# UK Studies Alfalfa as Potential Fescue Toxicosis Treatment for Cattle **Published:** 2026-08-06T13:41:48.000Z **Source:** [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/research/uk-investigates-alfalfa-s-role-reducing-fescue-toxicosis-heat-stress-cattle) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uk-studies-alfalfa-as-potential-fescue-toxicosis-treatment-for-cattle LEXINGTON, Ky. — University of Kentucky researchers are investigating whether alfalfa could help cattle overcome the costly effects of fescue toxicosis, a widespread condition affecting beef producers across the Eastern United States that costs the industry an estimated $2 billion annually in losses. A three-year research project involving UK's Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, the USDA Agricultural Research Service's Forage-Animal Production Research Unit and Auburn University aims to determine whether compounds in alfalfa can counteract the toxic effects of tall fescue, the region's dominant pasture grass. The project runs through September 2028. "Alfalfa has compounds that make it more than just a feed," said Ray Smith, UK Extension professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and the project's principal investigator. "You can think of it as a nutraceutical or what we call a functional feed — one that supports animal health beyond simply meeting nutritional requirements." Tall fescue covers roughly 35 million acres across the Eastern U.S., but nearly 95 percent of that acreage is infected with a toxin-producing fungal endophyte that causes ergot alkaloid accumulation in the plant. When cattle consume the contaminated grass, the alkaloids constrict blood vessels, impairing the animals' ability to shed heat, eat well, gain weight or reproduce. Heat stress compounds the problem, particularly during Kentucky summers. The research team, directed by Brittany Davis of the USDA, has identified flavonoids — natural plant compounds found in alfalfa — as potential blood vessel relaxants that could improve blood flow and help cattle tolerate heat better. The project has four main components: testing which alfalfa flavonoids and doses most effectively prevent fescue toxicosis, profiling flavonoid concentrations across alfalfa varieties grown in Kentucky and Alabama, feeding whole alfalfa to beef steers during controlled fescue toxicosis and heat stress challenges, and translating findings into practical recommendations for producers. Much of the animal research will take place at [UK's C. Oran Little Research Center](https://www.mgcafe.uky.edu/research/farms-facilities/c-oran-little-research-center) in Versailles, with alfalfa variety trials conducted at UK's Spindletop Farm and Auburn's E.V. Smith Research and Education Center in Alabama. A successful demonstration of alfalfa's benefits could provide regional forage producers economic incentive to expand acreage and reduce reliance on nitrogen fertilizers. UK Extension currently encourages producers to frost seed red and white clover into pastures to reduce fescue toxicosis effects. "If we can show that alfalfa helps cattle stay cooler and healthier on fescue pastures, that gives forage producers a real incentive to expand acreage in this part of the country," Smith said. ## Sources - [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/research/uk-investigates-alfalfa-s-role-reducing-fescue-toxicosis-heat-stress-cattle) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from University of Kentucky News, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://uknow.uky.edu/research/uk-investigates-alfalfa-s-role-reducing-fescue-toxicosis-heat-stress-cattle.