Ryegrass is a perennial grass of the turf type, belonging to loosely-stemmed plants. The height of growing plants varies from 40 to 70 cm, with lawn varieties usually reaching about 50 cm and forage varieties up to 100–150 cm. Stems are thin and soft, the bush is upright, well-leafed, and the inflorescence is an ear.
This grass is distinguished by high resistance to heavy usage: it does not fear trampling, recovers quickly after mowing, and can be mowed 2–3 times per season without loss of quality. With irrigation, up to 5–6 times. Mowing is recommended to be carried out at the beginning of flowering to preserve the nutritional value of the fodder. Yield of green mass is 300–400 centners per hectare, and hay is 70–110 centners.
Ryegrass is widely used as a forage crop and for greening lawns. It is one of the most valuable forage grasses due to its high nutritional value and good palatability by animals. In addition, the plant has green manure properties: an extensive root system leaves a large amount of organic material in the plow layer, improving soil structure and increasing its fertility. Ryegrass also withstands moderate frosts well (sprouts at temperatures above +2 °C) and can grow under conditions of deep groundwater levels thanks to a well-developed root system.
