Tekapo Orchardgrass
Heat/cold tolerant
Digestible/palatable
Drought/disease resistant
Low crown/dense growth
Excellent persistence
High yield/feed value
Description
Tekapo is very unique among orchard grasses in that it has a very low crown and a dense, prostrate growth habit. This allows Tekapo to be grazed to near ground level; therefore ideal for sheep and horse grazing. Its long, soft leaves also make it highly palatable.
Tekapo will produce a very thick and dense stand that is able to persist even under hard, continuous grazing. The dense, prostrate growth of Tekapo also helps it to out-compete many invasive weeds. Tekapo is tolerant of heat, moderate drought, low fertility, and most foliar diseases, including rust. Its aggressive tillers also help utilize soil nutrients.
Tekapo is an abundant producer under irrigation and high fertility. With excellent digestibility and good feed value, Tekapo can be combined with high yielding grasses to make an excellent hay/grazing pasture. Tekapo has outperformed many other orchard grasses in feed value, palatability and digestibility.
Animals Prefer Tekapo...again!
Other Info
Establishment & Management:
Plant in early Autumn or in the Spring in a prepared, firm seedbed, seeding with a Brillion-type seeder, or by broadcast and cultipack. A planting depth of 1/8-1/4 inch is best. No-till is only recommended when an herbicide is used to sufficiently kill or retard the existing stand. A minimum pH of 6.0 is best.
Seeding Rate:
A seeding rate of 12 lbs per acre for 100% Tekapo pasture is recommended. Seed with other grasses at the rate of 5-6 lbs per acre. Plant with white clover, alfalfa, tetraploid perennial,
and other appropriate grazing grasses. An application of Nitrogen, 25-30 units/acre 4-6 weeks after sowing promotes tillering without damage to the young stand. Once established, Tekapo
should be grazed or cut leaving a 3-4" residual.
Click here for additional detailed information about Tekapo.
Click on photos to enlarge.
Seedling vigor, grazing performance and stand persistence of orchardgrass varieties sown September 22, 2005 in a cattle grazing tolerance study at Lexington, Kentucky (rotational grazing). |
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Variety | Seedling Vigor1 Nov 7, 2005 | Grazing Preference2 | Percent Stand | |||||
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | ||||||
May 25, 2007 | Apr 17 | Oct 20 | Mar 30 | Oct 16 | Apr 9 | Oct 15 | ||
Commercial Varieties-Available for Farm Use |
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Benchmark Plus |
3.3 | 2.8 | 95 | 97 | 96 | 88 | 93 | 93* |
Persist |
3.0 | 2.5 | 96 | 98 | 98 | 91 | 95 | 93* |
Athos |
3.0 | 5.7 | 94 | 98 | 94 | 94 | 93 | 92* |
Tekapo |
3.0 | 5.3 | 92 | 95 | 86 | 87 | 87 | 87 |
Experimental Varieties |
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IS-OG28 |
2.7 | 3.0 | 94 | 97 | 98 | 93 | 93 | 94* |
AGRDG101 |
3.3 | 8.5 | 67 | 85 | 28 | 38 | 25 | 23 |
Mean |
3.1 | 4.6 | 89.6 | 94.7 | 83.2 | 81.8 | 80.7 | 80.1 |
CV,% |
21.2 | 23.1 | 8.6 | 4.0 | 11.6 | 12.9 | 9.3 | 7.8 |
LSD,0.05 |
0.8 | 1.3 | 9.2 | 4.5 | 11.4 | 12.5 | 9.0 | 7.5 |
1Vigor score based on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most vigorous seedling growth. |