The ORLIK timothy grass variety is a diploid, two-cut, and early-maturing type, distinguished by high winter hardiness and drought resistance. It was created by selecting high-yielding and winter-hardy genotypes from a mutant sample and has been officially registered with a certificate of authorship. The bushes are semi-erect, reaching 80-110 cm in height during the cut phase, with 30-35 stems of medium softness and elliptic dark green leaves. The inflorescences have a spherical shape with a diameter of 2.6-3.5 cm, the flowers are red with a pinkish tint, and the seeds are yellow-purple in color, with a mass of 1000 seeds ranging from 1.8 to 2.1 g.
The period from the start of spring regrowth to seed maturation is 102-110 days, which is significantly shorter compared to standard varieties. In the first year of life, up to 100% of the plants bloom, ensuring the possibility of obtaining two full cuts during the growing season or one cut of green mass and one seed crop. Green mass yield reaches 45-46 tons per hectare, hay – 8.0-9.0 tons per hectare. The crude protein content in dry matter varies from 15.7 to 16.2%, foliage coverage is 54.2-59.5%, and seed productivity is 0.20-0.25 tons per hectare.
The variety has moderate resistance to diseases such as anthracnose and fusarium, and also demonstrates a medium level of damage by clover seed weevil, which corresponds to standards. It is recommended for cultivation in the Central-Black-Earth and Middle-Volga regions, where it exhibits stable productivity and adaptability to climatic conditions. Due to its characteristics, the ORLIK variety is a reliable choice for obtaining high-quality feed raw materials and seeds.
