Foxtail barley is often found in pastures where it displaces desirable grasses. It is undesirable because the awns of mature plants can cause serious injury to grazing animals. In this case study, 16 grass cultivars were evaluated in a pasture renovation situation. The objective of the study was to determine which grasses would be most competitive with foxtail barley. Competitiveness of pasture grasses with foxtail barley was associated with competitiveness with other weeds. Two and three years following establishment, orchardgrass was the most competitive, followed by tall fescue. Competitiveness was not correlated with cattle grazing preference. The fifth year following establishment, tall fescue cultivars were more persistent with fewer weeds. Orchardgrass cultivars were next in persistence. This study demonstrates that foxtail barley infested pastures can be successfully renovated by using competitive species and careful irrigation and grazing management.
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