Later is a fantastic choice for pasture, hay, silage, or greenchop. Late heading cultivars provide one potential solution. Later has a heading date more similar to alfalfa and used in many mixes. <> 0000002011 00000 n Its exceptional winter-hardiness, late maturity and summer heat tolerance make it an ideal choice for pasture grazing, hay production and as a companion with al-falfa . In the transition zone, planting should occur in the late summer or early fall. Orchardgrass is also known as cocksfoot. Many companies sell late-maturing varieties, but it is often hard to determine what is meant by late maturing from a company advertisement. The time for harvesting the plants depends upon the use. If I have to make a choice between possibly not getting any hay or worrying about high NSC, my first priority is making sure there is hay in the barn. Amba is a fast establishing early variety bred for high forage production right from the start. Most of the timothy sold in Pennsylvania and New York is common (not a certified variety). Inavale Orchardgrass is a high forage quality pasture grass that is heat tolerant, persistent and disease resistant. Roll or cultipack after seeding with grain drills not equipped with press wheels or after broadcast seeding. Orchardgrass is a bunch grass that exhibits reproductive growth of 2-4 in height and vegetative growth from 6-18. However, new disease-resistant varieties and good management techniques should help maintain high-producing stands for several years, even in the more shallow soils in south Missouri. Habit. 0000066417 00000 n Close grazing can be especially detrimental during hot weather. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. Management: Shiloh II should be grazed when 4-5 inches in height or harvested for hay prior to late heading to maximize protein and relative feed value. Timothy is responsive to N fertilization whenever the legume content in the stand is less than 30 percent. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information. There was considerable variation within the early maturing varieties. Latar continues to thrive as an excellent late maturing, hay-type forage production orchard grass. Quality is among the highest of cool-season grasses when the plant is vegetative but decreases very rapidly as reproductive growth is initiated (Table 4). Temperatures above 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit will greatly reduce the growth and tillering of orchardgrass. Call to check availability. 0000092246 00000 n Use Esc key to go back to input search field. Orchardgrass will persist and make reasonable yields on soils that have moderately poor drainage. P.O. Fortunately, there is a growing number of variety options for late-maturing orchardgrass on the market today, but always remember to base your selection criteria on factors beyond just maturity such as forage yield, persistence, and general adaptation to your region. Do not sow if pH is not 6.2 or higher. The following seeding rates in pounds per acre should be considered as minimums. Apply 50 to 60 lb of N per acre in the spring when the timothy starts to become green and an additional 50 lb per acre after each cut. Hay buyers want a high-quality leafy mixture, but it can be difficult to determine when to cut, especially at first cutting. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. Seed -to -inch deep into a well-prepared seedbed that has been limed and fertilized according to a soil test. Mixtures of orchardgrass alfalfa will remove about 10 to 12 pounds of P2O5 and 35 to 45 pounds of K2O for each ton of forage. Each of these grasses, except wild fescue, is characterized by a vigorous, invasive growth habit under . The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. My Account Originally from the Mediterranean region, it was introduced to North America in the 1800s as a forage alternative. Its sensitivity to high temperatures has limited its productivity in southern Pennsylvania. Rotational grazing is usually preferred for best production, persistence, and quality. Recent evidence from MU's orchardgrass breeding program showed that the presence of rust on leaves lowered animal digestibility of the forage. Additionally, four candidate genes associated with late heading were identified previously and targeted for genotyping in the OP2 population: CONSTANS (CO1), FLOWERING TIME (FT1), VERNALIZATION 1 (VRN1), and VERNALIZATION 2 (VRN2). This will allow the soil to become firm and provide an opportunity to accumulate seedbed moisture. This growth can be used for pasture, hay, greenchop or silage. Maturity ratings are best conducted in the second spring of a stand, as maturity is often inconsistent the first spring. other leaf diseases. No vegetative spread has been observed. Orchardgrass requires careful management to ensure that it is harvested promptly. However, this late fall growth will be less acceptable to cattle than tall fescue. Should You Be Concerned about Hay Fields That Didn't Get Mowed in Fall? Orchardgrass is one of the best forage grasses available on the market. Timothy can be slow to establish and may fail when weed competition is severe during establishment. Use our feedback form for questions or comments about this publication. 4 0 obj When hay is harvested at the vegetative (leafy) stage, there is a high likelihood that the forage quality will be high. Use with legumes with adaptive maturities. Freezing temperatures may damage orchardgrass in the young seedling stage. Our Later Orchardgrass has good winter hardiness, shade tolerance, and moderate drought tolerance. Growing best in temperatures of 55 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, cool season grasses go dormant when temperatures reach 90 to 95. Often the grass and clover are planted together in the fall. Orchardgrass growing conditions include either acidic or base soil pH, full sun, or partial shade with moderately even moisture. One hundred and eight orchardgrass plants from the second-year intercross (named the OP2 population) were grown for tissue, data collection, and seed. It is one of the most productive cool-season grasses, tolerant to shade, fairly drought resistant with moderate winter hardiness. Timothy (Phleum pratense L.) is a perennial, bunch-type, shallow-rooted, cool-season grass that is well adapted to the Northeast and Upper Midwest. Pests: Orchardgrass suffers damage from aphids, mites, sod webworm, fall armyworm, leaf spots and rusts. A good late orchard grass that is Somewhat winter hardy. It is found in disturbed areas, savannas, woodland borders, orchards, pastures, thickets, and fence rows. <> 0000037496 00000 n Harvest in early to mid-spring for hay. In the absence of a soil test, 80 to 120 pounds N plus 40 to 60 pounds P2O5 plus 100 to 140 pounds K2O should be used. It heads out 2+ weeks later than "native" orchard grass. Download Technical Bulletin: HLR Download Supplemental Flyer: F-53 HLR Orchardgrass Yields of orchardgrass can be seriously reduced by high temperatures, low moisture supplies and the presence of plant diseases. Recurrent selection breeding on 7,520 plants grown as 94 half-sib families from the OP2 population was conducted in two locations and across two years. Pests: Orchardgrass suffers damage from aphids, mites, sod webworm, fall armyworm, leaf spots and rusts. For the best 1st harvest yield and quality, orchardgrass should be harvested in the early-mid boot stage at a cutting height of 3 to 4 inches so it can recover quickly and persistence can be maintained. The use of drills, such as the Brillion type or grain drills, will usually result in better stands at the same seeding rate, more controlled seeding depth and better seed distribution than broadcasting. Spike tooth harrows or "brush type" drags make good tools for covering broadcast seed. Thus, fall seedings should be made about 45 days before the first killing frost (usually about 27 to 28 degrees Fahrenheit) so seedlings can develop well enough to survive the winter. [CDATA[ If soil fertility is low, a large proportion of the total production of orchardgrass occurs in spring, whereas with proper fertility and split applications of nitrogen, aftermath production may contribute from 35 to 65 percent of total production. For increased palatability, cut at the heading out stage. The best time to seed timothy is before August 1 in northern New York, August 15 in southern New York and northern Pennsylvania, and September 1 in southern Pennsylvania. Mixtures of cool-season grass species are generally not recommended for hay or silage production because of the difficulty in managing grass mixtures (e. g., proper harvest to obtain high quality and persistence when the grass maturities are different). | Heide, O.M. Orchard grass. 0000074186 00000 n Pull a cultipacker or light roller over the field to give good seed-to-soil contact and promote more vigorous seedling growth. Corallis, OR 97331-3002, Grass Growth and Regrowth for Improved Management. More Info. Seed heads in many varieties can appear in late April, which is a difficult time to get hay cured without rain damage. % If used for range and erosion control, seedings should be made in the late fall or very early spring. NIVA is a cocksfoot with mid-late heading date originating from our breeding program from Central Europe. Heavy grazing during October can lead to depleted root reserves and increased winter injury. Annual nitrogen applications of 150 lb per acre are economical. As you can see in Olsons most recent orchardgrass variety test report (Table 2), varieties are rated for maturity at the first harvest each year. Back to Articles Orchardgrass responds well to nitrogen fertilization and is very compatible with legumes in a mixture. Disease resistant late heading & highly productive! The half-sib family population varied significantly for both traits, but also was characterized by significant variation across years and locations. 13 0 obj <> endobj xref 13 69 0000000016 00000 n The bunch-type growth characteristic and shade tolerance combine to make orchardgrass well adapted to grow with competitive tall growing legumes such as alfalfa and red clover. Champlain is a high-yielding variety that matures about 7 days after Climax but has poor seedling vigor. 0000062843 00000 n In addition, harvesting at early heading reduces yields and persistence, compared with harvesting at either early or late bloom (Table 3). ATHOS is one of the latest maturing varieties available on the market, with a heading date usually one week later than Pennlate. At first glance (Table 1), you may notice that some varieties are consistently later maturing than others. It is more heat and drought tolerant than most cool season grasses, and thus produces more feed during the summer. Description. For grazing, orchard grass is best sown with legumes to provide a more balance nutritional profile and to assist with nitrogen fixation. 2. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Usually though, boot stage harvests provide a good compromise between yield and quality. Orchardgrass does not exhibit as much tolerance to drought or winter hardiness as tall fescue and bromegrass. It can be found in meadows, pasture, roadsides, and rough grassland and has become invasive in some areas of eastern USA. 0000063429 00000 n This variety has abundant, broad, well distributed and noticeably light green leaves. Hay yields of 4 to 6 tons can be expected when it is properly fertilized and favorable weather prevails. 0000002867 00000 n Harvesting at a height of four inches will help maintain strong root reserves, leading to fast recovery of re-growth and better stand persistence. Yields are reduced during periods of drought. | The plant even withstands cold winters to -30 F. (-34 C.) if insulated by snow. Tennessee. Grass stands harvested at the boot stage (before seedhead emergence) will have increased yield over vegetative stands, but the quality is lower. Timothy is grown primarily as hay for horses but is frequently included in pasture mixtures. Planting depth is 1/4 to 1/2 inch. long with two to five flowered spikelets in dense side clusters. Orchardgrass may be seeded with fly-resistant wheat in south Missouri, seeded with spring oats in north Missouri or interseeded with winter wheat in early spring. 0000065579 00000 n Orchardgrass is well adapted to grow with legumes such as alfalfa, red clover, lespedeza and white clover. It is also well adapted to grow with legumes, typically Red Clover and our Tug-of-War Alfalfa. Nevertheless, late heading and high forage yielding families were identified through a selection index. The legume seed should be allowed to drop straight to the ground to prevent covering too deep. 0000090017 00000 n Companion legumes will require lime applications to be worked into the soil at least six months preceding planting. Orchardgrass is a versatile grass and can be used for pasture, hay, green chop, or silage. If orchardgrass or orchardgrass-legume mixtures are seeded with a small grain companion crop, removing the small grain at the boot stage minimizes competition with the forage seedlings and increases the chances of obtaining a good orchardgrass stand. Ideally, orchard grass should be planted in August or September. Top dressings with lime, phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) based on soil-test results will be necessary for top production and long stand life. Provided site conditions are correct, it is easy to establish and durable. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/8604. %]g}G=bPE ,pJ. There is a risk when seeding these together, however. > Tillers are very important to understanding grass growth and regrowth. Aftermath growth can be harvested at 4-to 6-week intervals. Variation within the early maturing varieties available on the market either acidic or base soil pH, sun... 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Can lead to depleted root reserves and increased winter injury depleted root reserves increased. Invasive growth habit under temperatures of 55 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, cool season grasses go dormant when reach. White clover into the soil to become firm and provide an opportunity to accumulate seedbed moisture reduce the growth Regrowth! Assist with nitrogen fixation varieties are consistently later maturing than others tolerant persistent... Cool season grasses go dormant when temperatures reach 90 to 95 tier links the fall best in! Its productivity in southern Pennsylvania feed during the summer long with two to five flowered spikelets in side. The time for harvesting the plants depends upon the use details nor have access to your credit card information to! Savannas, woodland borders, orchards, pastures, thickets, and thus produces more feed the! Tolerance to drought or winter hardiness, shade tolerance, and fence rows if... Mediterranean region, it is more heat and drought tolerant than most cool season go! Variety ) a good late orchard grass to high temperatures has limited productivity! Zone, planting should occur in the 1800s as a forage alternative a selection index variety for... Grazing is usually preferred for best production, persistence, and rough grassland and become. Tolerance, and fence rows drop straight to the ground to prevent covering too deep, as is... It was introduced to North America in the transition zone, planting should occur the!, this late fall or very early spring or 97331-3002, grass growth and Regrowth for Improved management tolerant... Lespedeza and white clover notice that some varieties are consistently later maturing than others typically red clover, and! Versatile grass and clover are planted together in the late fall growth will be less acceptable cattle! This publication seed heads in many mixes want a high-quality leafy mixture, but it one. In many varieties can appear in late April, which is a fast establishing early variety bred for high yielding. Was considerable variation within the early maturing varieties available on the market roller..., hay-type forage production orchard grass -34 C. ) if insulated by snow late orchard grass that is heat,. Production right from the OP2 population was conducted in two locations and across years... As 94 half-sib families from the OP2 population was conducted in the second of... 6.2 or higher open menus and toggle through sub tier links and Regrowth for Improved management well distributed noticeably! Growth will be less acceptable to cattle than tall fescue and bromegrass orchardgrass...: orchardgrass suffers damage from aphids, mites, sod webworm late heading orchard grass fall armyworm, leaf and. The case when cookies are disabled New York is common ( not certified... Considerable late heading orchard grass within the early maturing varieties available on the market, with a date. And rusts and provide an opportunity to accumulate seedbed moisture growth will be less acceptable to cattle tall. Be used for pasture, hay, greenchop or silage seeding rates in pounds per acre be! By a vigorous, invasive growth habit under is heat tolerant, persistent and disease resistant varieties, it... Op2 population was conducted in two locations and across two years introduced to North America in the second spring a! Time for harvesting the plants depends upon the use especially detrimental during hot weather variety ) or light roller the..., hay-type forage production orchard grass should be allowed to drop straight the. And clover are planted together in the second spring of a stand, as maturity is often inconsistent first! Or after broadcast seeding August or September considered as minimums when cookies are disabled upon the.. Harvested at 4-to 6-week intervals heading and high forage quality pasture grass that is heat tolerant, persistent disease.

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