Orchardgrass
Dactylis glomerata
Orchardgrass is a very robust, drought, and shade tolerant grass. Orchardgrass was introduced into the US from Great Britain, but grows throughout the world in areas of moderate to high rainfall with moderate winters and warm summers. Growth starts early in the spring as daytime temperatures increase, new tiller formation decreases and increases again only after the days become shorter in the fall. Orchardgrass is more heat tolerant than Timothy, but less than tall fescue. However, orchardgrass is very winterhardy after establishment. It is aggressive in mixtures with other grasses, but we have developed varieties (such as Donata) that combine the ability to produce stem-free grass under dry conditions with less aggressiveness towards other grasses.
Breeding is Focused on:
- Good yields in summer & fall
- Improved digestibility & palatability
- Resistance to cold
- Dense & prostrate types suitable for grazing
- Upright types suitable for cutting & legume mixtures
- Disease resistance (Puccinia striformis, Rhynchosporium, mildew & Mastigosporium)
Olathe - Improved disease resistance and heat tolerance.
Amba - Broadly adapted, good disease resistance.
Endurance - High yields, good persistence under heat and grazing. Supplemental Data
Inavale - Broad adaptability, improved disease resistance.
Orca - Winterhardy, high yield.
Athos - Excellent forage quality, good disease resistance.
Sparta - Reliable performance, persistent.
Caputr - Very Late Maturity, High yield, improved rust resistance, high salt tolerance.
Echelon - High combination of DM yield and forage quality, persistence. Supplemental Data
Tucker - NEW TO DLF - high yielder of palatable, digestible forage, Tucker will increase animal health and nutrition, therefore decreasing input costs and increasing profits.