Grasses

Orchard Grass
Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata L.): Orchard Grass is a perennial cool season bunch type grass. It is a high-yielding pasture and hay type forage. You can find this grass in the Midwest, Northeast or Northwestern parts of the United States. It is palatable, has a fair amount of winter hardiness and does well in drought situations. It can grow 24-48 inches in height. The leaf tips ends are boat-shaped blades, there are no auricles present and the cross section of the leaf balde is V-shaped. It has a rounded culm enveloping a flattened sheath. The infliresecence are opened panicale with three to five flroets per spikelet.
Soil
Drainage:
Somewhat Poorly Drained
Fertility:
Medium
pH:
5.5-8.2
Seed
Color:
Light tan.
Shape:
Keel shaped; lemma pointed and twisted; rachilla long and slender.
Other Characteristics:
Cilia on keel (mostly rubbed off in commercial handling).
Pounds Per Bushel:
14
Seeds Per Pound:
654,000
Seeding Rate:
10 pounds PLS per acre.
Seeding Date (Indiana):
Mar 1-May 1 or Aug 1-Sept 1
Emergence Time (Days):
18
Optimum Germ. Temp. (F):
60-75
Tall Fescue
Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.):  Tall Fescue is a perennial cool season grass that has medium palatability. It grows in bunches with a tendency to form tight sod. It has a fair about of winter hardiness and drought tolerance. It is a high-yielding grass that is typically mixed with legumes for hay and soil conservation. This grass grows in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern parts of the United States. It will grow 24-48 inches in height. The culm is round, the leaves are dull on the upper surface and shiny on the underside. The leaf veins are distinct with blunt and hairy auricles. It has open panicle with five to nine florets per spikelet.
Soil
Drainage:
Somewhat Poorly Drained
Fertility:
Medium
pH:
5.4-6.2
Seed
Color:
Tannish-brown.
Shape:
Oblong; rachilla slender, round, and knobbed.
Other Characteristics:
Lemma nerves are inconspicuous on dry seed.
Pounds Per Bushel:
22
Seeds Per Pound:
227,000
Seeding Rate:
15 pounds PLS per acre.
Seeding Date (Indiana):
Mar 1-May 1 or Aug 1- Sept 1
Emergence Time (Days):
14
Optimum Germ. Temp. (F):
60-85

Perennial Ryegrass
Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.): Although the name implies this grass to be a perennial, it can also be an annual. This cool season grass is very palatable and has fair winter hardiness and poor drought tolerance. It tends to grow in bunches. The grass is low to medium yielding, but is quick to establish. It is found in pastures, hay and turf fields primarily in the Southeast and Northwestern parts of the United States. It will grow 12-24 inches in height. The culm is flat and wiry while the leaves are sparse with a glossy underside. The auricles are present, but the ligule are difficult to see. The cross section of the leaf blade is V-shaped. The inflorescences are spiked with 35 spiklets per spike. There are six to 10 florets per spikelet.
Soil
Drainage:
Somewhat Poorly Drained
Fertility:
Medium-High
pH:
5.6-6.2
Seed
Color:
Tan
Shape:
Oblong; rachilla flat and wedged shaped, not knobbed.
Other Characteristics:
Awns usually absent.
Pounds Per Bushel:
24
Seeds Per Pound:
227,000
Seeding Rate:
15-20 pounds PLS per acre.
Seeding Date (Indiana):
Mar 1-May 1 or Aug 1-Sept 1
Emergence Time (Days):
14
Optimum Germ. Temp. (F):
60-75
Kentucky Bluegrass
Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.): Kentucky Bluegrass is a perennial cool season grass that can be found throughout North America, primarily in the Northeaster quarter. This grass is highly palatable and has good winter hardiness, althought it does poorly in drought environments. The grass produces excellent quality forage and turf productus, but the yield is very low. It will grow 12-40 inches in height. It has a round culm with leaves that have boat-shaped ends. There are median lines persent on each side of the midrib, no auricles present with small ligules. The cross section of the leaf blade is V-shaped. It has an open panicle with three to five florets per spikelet.
Soil
Drainage:
Somewhat Poorly Drained
Fertility:
Medium
pH:
5.8-6.5
Seed
Color:
Light tan to brown
Shape:
Elliptical; sharp, pointed lemma
Other Characteristics:
Numerous veins or nerves on lemma
Pounds Per Bushel:
14
Seeds Per Pound:
2,177,000
Seeding Rate:
5-10 pound PLS per acre.
Seeding Date (Indiana):
Feb 1 -May 1 or Aug 1- Sept 15
Emergence Time (Days):
28
Optimum Germ. Temp. (F):
60-75


Timothy
Timothy (Phleum pratense L.): Timothy this a perennial cool season grass that tends to grow in bunches. It has high palatability and has good winter hardiness, although performs poorly in drought situations. This grass normally grows in the upper Midwest and Northeastern parts of the United States. It is a medium to high-yielding cool season pasture and hay grass. It will grow 20-40 inches in height. The culm is round and the leaves have cilia on the leaf margin and shoulders. There are no auricles present and the ligule are lacerated. The cross section of the leaf is flat. It has compact and spikelike panicle with one floret per spikelet.
Soil
Drainage:
Somewhat Poorly Drained
Fertility:
Medium
pH:
5.4-6.2
Seed
Color:
Light tan.
Shape:
Wedge-shaped; bare seed round with thin, silvery lemma attached.
Pounds Per Bushel:
45
Seeds Per Pound:
1,230,000
Seeding Rate:
3-6 pounds PLS per acre (heavier rate for spring planting).
Seeding Date (Indiana):
Feb 1-May1 or Aug 1-Sept 1
Emergence Time (Days):
10
Optimum Germ. Temp. (F):
60-85


Reed Canarygrass
Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.): Reed Canarygrass is a cool season perennial grass that grows in the Northern half of the United States. It has low palatability and good winter hardiness and drought tolerance. It is a high-yielding grass that is used in hay fields and soil conversvatio uses. It can grow 24-72 inches in height.



Soil
Drainage:
Very Poorly Drained
Fertility:
Medium-High
pH:
5.8-8.2
Seed
Color:
Bare seed shiny gray to olive brown; often covered by lemmaand palea.
Shape:
Oblong and pointed at base.
Other Characteristics:
Two hairy bristles at base oseeds (most rubbed off during commercial handling).
Pounds Per Bushel:
44-48
Seeds Per Pound:
533,000
Seeding Rate:
6-8 pounds PLS per acre.
Seeding Date (Indiana):
Mar 1-May 1 or Aug 1-Sept 1
Emergence Time (Days):
21
Optimum Germ. Temp. (F):
70-85

Smooth Bromegrass
Smooth Bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.): Smooth Bromegrass is a perennial cool season grass that is very palatible. It has good winter hardiness and drought tolerance. It is a high-yielding grass that is used in hay fields and soil conversvatio uses. It can be found in the Northern half of the United States wiht it being most prevelent in the upper Midwest. It will grow 20-40 inches in height had has a round culm. The leaves have slight constriction about midway from the tip to the collar forming a 'M' or 'W' shape. The aricles are not present and the ligule are round-edged. The panicle is open with five to 11 florets per spikelet.
Soil
Drainage:
Somewhat Poorly Drained
Fertility:
High
pH:
5.8-6.5
Seed
Color:
Grayish-tan lemma and palea tightly adheres to brown to purple caryopsis.
Shape:
Flat and oblong with brodest area toward one end.
Other Characteristics:
--
Pounds Per Bushel:
14
Seeds Per Pound:
138,000
Seeding Rate:
10-15 pounds PLS per acre.
Seeding Date (Indiana):
Feb 1-May1 or Aug 1-Sept 1
Emergence Time (Days):
14
Optimum Germ. Temp. (F):
70-85

Switchgrass
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.): Switchgrass is a perennial warm season grass that is high yielding in warm season pasture and hay fields and can be used as wildlife cover. It is has good winter hardiness and drought tolerance. Its growth habit is bunchlinke and it can be found in the Great Palins and Midwestern parts of the United States. It grows three to six feet in height. This grass has a round culm with leaves that have small nest of hair where the blades attaches to the sheath. It has an open panicle.

Soil
Drainage:
Somewhat Poorly Drained
Fertility:
Low-Medium
pH:
5.4-8.2
Seed
Color:
Floret shiny greenish-tan; bare caryopsisgray
Shape:
Pointed column.
Other Characteristics:
--
Pounds Per Bushel:
40
Seeds Per Pound:
389,000
Seeding Rate:
5-8 pounds PLS per acre.
Seeding Date (Indiana):
Apr 15-May 30
Emergence Time (Days):
21
Optimum Germ. Temp. (F):
60-70


Indiangrass
Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash): Indiangrass is a perennial warm season grass that can be found throught the Grat Plains and Midwestern parts of the United States. This grass has good winter hardiness and drought tolerance. It is high-yielding and can grow four to eight feet in height. The culm is round with leaves that are upright and have claw-like ligule. The inflorescence are plumelinke with golden panicle.






Soil
Drainage:
Moderately Well Drained
Fertility:
Low-Medium
pH:
5.4-6.2
Seed
Color:
Bare seed and spikelet reddish-brown.
Shape:
Caryopsis a pointed column; spikelet keel-shaped with two rachillas attached.
Other Characteristics:
Lemma awned.
Pounds Per Bushel:
8 Bearded, 25 Debearded
Seeds Per Pound:
175,000
Seeding Rate:
8-10 pounds PLS per acre.
Seeding Date (Indiana):
Apr 15-May 30
Emergence Time (Days):
28
Optimum Germ. Temp. (F):
60-85

Sorghum-Sudangrass Hybrid
Sorghum-Sudangrass Hybrid (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench): Sorghum-Sudangrass Hybrid is a summer annual warm season grass that grows in bunches. It does not have any winter hardiness, but does well in drought environments. It has medium to high palatibility and supplements warm season pastures. It will grow seven feet in height and has a coarse and erect culm. The leaves are corn-shpaed that are short and not as wide, the blades are waxy and glabrous. It has an open panicle.


Soil
Drainage:
Moderately Well Drained
Fertility:
Medium-High
pH:
6.0-6.5
Seed
Color:
Dark brown-purple; glossy blackglumes.
Shape:
Oblong; pointed on one end.
Other Characteristics:
--
Pounds Per Bushel:
56
Seeds Per Pound:
28,000
Seeding Rate:
20 pounds PLS per acre.
Seeding Date (Indiana):
May 1-July 15
Emergence Time (Days):
10
Optimum Germ. Temp. (F):
60-85



Sudangrass
Sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench): Sudangrass is a summer annual warm season grass that grows in bunches. It has high palatability, no winter hardiness and good drought tolerance. This grass could be found throughout the U.S. and in supplemental warm season pastures, greenchp, silage and hay. It will grow up to 15 feet. It has a fine erect culm with leaves that are long and narrow. It has an open panicle.

Soil
Drainage:
Moderately Well Drained
Fertility:
Medium-High
pH:
6.0-6.5
Seed
Color:
Brown-tan; often covered by lemma andpalea.
Shape:
Oblong; pointed at one end.
Other Characteristics:
--
Pounds Per Bushel:
40
Seeds Per Pound:
55,000
Seeding Rate:
25 pounds PLS per acre.
Seeding Date (Indiana):
May 1-July 15
Emergence Time (Days):
10
Optimum Germ. Temp. (F):
60-85

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)