Tall Fescue Online Monograph

Continental tall fescues are well suited to farms with flood irrigation (Murray Bridge) where production and persistence are better than for perennial ryegrass. They also perform well under center-pivot irrigation, but the advantage over perennial ryegrass is less. Some coastal areas in the southeast have adequate rainfall, but persistence of tall fescue on sandy soils has been very poor. The higher rainfall (>700 mm) areas of the Adelaide Hills are suited to tall fescue (Fig. 7-8), where it has produced heavier sheep liveweights than perennial ryegrass or phalaris (Gibson, 1978).

Mediterranean cultivars are suited to a large part of the southeast (districts around Mt. Gambier, Naracoorte, and Penola). They complement phalaris, especially when tall fescue is grown on alkaline soils where phalaris toxicity is more pronounced. Other regions with winter-spring rainfall of 400 mm/yr or more  and suitable soils may also be appropriate for Mediterranean tall fescues.