Early and Late Maturing Forage Grasses

What are Early and Late Maturing Forage Grasses?

Forage grasses, but more predominantly Orchardgrasses, are available in varieties with different maturity dates. Maturity is perhaps the most important factor in determining forage quality, and when you cut or graze is driven by your schedule, climate and forage/hay needs. When hay is harvested at the vegetative leafy stage, there is a higher likelihood that forage quality will be high.

Yield vs Quality:

As a general rule, boot stage harvests provide a good compromise between yield and quality with a caveat: forage grasses harvested at the boot stage or before seed head emergence will have increased yield over vegetative stands, but the quality is lower. Grass quality continues to decline once the seed head emerges, especially after pollen shed and when the seed starts developing.

It is a common practice for producers to combine grasses and legumes like clover or alfalfa. Many high-value hay markets prefer an alfalfa-orchardgrass mix, especially with horse customers. Hay buyers want a high-quality leafy mixture, but it can be difficult to determine when to cut, especially at first cutting. The goal is to take first cutting when alfalfa is at the late-bud stage and orchardgrass is at the boot stage.

This is where choosing between early and late maturing forage grasses becomes critical. The simple solution is to choose late-maturing orchardgrass varieties, but this can be easier said than done. Ask a lot of questions of your seed supplier and learn as much as you can about the subject, as maturity dates can vary for the same variety based on region. The chart below should help.

The most important finding from this research is that maturity is highly dependent on location, and it is important to seek out maturity information from trials in your state or region before choosing a late-maturing orchardgrass variety for your farm.

A Cool Season Grass Maturity Committee has been established by The American Forage and Grassland Council. This committee is comprised of seed company and university representatives who have collected seed for a number of varieties of orchardgrass, tall fescue, timothy, Kentucky bluegrass, smooth bromegrass, and annual and perennial ryegrass. Each variety is being evaluated for maturity using a standardized protocol at research stations. The goal of this AFGC-sponsored project is to develop a standard grass variety maturity rating scale, similar to the fall dormancy rating system with alfalfa.