SEEDING YEAR YIELDS AND QUALITY OF ORCHARD GRASS AS INFLUENCED BY N RATES AND HARVEST SYSTEMS
Frode orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.) was seeded at 20 kg/ha without a companion crop in 1971 and 1972. Nitrogen was applied at 37–185 kg/ha at seeding and after the first harvest, and the stands were subjected to three harvest systems. Total dry matter (DM) yields increased up to 74 kg N/ha/application. Systems with the latest first harvest and longest regrowth intervals produced highest DM yields. Early seeding was important for the production of high DM yields. Late fall harvest in October resulted in poor winter survival. The total N concentrations of orchard grass ranged from 2.58 to 4.40%, with small or no increases beyond 111 kg N/ha/application. In vitro disappearance of DM was not affected by N rates but varied from 60.7 to 69.8% with the highest readings for the early or short regrowth interval harvests. Nitrate-N concentrations of orchard grass were < 0.15% at 37 kg N/ha/application. At or above 74 kg N/ha/application, nitrate-N usually exceeded 0.15% level which might be potentially toxic to livestock consuming the forage.