Dr. Ethan C. Holt was Texas’ first dedicated forage researcher and a pioneering figure in the development of forage science in Texas. He joined Texas A&M University in 1948 as an Assistant Professor with the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. He was soon promoted to Associate Professor, and in 1957, Professor. During his entire 36-year career with the University, Dr. Holt held the simultaneous position of Forage Researcher for the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. He was the first, and for many years, the only, scientist in Texas focused on forage research.

Dr. Holt’s initial investigations centered on cool-season perennial forages, laying the foundation for decades of impactful research. Over the course of his career, he conducted studies on a wide range of important forage species, including Angleton Grass, Tall Fescue, Wintergreen Hardinggrass, Dallisgrass, Buffelgrass, Bermudagrass, Kleingrass, White Clover, Annual Ryegrass, and Annual Sudangrass hybrids.

His professional interests centered on three primary areas: environmental plant biology, applied plant biology, and plant genetics. His field plot research encompassed variety trials, establishment and management practices (including fertilization), and defoliation regimens. Throughout his work, Dr. Holt collaborated with respected colleagues including Dr. E. C. Bradshaw (USDA), Dr. R. D. Staten (Soil and Crop Sciences), Mr. M. E. Riewe (Angleton), and Mr. M. J. Norris (McGregor).

Dr. Holt’s contributions established a strong scientific foundation for forage research in Texas and significantly advanced the understanding and management of forage crops in the region.

Read more about Dr. Holt and the Origin of Forage Research in Texas here

Below are some of his original research reports grouped by year.

• Cool-Season Annual Forage Species Production (1957)
• Warm-Season Annual Forage Species Production (1957)
• Perennial and Biennial Forage Species Production (1957)
• Silage Crops Production (1957)
• Establishment – Four Warm Season Grasses (1957)
• Fertilization (1957)
• Renovation – Bermudagrass Forage Yields (1957)
• Weed Control – Curly Dock (1957)
• Pasture – Dallisgrass – White Clover (1957)
• Seed Production – Warm Season Grasses (1957)
• Growth Responses – Four Sweetclovers (1957)

• Small Grain for Forage – Varieties, Mixtures, and Fertilization (1958)
• Winter Grasses – Performance (1958)
• Winter Annual Legumes – Performance and Fertilization (1958)
• Summer Annual Grasses – Performance (1958)
• Perennial Warm Season Varieties and Management Practices (1958)
• Perennial and Biennial Legumes – Performance (1958)
• Weed Control Studies (1958)
• Pasture Grazing Studies (1958)
• Grass Establishment Studies (1958)
• Silage Crop Evaluations (1958)
• Soybeans (1958)
• Growth Bahavior Studies – Oats and Sweet Clover (1958)
• Seed Production of Warm Season Grasses (1958)

• Variety Performance – Annual Grasses (1959)
• Variety Performance – Perennial Grasses (1959)
• Variety Performance – Legumes (1959)
• Grass Improvement – Blue Panic, Kleingrass (1959)
• Establishment – Time of Seeding, Rates, Chemical Treatments (1959)
• Management – Fertilization (1959)
• Management – Cultivation (1959)
• Management – Stage of Cutting (1959)
• Management – Weed Control (1959)
• Pasture Production and Management (1959)
• Grazing Studies – Angleton (1959)
• Growth and Development – Small Grains, Kleingrass, Sideoats Grama (1959)
• Seed Production – Warm Season Grasses and White Clover (1959)

• Variety Performance – Annual Grasses (1960)
• Variety Performance -Perennial Grasses (1960)
• Variety Performance -Legumes (1960)
• Grass Improvement – Blue Panic, Kleingrass (1960)
• Establishment and Management (1960)
• Grazing Studies – Angleton (1960)
• Growth and Development – Small Grain, Ryegrass, Alfalfa (1960)
• Seed Production (1960)

• Variety Performance – Annual Grasses (1961)
• Variety Performance – Perennial Grasses (1961)
• Variety Performance – Legumes (1961)
• Establishment (1961)
• Establishment and Management – Bermudagrass, Angletongrass (1961)
• Establishment and Management -Stage of Maturity (1961)
• Establishment and Management -Fertilization (1961)
• Establishment and Management -Weed Control (1961)
• Grazing Studies (1961)
• Growth and Development – Dallisgrass and Kleingrass (1961)
• Forage Quality – Forage Sorghum Harvested Stages of Maturity (1961)
• Forage Quality – Gulf Ryegrass (1961)
• Seed Production of Introduced Bluestems (1961)

• Variety Performance – Annual Grasses (1962)
• Variety Performance – Perennial Grasses – Bluestems (1962)
• Variety Performance – Legumes (1962)
• Establishment and Management – Seeding Rate and Date (1962)
• Establishment and Management – Coastal Bermudagrass Management (1962)
• Establishment and Management – Stage of Maturity – Sudan (1962)
• Establishment and Management – Fertilization (1962)
• Establishment and Management – Weed Control (1962)
• Small Grain Pasture, McGregor (1962)
• Pasture Fertilization and Management, Lufkin (1962)
• Growth and Development – Ryegrass (1962)
• Seed Production of Introduced Bluestems (1962)
• Panicum Introductions (1962)
• Kleingrass (1962)
• Blue Panic Improvement (1962)
• Evaluation of Guar Varieties (1962)

• Variety Performance – Annual Grasses (1963)
• Establishment – Date of Planting and Seeding Rate (1963)
• Establishment and Management – Coastal Bermudagrass Management (1963)
• Establishment and Management – Gulf Ryegrass Management (1963)
• Establishment and Management – Fertilization (1963)
• Establishment and Management – Weed Control (1963)
• Grazing Management – Ryegrass (1963)
• Grazing Management – Dallisgrass – White Clover (1963)
• Small Grain Pasture, McGregor (1963)
• Coastal Bermudagrass Digestibility (1963)
• Evaluation of Introduced Bluestems (1963)
• Blue Panic Improvement (1963)
• Kleingrass (1963)

• Variety Performance – Annual Grasses (1964)
• Establishment – Grasses and Legumes (1964)
• Management – Bermudagrass, Ryegrass, Sudan (1964)
• Fertilization – Small Grain, Ryegrass, Sudan, Coastal (1964)
• Establishment and Management – Small Grain – Ryegrass Mixtures (1964)
• Establishment and Management – Weed Control (1964)
• Growth Behavior and Management – Blue Panic (1964)
• Grazing Management – Ryegrass (1964)
• Small Grain Pasture – McGregor (1964)
• Digestibility of Annual Grasses (1964)

• Variety Performance – Annual Grasses (1965)
• Establishment – Grasses and Legumes (1965)
• Management – Bermudagrass, Ryegrass, Sudan (1965)
• Fertilization – Small Grain, Ryegrass, Sudan, Sorgham, Coastal, Kleingrass (1965)
• Establishment and Management – Small Grain – Ryegrass Mixtures (1965)
• Establishment and Management – Ryegrass – Legume Mixtures (1965)
• Establishment and Management – Weed Control (1965)
• Growth Behavior and Management – Hybrid Sudangrass (1965)
• Grazing Management – Angleton, Beeville, McGregor (1965)
• Nitrate – Vitamin A – Carotene (1965)
• Grass Improvement – Blue Panicgrass, Kleingrass (1965)

• Variety Performance – Annual Grasses (1966)
• Establishment – Gulf Ryegrass, Silage Crops (1966)
• Management – Sudan, Kleingrass (1966)
• Fertilization – Kleingrass, Small Grain, Coastal, Sudan, Sorghum (1966)
• Establishment and Management -Weed Control – Arsenic Residue (1966)
• Growth Behavior and Management – Forage Sorghums, Light Intensity and Winter Crops (1966)
• Grazing Management – McGregor (1966)
• Nitrate Accumulation in Small Grain (1966)
• Forage Production in Pecan Orchards (1966)
• Grass Improvement – Ryegrass, Panicum (1966)

• Variety Performance – Annual Grasses (1967)
• Establishment – Seeding Rate – Row Spacing – Silage Crops (1967)
• Management – Blue Panicgrass, Kleingrass (1967)
• Fertilization – Small Grain, Sudan, Sorghum, Coastal (1967)
• Growth Behavior and Management – Sudan Hybrid, Light Intensity and Winter Crops (1967)
• Forage Production in Pecan Orchards (1967)
• Grass Improvement – Panicum (1967)
• Variety Performance – Small Grain for Forage, Three Locations (1968)
• Variety Performance – Ryegrass, Three Locations (1967)
• Variety Performance – Warm-Season Grass (1967)
• Variety Performance – Arrowleaf and White Clover, Lupine (1967)
• Grass Breeding – Blue Panicgrass, Kleingrass, Panicum (1967)
• Establishment and Management – Kleingrass, Blue Panicgrass (1967)
• Growth Behavior and Management – Hybrid Sudangrass, Small Grain, Ryegrass (1967)
• Forage Production in Conjunction with Peacan Production (1967)