Comparison of grass variety characteristics

Species

Smooth meadow-grassCocksfootTall fescueMeadow fescueTimothyPerennial ryegrassHybrid ryegrassItalian ryegrassWesterwolds ryegrass
Latin name Poa pratensis Dactylis glomerata Festuca arundinacea Festuca pratensis Phleum pratense Lolium perenne L. x boucheanum Lolium multiflorum Lolium multiflorum westerwoldicum
Establishment very slow slow, fairly easy slow and tough slow, fairly easy slow very easy very easy very easy very easy
Start in spring fairly slow fairly quickly fairly quickly fairly quickly quickly fairly quickly quickly quickly quickly
Flexibility in operation flexible

limited

 limited limited flexible very flexible very flexible very flexible very flexible
Time of flowering early early early mid-early late mid-early mid-early mid-early mid-early1
Yield in year of sowing (spring sow) (t DM/y/ha) 2-6 5-8 4-8 4-9 3-7 4-10 5-10 6-10 5-11
Yield in other years (t DM/y/ha) 7-12 13-17 13-17 10-15 11-16 10-15 10-16 12-17 2
Yield in summer moderate to good good good moderate to good weak moderate to good moderate to good weak 2
Palatability moderate good moderate good good very good very good very good very good
Digestibility fairly good good moderate good fairly good good good good good
Disease resistance3 moderate to good moderate to good good moderate to good very good moderate to good moderate to good moderate to good moderate to good
Cold resistance3 very good moderate to good good good very good moderate moderate moderate bad
Drought resistance very good very good good weak weak weak weak weak weak
Persistence very good very good very good good very good good moderate moderate to weak very weak
Flowering in year of sowing none weak none to moderate none strong none to moderate none to moderate none to moderate very strong
Rebloom in the same year very weak to none weak very weak to none very weak to none sufficient very weak to none sufficient strong strong
Number of varieties on the Belgian variety list 0 0 1 1 5 36 2 22 5

1 Year of sowing

2 Not applicable: annual crop

3 Only applies to varieties appearing on the variety list