| Scientific name: | Phalaris arundinacea L. |
| Cultivars: | Improved cultivars: Castor, Grove, Rival, Ioreed, Palaton, RP 200, Vantage, and Venture.
Low alkaloid cultivars (preferred): Palaton, Rival, and Venture. |
| Origin: | North America, Europe, and Asia |
| Growth Habit: | Sod-forming, 4 to 6 ft tallOne of the earliest grass in spring |
| Life Cycle: | Perennial |
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| Use |
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| Production: | 3 to 5 tons DM/acre are common on fertile soils.Preferable in areas that are too wet for other forage species to be productive. |
| Nutritive Value: | Medium digestibility and protein (vegetative stage before flowering) |
| Herbaria Image: | Click this link |
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| Identification |
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| Seed Head: | Panicle (compact) 2 to 8 inches long |
| Seed: | 1/8 in may have hairs, back of seed is glossy |
| Shoot: | Coarse stem, rounded and robust |
| Leaf: | Long, broad, light green, flat with rough edges |
| Auricles: | Absent |
| Ligule: | Rounded, long and not notched |
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| Adaptation |
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| Soil: | Fine to medium texture |
| pH: | Moderate acid to alkaline |
| Moisture: | Poorly drained soils. |
| Temperature: | Very winter hardy |
| Other: | Popular for erosion control, buffer zones and forages. Grows along waterways |
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| Establishment - Management |
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| Seeding rate: | 5-7 lbs/acre Plant with oats at 1 to 1 1/2 bushels (30 to 40 lb of oats)Seed has low germination percentage sometimes; use fresh seed of known qualityIf planting vegetative material, sections of well-jointed stems will quickly root in |
| Seed cost: | |
| Planting date: | Early spring to late fall.Seed planted in spring will grow to 10 - 20 inches during the first yearSeed planted in fall before soil freezes will remain dormant and germinate the following spring |
| Planting depth: | < 1/2 inch |
| Frost seeding: | Not suitable |
| Fertilization: | Annual nitrogen application |
| Grazing: | Best suited for grazingAllow full establishment before grazing. 1-2 hay harvests are recommended before grazing. Stubble of 4 to 6inches after grazing or harvest. Graze at A 10-12inch.Must be grazed or harvested before head |
| Hay: | Harvest upon appearance of first seedheads. |
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| Notes |
| Contains alkaloids that decrease palatability and also affects animals causing poor rates of gain.Low palatability but cattle gets accustomed to grazing it Use varieties with low concentration alkaloids. Initial growth is slow.Satisfactory grass haysilage if cut when first heads and allowed to wilt to 40-50 percent moisture |
