Part 1, Section 8: Forages
Forages
Cool-season grasses
Species and varieties
Orchardgrass
Orchardgrass is a moderately hardy, tallgrowing, high-yielding bunch grass that attains more summer growth than other grasses under an intensive system of cutting management. Because of its growth characteristics, it persists well with alfalfa. Numerous varieties of orchardgrass have been evaluated in research studies. These results appear in the Forage Trials Report, an annual publication available at local offices of Penn State Cooperative Extension.
In general, early-maturing varieties are suitable for pure grass hay or silage, or with legumes for pasture. Do not use in mixtures with legumes for hay or silage. Medium- and late-maturing varieties do well when combined with legumes for hay, silage, or pasture. Later-maturing varieties are best to grow with alfalfa for hay or silage. “Common” orchardgrass is not a variety. Its maturity is not known, but it generally heads earlier than named varieties. It is for general use, but should not be used in mixtures with legumes for hay or silage.
For more detailed information, refer to Agronomy Facts 25: Orchardgrass, also available at your local Penn State Cooperative Extension office.
Bromegrass
Smooth bromegrass. A leafy, late-maturing, sod-forming grass that spreads by underground rhizomes and is rapidly propagated by seed. It can be used for silage, hay, or pasture, alone or in mixture with alfalfa, ladino clover, or red clover. Numerous varieties of bromegrass have been evaluated in research studies. These results appear in the Forage Trials Report, an annual publication available at local offices of Penn State Cooperative Extension. For more detailed information, refer to Agronomy Facts 27: Smooth Bromegrass, also available at your local extension office.
Prairie grass is a tall-growing bromegrass. It differs from smooth bromegrass in not having rhizomes and producing flower heads in every regrowth, especially in fall. Herbage and immature seed heads are palatable for livestock. Matua, the only variety available in the U.S., persists best when managed like alfalfa. Susceptibility to powdery mildew can be a problem in some environments. Prairie grass is a newly introduced grass, and researchers are still evaluating its performance under environmental and management conditions common in Pennsylvania.
For more detailed information, refer to Agronomy Facts 39: Prairie Grass, available at your local extension office.
Timothy
Timothy is a widely adapted bunch grass with a relatively shallow and fibrous root system. It is less competitive with alfalfa and trefoil than other tall grasses and is best suited for hay or silage in combination with alfalfa, red clover, or birdsfoot trefoil. Numerous varieties of timothy have been evaluated in research studies. These results appear in the Forage Trials Report, an annual publication available at local offices of Penn State Cooperative Extension.
For more detailed information, refer to Agronomy Facts 24: Timothy, also available at your local extension office.
Reed canarygrass
A tall, coarse, sod-forming perennial with high yield potential. It grows well in areas with extremely poor drainage and yields well on dry upland sites. Older varieties are relatively high in an alkaloid that makes them less palatable as pasture, as compared to newer varieties. Several varieties of reed canarygrass have been evaluated in research studies. These results appear in the Forage Trials Report, an annual publication available at local offices of Penn State Cooperative Extension.
For more detailed information, refer to Agronomy Facts 26: Reed Canarygrass, also available at your local extension office.
Tall fescue
A deep-rooted, long-lived, sod-forming grass that spreads by short underground stems. In Pennsylvania it is used primarily for conservation purposes, but it is well suited either alone or with ladino clover for hay, silage, or pasture for beef cattle and sheep, including stockpiled pasture or field-stored hay for winter feeding.
Low-quality tall fescue forage, which can result in poor animal performance, is associated with the presence of a fungus (endophyte) growing in the plant. It is suggested that new seedings be made with endophyte-free varieties. Numerous varieties of tall fescue have been evaluated in research studies. These results appear in the Forage Trials Report, an annual publication available at local offices of Penn State Cooperative Extension.
For more detailed information, refer to Agronomy Facts 28: Tall Fescue, also available at your local extension office.
Perennial ryegrass
A highly palatable bunch grass with no creeping growth habit. It normally is considered to be less winter hardy than other forage grasses, such as timothy and orchardgrass, but newer varieties appear to survive satisfactorily especially when grown in mixture with legumes.
Different types of ryegrasses exist. Tetraploid perennial ryegrasses have larger leaves and are more suited for forage crop production than is diploid perennial ryegrass, which is more suitable for turf. Short-rotation ryegrasses are hybrids of perennial ryegrass and annual ryegrass and generally have a shorter stand life. They tend to have a more upright growth habit but continue to produce seed heads throughout the growing season; whereas true perennial ryegrasses produce seed heads only once during the late spring.
Perennial ryegrass varieties can differ in their maturity by over two weeks. Selecting varieties that mature at the same time as the anticipated harvest date in the spring is advised. Numerous varieties of perennial ryegrass have been evaluated in research studies. These results appear in the Forage Trials Report, an annual publication available at local offices of Penn State Cooperative Extension.
For more detailed information, refer to Agronomy Facts 19: Ryegrass, also available at your local extension office.