Crested Wheatgrass AGROPYRON SIBIRICUM

AGROPYRON SIBIRICUM is a perennial grass widely used as fodder for livestock. It grows in an upright, medium-density clump, reaching up to 80 cm in height. The stems are straight, slightly knee-shaped at the base, and covered with short, dense hairs, especially below the spike. The leaves are narrow-linear, rolled, glabrous, and have a blue-green coloration without a waxy coating.

The inflorescence is a flat-linear spike, 10–12 cm long and elongated-egg-shaped in form. The spikes are dense, two-sided, measuring 1.5–4 cm in length and 1–2 cm in width, covered with short awns. The seeds are elongated-lanceolate in shape, light yellow with a purple tint, with a grain yield of 27–33%. The vegetative period for mowing as hay is 47–53 days, and for seed production is 88–94 days.

AGROPYRON SIBIRICUM is highly productive: green mass yield reaches 64–108 c/ha, hay yield is 13–41 c/ha, and seed yield is 1.2–4 c/ha. Due to these characteristics, the plant provides the livestock industry with nutrients and contributes to increased livestock productivity.