Cocksfoot

Economic importance

Due to its rapid development, it can produce a high yield of forage mass of excellent quality already in spring. In spring it develops 3 times faster than timothy grass, and in the rate of spring regrowth and after mowing it surpasses other grasses.

It is well suited for establishing grass cover on forage lands and eroded lands.

In mixture with alfalfa it is included in irrigated cotton crop rotations.

Cultivation areas

Cocksfoot has become widespread in the Non-Chernozem Zone, especially in the central and western regions, in irrigated areas of Central Asia, in the North Caucasus and southern Ukraine, where it produces good yields.

Yield

Under favorable conditions, hay yield is 4–5 t/ha.

Botanical description

Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) is a perennial grass of the loose-tufted type.

The root system is fibrous and penetrates the soil to a depth of 100 cm.

The stems are erect, 60–150 cm tall, and well leafy. When overmature, the stems become coarse.

The leaves are broad and long.

The inflorescence is a contracted panicle.

The fruits are membranous, three-angled, and gray. The weight of 1000 seeds is 1.2 g.

Biological characteristics

Cocksfoot is a moisture-loving plant. It tolerates spring flooding poorly.

Winter hardiness is high. In drought resistance and shade tolerance it surpasses timothy and fescue, but in winter hardiness it is inferior to them.

It is demanding on soils. It grows well on drained and cultivated lowland bogs, loamy and clayey soils.

Plant nutrition

To produce 1 t of hay, cocksfoot takes from the soil 23–25 kg N, 4–5 kg P₂O₅, 36–38 kg K₂O. It responds well to the application of nitrogen fertilizers, the application of increased rates of which makes it possible to obtain up to 50 t/ha of green mass (Estonian RI of Agriculture and Land Reclamation).

The application of the liquid fraction of manure as a top dressing under conditions of the central regions of the Non-Chernozem Zone is most effective in spring and after the first cutting.

Vegetation

In the first year of life, cocksfoot forms vegetative shoots with long leaves. Plants reach full development in the third year of life. The development type is winter.

Flowering occurs in June; seed ripening is completed in early July.

Cultivation technology

It is usually sown in grass mixtures with perennial legumes under a cover crop of winter and spring grain crops or annual grasses. Soil tillage and crop care are the same as for the legume component.

The sowing rate when sown pure is 14–20 kg/ha; with the wide-row method for seed production, 8–9 kg/ha. In grass mixtures of field crop rotations the rate is 7–8 kg/ha; in grass mixtures in the Non-Chernozem and Forest-Steppe zones, 11–12 kg/ha; in grass mixtures in the North Caucasus, 8–10 kg/ha.

Seed stands of cocksfoot are harvested with a combine at the stage of full seed ripeness.

Varieties

Dedinovsky 4.

Sverdlovskaya 79.

VIK 61.

Leningradskaya 853.

Moskovskaya 222.

References

1. Vavilov P. P., Gritsenko V. V., Kuznetsov V. S. et al. (1986). Crop Production. Edited by Vavilov P. P. 5th ed., revised and enlarged. Moscow: Agropromizdat.
2. Niklyaev V. S. (2000). Fundamentals of Agricultural Production Technology. Agriculture and Crop Production. Moscow: Bylina.
3. S_11