How to winter grass seeding and Seed production

oat grass

This is a winter grass that can be planted in some parts of the mid-hills, Terai, and high mountains. This grass can be planted from the months of JUNE to JULY. Since this grass contains high levels of nitrate, young grass should not be fed too much.

Oat grass can be planted in fertile, irrigated, and well-drained soil. For seed production, the pH of the soil is suitable from 6 to 6.5. When selecting land for seed production, it is appropriate to select land where the rotational crop system is adopted. The land should be prepared well for cultivating oat grass. Depending on the type of grass, 10 to 100 kg of seeds per hectare are required.

If fertilisers are used, more grass and seed production can be obtained. The amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash is 80:50:30 kg per hectare, respectively. However, in places where there is no irrigation facility, this amount is not necessary. The source of nitrogen, urea fertiliser, should be divided into three or four parts and spread during the first land preparation, after 20-22 days of irrigation, and after each mowing and watering.

Since the nitrogen in urea fertiliser evaporates into the air, urea fertiliser should be applied only after the plants have sprouted. After the fertiliser dissolves in water, the roots of the plants can absorb it. Therefore, it is very important that the soil is moist after we apply fertiliser. The amount of fertiliser varies according to the fertility of the soil. Therefore, if possible, it is beneficial to get the soil tested and use chemical fertilisers as recommended in places where there is no irrigation facility; the expected benefits cannot be obtained by using chemical fertilisers. It is better to irrigate once in 20 days, considering the moisture condition of the soil.

The first irrigation should be done 20-22 days after sowing the grass, and then urea fertiliser should be applied after irrigation. After mowing the grass, the grass grows faster if urea fertiliser is applied every time. It is recommended that the grass be cut when more than half of the plants have flowers. However, since cutting the grass in this way is practical, we can cut the grass considering our needs.

When storing it for seed production, the grass should be cut only once. The grass kept for seed production should not be given too much urea fertiliser. Urea fertiliser should be used only considering the greenness of the plant leaves. In case of excessive use of urea fertiliser, the grass will spread too much, the seed germination time will be delayed, and the height may fall, or the seed may be low.

The distance between planting the grass of another variety of grass and the grass planted for seed production should be 3 meters. But in areas where diseases such as loose smut are prevalent, this distance should be 150 meters. After the seeds of rye grass are ripe, they are harvested, dried in the sun, and threshed with a foot-operated thresher. Then, the threshed seeds should be thoroughly screened, winnowed, and the chaff removed.

The seeds, which have a moisture content of about 12 per cent and are dried in the sun, should be stored in jute sacks or seed bins in a dry, rodent-proof, cool room. If the moisture content is too high, the seeds will rot and will not last long. About 50 metric tons of green grass per hectare can be produced from rye grass.

Mix it with oat grass and vetch benefits

Oat grass Vetch can also be planted in the climate and soil that allow it to be planted. Vetch and joint vetch (annual, perennial) are different grasses. Since vetch is also a winter crop, planting both these grasses together will improve the soil, increase production, and provide proper nutrition to the animals in winter.

By planting these two grasses together in the same place, the animals can get both protein and carbohydrate food. If planted together in the same place, the amount of rye seeds should be sown at the rate of 3 kg, and vetch seeds at the rate of 2 kg per planting. When planting oat grass and vetch, it is recommended to mix the seeds and sow them, and also make a 1-meter patch of oat grass and vetch, one patch of vetch, and the other patch of oat grass.

This has been shown to increase grass production. However, when planting in this way, the patch of oat grass should be made a little thicker than that of vetch grass. The first mowing can be done 2 months after sowing, and depending on the irrigation facilities, it can be done up to 3/4 times. When planted in this way, the yield of fresh green grass is 2300 kg per ropani.

What are berseem oats?

This is also a winter grass. This grass can be planted in the hills and Terai regions of our country, and it is also a very popular grass. This grass can be planted from the last month of June/July. This grass is also known as the king of grasses due to its nutritional value, animal-friendly nature, and productivity. This grass contains about 22% protein.

For rainfed farming, the soil should be made fine by breaking the clods. Since the seeds of this grass are fine, they do not germinate in clod-filled soil. If it is to be used for seed production, the seeds used should be purchased from a reliable source, and the amount of seeds required is 1 kg per ropani. Along with this, for rainfed grass planted in new land, the seeds should be treated with microbiological fertilizers and sown only.

Since berseem grass has the ability to use nitrogen in the air, it is not necessary to give nitrogen (urea fertilizer), but it is better to apply urea fertilizer once when the plant is young to ensure rapid development of the grass. Phosphorus-containing fertilizer should always be sown while preparing the land, while urea should be sown after the seedlings have sprouted and watered. To make berseem seed production more effective, micronutrients should be sown from time to time.

Berseem grass does not produce well in places where there is no moisture or no irrigation facilities. Considering the moisture condition of the soil, if the soil does not have enough moisture, watering after each mowing will help the grass to grow quickly. This grass can be cut for the first time in two months after sowing the seeds, and the second and third times can be cut in 35-40 days. The rainfed crop planted for seed production should be cut 1-2 times and then stopped.

Rogging should be done during the growth period of the plant, before flowering and before the pods ripen, and at other times as needed. While rogging, the non-native plants should be uprooted and spread. They can be harvested when two-thirds of the seed pods start to turn brown. After harvesting, they should be dried in the sun for 3-4 days.

It has been found that 80 metric tons of green grass can be produced per hectare if this grass gets suitable conditions. On average, 500 kg of seed production can also be obtained per hectare.