The Effect of Spike‐Tooth Aeration on Tall Fescue Yield

Abstract

Over the last several years, spike-tooth aerators have been promoted as a tool to increase yield of grass pastures and hayfields across the Southeast. A two-year research project was conducted at two locations in Tennessee to evaluate the effect of spike-tooth aeration on the yield of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). At the East Tennessee Research and Education Center and the Middle Tennessee Research and Education Center tall fescue plots were aerated once, either in spring or fall. Plots were fertilized with N at 60 lb/acre at spring green-up and harvested when forage height reached 8 to 10 inch. Results from both locations showed that aeration had no effect on tall fescue yield.