Characteristics
- Leaves: rough leaf blades up to 25 cm long, blue-green
- Height: 40-150 cm
- Abundant growth, leafy
- Loose panicle
- Awned spikes, drooping spikelets, glumes longer than lemmas
- Root: numerous fine roots in the topsoil region
- Fast juvenile development
- Nematode-reducing
Environmental needs
- Undemanding in relation to soil conditions
- Excellent on sandy, light soils
- Sensitive to frost
Use
- Cover crop
- Forage/silage
- Suitable for grazing
- Good weed suppressant in mixtures
Green manure
- Improved soil structure
- Preserves nitrogen
- Dies off reliably with frost
- Recovery crop/reduction of free-living nematodes (e.g. Pratylenchus penetrans, trichodorides)
