COMPARISON OF GRASSES FOR DRYLAND TURF

Russian wild-rye, Fairway crested wheatgrass, and certain strains of sheep fescue showed superior hardiness, resistance to wear, and turf quality at Saskatoon, Sask., Streambank wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, and a native sedge were persistent but showed inferior turf quality. Grasses lacking hardiness included Merion bluegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Canada bluegrass, creeping red fescue, chewing’s fescue, and certain strains of sheep fescue. Bromegrass had unsatisfactory turf quality and was easily damaged by vehicular traffic.

AN EVALUATION OF ALTAI WILD RYE, ELYMUS ANGUSTUS TRIN., AS A FORAGE CROP

A study was conducted with Altai wild rye (Elymus angustus Trin.), Russian wild rye (Elymus junceus), crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), and intermediate wheatgrass (Agropyron intermedium) on their relative merits as forage crops in the arid climate of Saskatchewan. The data show that Altai wild rye produced as much forage as Russian wild rye but less than crested wheatgrass and intermediate wheatgrass. However, it appeared to be less competitive with alfalfa than the other grasses in the test. The nutritive value of Altai wild rye was as good as or better than that of the other grasses; it excelled all of them in crude protein content throughout the season and contained about the same amount of fibre and fat at most stages of development; its ash content was higher than that of the other three grasses in 1954, a wet year, but only higher than the two wheatgrasses in 1957, a very dry year. Comparisons regarding palatability and digestibility suggest that Altai wild rye equals the better grasses in this respect. The study also indicates that nutritive value of grasses throughout the growing season varies much more in wet years when normal plant development occurs, than in dry years when growth is slow and sporadic.