Estimation of short grasses for making lawns in the condition of North-Eastern region of the Non-Chernozem zone of Russia

Abstract

Species and varieties of perennial grasses of Russian’s breeding was studied in the experimental field of Vyatka state agricultural academy in 2013…2015. Varieties of red fescue (Sigma), meadow grass (Vagant, Dar, Kover), perennial ryegrass (VIK 66, Karat, number No. 324), meadow fescue (Kvarta), cock's foot (Khlynovskaya), and timothy grass (VIK 85) were used for experiment. Seeding rates were studied of red fescue, meadow grass and perennial ryegrass in one-component crops and two-component grass mixtures of red fescue (Sigma) and meadow grass (Dar) with complementary species. The research objective is choice of effective species and varieties of perennial grasses for making stable high-quality lawns and update of seeding rates in the condition of North-Eastern region of the Non-Chernozem zone of Russia. As a result of research it was established that ryegrass in one-component crops forms lawns of good quality in the year of sowing (density of herbage 2360…3304 sprouts on square meter). However, the quality of these herbages reduced considerably in the third year because the plants of this species undergo to considerable destruction in the winter. One-component crops of red fescue and meadow grass are better suited to making stable lawns in these conditions (density of herbage in third year of life 9294…9664 and 3711…6511 sprouts on square meter respectively). The grass mixtures of short grasses with complementary species do not allow forming high-quality lawns. Quality of herbages in variants with medium and reduced seeding rates did not differ. Therefore it can be used reduced seeding rates to lowering cost for seeds. We can recommend a seeding rate of 75 kg/ha for one-component crop of red fescue, seeding rate of 20 kg/ha for one-component crop of meadow grass and seeding rate of 100 kg/ha for one-component crop of perennial ryegrass.