Lecture 11 - Timothy, tall fescue, orchardgrass, russian wild rye, native plants Flashcards
(21 cards)
characteristics of timothy
- highly compressed panicle (many spikelets that look spikelike)
- long lived perennial bunchgrass
- shallow root system
adaptations of timothy
- poor drought tolerance
- tolerates poorly drained soils (4wks of spring flooding)
- winter hardy
- slow regrowth (not good for pasture)
t/f, timothy requires vernalization
f, no vernalization required
what kind of animal is timothy often used for
horses
what species has similar adaptation to the wheatgrasses
the wildryes
characteristics of russian wildrye
- extensive root system
- many basal leaves
- slow stand establishment
adaptations of russian wildrye
- moderate-high salinity tolerance
- palatable and high protein in late season
- drought tolerance
t/f: russian wild rye has allelopathy
t
why is wild rye best suited to pasture
- permanent when well established
- early spring growth
- good for fall and winter grazing
- difficult for hay due to basal leaves
characteristics of tall fescue
- short rhizome
- bunch type appearance
adaptations of tall fescue
- marginal winter and drought tolerance
- moderate salinity tolerance
- can survive 2wks of spring flooding
why is tall fescue good for pasture
- fast regrowth and good quality in fall
- palatable but coarse leaf
problem with tall fescue
can get endophytic fungus that produces alkaloids, which is toxic to animals and can cause skin issues
characteristics of orchard grass
- light green colour ( looks N deficient)
- bunchgrass with basal leaves
- early maturing
- extensive root system
adaptations of orchardgrass
- moderate winter hardiness
- not as drought tolerant as bromes and wheatgrasses
major use of orchardgrass
pasture
why is orchardgrass good for pasture
- new tillers develop continuously
- has basal leaves
- excellent regrwoth under good moisture
what is one of the most threatened ecosystems
fescue prairies
what is the dominant species of fescue prairies
plains rough fescue grass
types of native prairie forages
- plains rough fescue
- little bluestem
- side-oats grama
- prairie sandreed
- purple prairie clover
- white prairie clover
native bromegrasses of the prairies
richardson brome
fringed brome
nodding brome
