Does Fescue Stop Erosion?

Tall Fescue

• Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) covers more than 40 million acres in the United States, according to the University of Missouri Extension. It’s grown on less-than-productive inclines to hold soil in place. The plant, which can generate 2 1/2 tons of roots an acre, helps reclaim and stabilize strip mines and acreage that is part of initiatives such as the Conservation Reserve Program. A cultivar, "Kentuckey-31," was sown extensively in the United States during the 20th century for both forage and soil retention – in part because of its longevity, hardiness, and ease of growth, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports.

History

• Brought over from Europe, tall fescue first appeared in North America in the late 19th century. The plant proliferated across the East Coast and Midwest after the University of Kentucky introduced "Kentucky-31" in the 1940s. The species gained popularity with livestock producers in the ‘40s and ‘50s, the University of Missouri Extension reports.

Other Types

• Creeping red fescue (Festuca rubrahas) was planted to retain soil beside roadways and to stabilize watercourse banks, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Festuca rubrahas is considered a fine fescue. Others in this category include sheep fescue (Festuca ovina) and hard fescue (Festuca longifolia). Though in a different genus, a grass called annual fescue (Vulpia myuros) also is used for erosion control, according to the USDA. After the plants halt erosion and die, other species that are well-adapted to the site can take their place.

Problems

• Livestock that eat fescue infected with Neotyphodium coenophialum fungus may suffer a variety of health problems, although the fungus protects the fescue itself against certain insects. Researchers working with Purdue University have made types of this fungus that are both safer for animals to eat and act as insecticides, the university reported in 2011. Another problem with fescue is that it escapes cultivation. But new turf cultivars are less likely to spread into other habitats. Additionally, annual fescue – also called rattail grass – is invasive in climates such as those found in California and Oregon, according to the U.S. Forest Service.