Timothy grass (Phleum pratense) – a perennial grass, valued as a forage plant due to its high content of feed units and good palatability. Varieties Lischka, Belarusian Local, Belarusian 1308, Vlna, Bilbo are the most common and are characterized by high hay yield (up to 129 c/ha) and green mass (over 360 c/ha). The plant develops rapidly in the first year but becomes weakly competitive in grass mixtures and may significantly reduce its participation after the second‑third year.
Timothy grass is distinguished by a powerful fibrous root system, mainly located in the upper soil horizons, which ensures good winter hardiness and drought resistance. However, the plant requires a sufficient level of moisture: it responds well to additional watering but poorly tolerates drought, especially early seedlings. The optimal germination temperature is 2–3 °C (initial), 4–5 °C (appearance of viable seedlings) and 20–30 °C (optimal). It resumes autumn vegetation at 4–5 °C, and the optimal growth temperature is about 19 °C.
For cultivation, it is recommended to choose soils with good permeability: floodplain, podzolized and heavy loams. When processing the soil, discing, autumn plowing and harrowing are used; if pH < 5.5 – liming. Sow in a wide-row mode (45–60 cm) with a north-south direction, sowing depth up to 2 cm for light soils and 0.5–0.8 cm for heavy ones. Sowing rate – 12–15 kg/ha in pure stands, 4–8 kg/ha in mixtures.
Care includes fighting against root crust and chemical weeding (2-4 leaves) with preparations 2,4-D, dialen, grodil, cowboy. When reseeding under winter rye – treatment against snow mold with Fundazol. Vegetative weeding is carried out twice a year. Upon the appearance of diseases (powdery mildew, rust, septoria, helminthosporium), fungicides Altosuper, Impact, Tilt, Folikur are used.
Hay harvesting begins in the second year of life in non-cropped stands and in the third when reseeding under rye. Cutting is made at a height of 50–60 cm; the remaining mass is mowed no earlier than 15–20 days after harvesting. Before harvesting, the combine harvester is hermetized, and after – drying on floor dryers (TAU-1.5, VPT-600) and cleaning on machines OS-4.5 A, OVP-20 A.
Thus, Timothy grass is a reliable forage resource with high yield, good palatability and resistance to cold conditions, but requires careful care for soil moisture and timely disease control.
