Orchardgrass is also known as cocksfoot. Initial flowering in the spring does not usually occur until late May in southern Pennsylvania and June in northern Pennsylvania and New York, depending on the variety and location in the state. The fertility requirement for phosphorous and potassium is moderate to high. There are some varietal variations but, in general, orchardgrass matures about one week earlier than tall fescue and about two weeks before smooth bromegrass. <> Recent evidence from MU's orchardgrass breeding program showed that the presence of rust on leaves lowered animal digestibility of the forage. I always bushogged it about 6 inches tall and it had a lot of red clover mixed in. Leave some of the plants to form mature seed heads and allow them to reseed for a consistent supply of the plants. Sign up to receive emails regarding upcoming sales, promotions, price change alerts, and much more! For highest quality and high yielding hay, orchardgrass should be harvested in spring during boot stage. Phosphorus is very important for good root development. 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. Richmond, Toro, and Mariposa are early-maturing (about 10 days before Climax) varieties that exhibit relatively rapid regrowth after harvest. Download Technical Bulletin: HLR Download Supplemental Flyer: F-53 HLR Orchardgrass If P and K are limiting, other cool season grasses . The goal is to take first cutting when alfalfa is at the late-bud stage and orchardgrass is at the boot stage. It also enhances the nitrogen in soil when planted deep with abundant water. This article appeared in the March 2018 issue of. 0000074454 00000 n The summer re-growth may be used for grazing, but avoid heavy grazing during September and October. The best stands of timothy are obtained when seeds are sown not deeper than inch in a well-prepared, firm seedbed. Clovers are more aggressive as seedlings than are perennial grasses. Amendment with organic fertilizers rich in nitrogen is recommended. Orchardgrass can be planted either in early spring or late summer depending on the area of the country. It blooms and matures seed on average of 10-14 days later than commercial varieties. It yields very well without much input and it stockpiles well. Caution must be used not to bury the seed after broadcast seeding. (Read more). The best and most practical means of controlling diseases, hence improving animal performance and stand persistence, is to plant varieties that are resistant or highly tolerant to foliar diseases. Accessibility Statement 8\lR1bgm!Wz1H2H}-YFFc U:@ 1F3}H8A1? Later has a heading date more similar to alfalfa and used in many mixes. Add to cart. However, fall seedings are more successful because the cool fall weather is more suitable for timothy growth, and weeds are less of a problem. 0000074971 00000 n Late summer seedings, however, have been most successful in Pennsylvania. Drilling orchardgrass and the companion legume seed is preferred. Thus, there is a need to better understand the genetic basis of flowering time in orchardgrass and develop late-flowering populations. Use our feedback form for questions or comments about this publication. Easy! Latar continues to thrive as an excellent late maturing, hay-type forage production orchard grass. Heide, O.M. 0000090939 00000 n When using pure stands for hay, it is imperative that nitrogen be applied in combination with adequate phosphorous and potassium. It blooms and matures seed on average of 10-14 days later than commercial varieties. vr&Q3$4! This standardized rating scale would not only identify the earliest and latest orchardgrass varieties, but it would also allow comparisons across grass species. Persist is easily . al. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the ability to identify and use molecular markers to identify and select late-heading orchardgrass; and to select superior orchardgrass plants from a promising late-heading orchardgrass breeding population to for further cultivar development. (Read more). Conception rate of the cows was 18 percentage points higher on the orchardgrass pastures. There is increased risk of winter injury with summer seedings made after mid-August. Call to check availability. 0000003391 00000 n The shift in maturity rating for Profit brings up an important point. Provided site conditions are correct, it is easy to establish and durable. Many companies sell late-maturing varieties, but it is often hard to determine what is meant by late maturing from a company advertisement. Stands become clumpy with age and have a short life (usually less than five years). However, it will not tolerate wet areas as well as reed canarygrass or tall fescue. of annual precipitation. Fertility needs at seeding should be determined by a soil test. Delaying grazing will reduce timothy's stored energy reserves and ultimately reduce its persistence. Leaves are broadly tapered to a point and the base is v-shaped. 0000062420 00000 n > It produces less fall growth than tall fescue under similar growing conditions. 8_XE{8+1J$a8M4Wh!X%iCj h0LX ]v%5b PB#a CM@`Y[.%G` ah BE"7/4| e(3 Nitrogen applied at the time of seeding, along with timely applications over the growing seasons, can greatly increase total dry matter production. Originally from the Mediterranean region, it was introduced to North America in the 1800s as a forage alternative. Orchard grass. Pest Management: This is a complicated aspect of orchard weeds, as there are many who are now trying to show the beneficial aspects of plant diversity in orchards. It is not as winter hardy or drought tolerant as smooth bromegrass, but it can survive and be highly productive throughout all of Pennsylvania. Listed/recommended in . For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery, Poisonous Weeds and Cherry Leaves in Pastures, Extending the Grazing Season with Plant Diversity, Cyanide Poisoning of Livestock from Cherry Tree Leaves. Orchardgrass is one of the earliest species to grow in the spring, making tremendous growth during cool conditions. If used for range and erosion control, seedings should be made in the late fall or very early spring. I have had Orchard Grass pastures before when I had horses. 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. Check out Tucker Orchardgrass Seed Mix here. Theses and dissertations ?=~I&+!WYV}Ltp?Q0]3" f1|\6tMHlY(75b[7]KEG# Many texts and producers refer to ""boot stage"" because of its implication to quality harvesting. 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. Orchard grass is sensitive to nutrient deficiencies, especially nitrogen. In the study, the carrying capacity of orchardgrass was well above bromegrass and slightly less than fescue. %PDF-1.5 As tillage, it is turned under in late winter. Companion legumes will require lime applications to be worked into the soil at least six months preceding planting. Some growers wait until mid- to late summer to minimize weather risks or cut off late emerging weeds. 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. Diseases of orchardgrass are also partly responsible for stand depletions. ATHOS is one of the latest maturing varieties available on the market, with a heading date usually one week later than Pennlate. Conclusion. There is a risk when seeding these together, however. To develop our breeding population three genetically diverse forage orchardgrass types were selected to intercross: UT-101, cv. . 0000011623 00000 n If youre irrigated and wantHUGE production, this is your grass! Grass stands harvested at the boot stage (before seedhead emergence) will have increased yield over vegetative stands, but the quality is lower. 0000037496 00000 n 0000068955 00000 n Delay in harvest will reduce forage quality significantly. | It really shines in its ability to produce late season growth. Harvesting at a height of four inches will help maintain strong root reserves, leading to fast recovery of re-growth and better stand persistence. Top dressings with lime, phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) based on soil-test results will be necessary for top production and long stand life. Orchardgrass will persist and make reasonable yields on soils that have moderately poor drainage. Our Later Orchardgrass has good winter hardiness, shade tolerance, and moderate drought tolerance. Grass, Orchard Grass. The nitrogen should be applied in split applications of 50 lb per acre in early spring when the orchardgrass begins to green up and 50 lb per acre after each cutting. In addition, harvesting at early heading reduces yields and persistence, compared with harvesting at either early or late bloom (Table 3). in length. Among the better orchardgrass uses is its ability to add nitrogen to the soil. Where each variety ranked for maturity varied from state to state. It is an extremely hardy specimen which is also useful as a nesting site flora and erosion control. Planting depth is 1/4 to 1/2 inch. > Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. 2; Timothy is responsive to N fertilization whenever the legume content in the stand is less than 30 percent. Spring seedings should be successful if made in late March to early April in the southern part of the state, and most of April is considered satisfactory in north Missouri. Early stand depletion has been one of the major complaints from farmers. Stands of orchardgrass will often be more persistent when grown with a companion legume. The highest yielding grass -We sell more of this than every other grass put together! I tested hay from 2007 thru 2013. 2 0 obj The intermediate to late heading varieties in HLR are ideal ADAPTATION - CLIMATE HLR Orchardgrass is ideally suited to the northern and central regions of the United States. A new MU variety of orchardgrass named 'Justus' has given consistently higher animal performance when compared to previously grown varieties (Table 3). HLR orchardgrass is tolerant to rust and other leaf diseases. 0000065774 00000 n . Orchardgrass is more tolerant of acid soils than timothy or bromegrass but will respond to limestone that is applied for a companion legume. Orchardgrass is fast-growing and matures very early in the spring. xZMs8b$r$:L9lM JX)H;)|h~hb_{:=9_5l;]ix3c$$S6ddOOW5`Ep? 0000004576 00000 n Because it is non-toxic, stands that lose vigor can be over-seeded in fall, at a rate of about 15 pounds per acre. The almost sudden appearance of the seedhead is caused by rapid elongation of the peduncle (uppermost internode of the culm). 8IB2I ? 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