There are many different types of grass available for agricultural use with perennial ryegrass being the most widely used grass type in modern agriculture. Scottish farming benefits from a huge investment in independent grass and clover trials across four different sites at Edinburgh, Ayr, Aberdeen and Dufftown. Information on recommended varieties from the Scottish Recommendation List can be found here.

Alternative species can be extremely important particularly in challenging sites such as shallow gravel soils or wet poorly draining peat soil types. In this section we look at the attributes of different grass types and how they may be considered in seed mixtures.

 

Perennial Ryegrass

85 Recommended Varieties

Perennial Ryegrass [Lolium perenne] has been used in agriculture since the 17th century. The species has benefited from massive investment in research and development programmes throughout the world, from which grass production benefits today.

Diploids

  • Persistent

  • Dense Growth

  • High Tiller Number

  • Smaller cells

Tetraploids

  • Winter Hardy

  • High D Value

  • High Cutting yields

  • Early Leaf Production

  • Deep Rooting

 

Timothy

6 recommended varieties

Native to Scotland’s carse lands Timothy is at home on wet clay soil where the species can develop its strong bulbous base. There are important variations in plant behaviour across the varieties which offer producers the option of using smaller finer grazing types or the high yielding coarser type used in hay production.

  • A Bulbous plant

  • Performs well in a wide range of environments including wet and peat soils

  • Extremely palatable under grazing

  • Landrace Variety available

  • Consistent spring growth

 

Cocksfoot

8 Varieties Scottish recommended List (Index Only)

Cocksfoot [Dactylis glomerata] was extremely popular in the 18th century for its drought resistance and the capacity for soil improvement through increase in humus content. The species offers improved grass output at lower temperatures.

  • Cool Season growth - Spring, Autumn and Winter

  • Fast regrowth

  • Ideal for rotational and deferred grazing

  • Deep rooting

  • Performs well on a wide range of soils

 

White Clover

23 Recommended Varieties

White Clover[Trifolium Repens] has been described as Agriculture’s most important forage legume. Stems function as stolons which form mats which can creep as much as 18cm per year. Under organic or low nitrogen regimes it has the capacity of nitrogen fixation of 120 to 170kg/ha per growing season.

  • Stoloniferous

  • Performs well on a wide range of soils

  • Nitrogen Fixation (110-170Kgs/Ha)

  • Shallow Rooting

  • Wide range of varieties and leaf size

  • Extremely persistent small leaved varieties

 

Red Clover

15 Recommended varieties

Red Clover [Trifolium pratense] is a herbaceous short lived plant, variable in size, growing from 20 to 80cm tall. It has a deep tap root which makes it drought tolerant and gives good soil structuring affect.

  • Tap Root

  • High Yields

  • Fast Lamb growth

  • Nitrogen Fixation

  • Deep Rooting

  • Complimentary to white clover

High oestrogen can restrict use

 

Strong Creeping Red Fescue

Strong Creeping Red Fescue [Festuca rubra] is a fine-leaved perennial grass of medium height(70cm) and vigour. Extremely competitive by the creeping nature it multiplies through rhizomes as well as from seed. An ideal option for the creation dense hard-wearing swards.

  • Dense

  • Persistent

  • Soil Stabiliser

 

Meadow Fescue

Meadow Fescue [Festuca pratensis] meadow fescue is a perennial grass which performs well on medium loam and heavy soils. Persistent and extremely winter hardy it can grow to 120cm tall and can be a useful addition to grazing and cutting swards on wet challenging sites

  • Performs well in rich wet and heavy soils

  • Persistent

  • Can grow to 1.2m on fertile site

 

Tall Fescue

Tall Fescue {Festuca arundinacea] is a species of bunch grass which can tolerate extreme variations in temperature from hot to cold. Tall fescue spreads by through tillering and seed transmission and performs well in acidic poorly drained or wet soils of low fertility.

  • Bunch Grass spreads by seed only

  • Cool Season

  • Performs well in drought or dry hillside locations

  • Performs well in wet soils and short periods of flooding

  • Persist in acidic soils

 

Sheeps Fescue

Sheeps Fescue[Festuca ovina] a short slow growing drought tolerant perennial grass with a great ability to adapt to poor shallow acidic soils. An ideal species for reinstatement after open cast mining or major civil engineering works.

  • A great ability to adapt in poor or disturbed soils.

  • Wide ecological tolerance

  • Often found on acidic soils

  • Ideal for reinstatement of mining sites and spoil heaps

 

Festulolium

3 Varieties on Scottish List (Index Only)

  • Deep Rooting

  • Increased Cool Season Growth

  • High Cutting Yields

  • Particularly suited to drought prone locations