentucky (UK) plant breeder Tim Phillips, PhD, has developed a new tall fescue variety that is nontoxic to grazing animals.

The variety, Lacefield MaxQ II, is the result of selections Phillips, a member of the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, made from endophyte-free Kentucky 31 and related lines. Phillips named the variety for UK Professor Emeritus Garry Lacefield, PhD, upon his retirement to honor his numerous contributions to the forage industry and to the college.

Lacefield MaxQ II contains a novel endophyte developed by AgResearch in New Zealand. While active, the endophyte does not produce the ergot alkaloids that can cause fescue toxicosis, a disease that primarily affects cattle but can also negatively impact pregnant mares and milk producing goats. The active alkaloids in the new variety help make it drought tolerant, insect resistant, and more vigorous.

“It has the persistence and performance of the endophyte found in Kentucky 31, but it doesn’t have the bad qualities of that endophyte,” Phillips said. “It’s the best of both worlds