Potomac Orchardgrass

Wildlife: Elk and deer find orchardgrass highly palatable and will utilize it most of the year. Orchardgrass is sometimes used in grass-legume mixes for nesting, brood rearing, escape, and winter cover in upland wildlife and conservation plantings. However, upland birds and waterfowl often prefer taller grasses that develop sparser stands such as basin wildrye and tall wheatgrass. In areas disturbed by fire where orchardgrass has been seeded in a mixture with other grasses and forbs, wildlife use increases. The caterpillars of the Many- Lined Wainscot moth (Leucania multilinea) and the Little Wood Satyr butterfly (Megisto cymela) feed on the foliage of the grass and seeds are eaten sparingly by some songbirds including the horned lark and chipping sparrow.

Manure and biosolids application: Orchardgrass can use high rates of Nitrogen (N) when grown on deep soils with adequate water supplies, making it valuable in nutrient recycling systems. It can be used in manure and biosolid applications to recycle large amounts of N (in excess of 300 pounds N/ac/yr) while simultaneously producing high quality forage.

When seeded in a monoculture, Potomac Orchardgrass often produces very high yields. This variety should be used where early maturity is needed and as a single species hay. This plant may become weedy or invasive in some regions or habitats and may displace desirable vegetation if not properly managed

The primary use of orchardgrass is for pasture and hay forage production. It is highly palatable to all classes of livestock. It is one of the best forage grasses for use in the Northern states under intensive rotational grazing systems. It is compatible with many legumes (alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, and various clovers) and with some grasses such as perennial ryegrass and tall fescue (Sullivan, 1992). The life cycles of orchardgrass and alfalfa match well.

Scientific name: Dactylis glomerata

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