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LEGUME AND GRASS VARIETIES TESTING ON THE FORAGE FARM
Research Progress Report 20 May 1962, Project 864
K. H. Evans, E. H. Beyer, R. L. Davis and R. C. Pickett, Agronomy Department
Legumes
Alfalfa Testing. Alfalfa variety comparisons are being continued under two management systems: (1) cutting for hay (Table 1) and (2) under grazing (Table 2).
There was little heaving in the 1960-61 winter and stands in the hay trials were good. Summer stands in the hay trial ranged from a low of 66 to a high of 91 percent.
As in previous years, Vernal had the highest longtime average yield in the Forage Farm hay trials. Atlantic, a wilt susceptible variety recommended for short rotations, produced the highest yield in the 1961 season.
Red Clover Testing. The average yield of harvested varieties of red clover was higher than the average yield of alfalfa in 1961 Forage Farm tests. Chesapeake red clover, the variety with the highest average yield, (Table 3) produced more than the highest yielding alfalfa variety in 1961.
Timely rainfall and three harvests may have given clover a yield advantage in 1961. Clover stands are usually good for only one harvest season.
In the lespedeza variety trials at the Forage Farm, Rowan has the highest average yield over the past 3 years (Table 4).
Grass
Grass Testing. Strain performance is reported for each of the five grass species planted on the Forage Farm. The species being tested are orchardgrass, smooth bromegrass, tall fescue, timothy and reed canarygrass.
Achenbach, one of the varieties of bromegrass recommended in Indiana, yielded slightly more dry matter than other varieties under test. It also has the highest 4-year average yield. Recommended southern strains yielded more than northern strains, such as Manchar (See Table 5).
Kentucky 31 and Alta were the highest yielding varieties of tall fescue in the Forage Farm tests, when long time averages of two tests (Tables 6 and 7) are considered. The difference between yields of the top six vari-ties is not statistically significant.
Potomac and Sterling are the two highest yielding varieties of orchardgrass when 4-year averages are considered (Table 9).
Good stands of timothy were obtained from the 1959 seeding. Yields were high in the 1961 season, with two commercial composites producing the highest average seasonal yield on the Forage Farm (Table 9).
Reed canarygrass continues to produce high yields of forage, with a 3-year average yield of 2.95 tons of dry matter per acre (Table 10).
PURDUE UNIVERSITY • Agricultural Experiment Station • Lafayette, Indiana