A Detailed Guide to Ryegrass Planting Time, Methods and Growth Characteristics
Ryegrass is a grass family plant with fairly strong adaptability to the environment and can be planted in both northern and southern China, though the milder climate of the south makes ryegrass planting somewhat more effective there. Ryegrass is a very suitable forage grass for poultry, and understanding how to plant ryegrass can help all parties earn better profits.
Ryegrass Planting Time
It can be sown in spring or autumn; we usually use autumn sowing, with a sowing period from early August to the end of November, and the optimal sowing period is September to October. Generally, the earlier the sowing, the higher the grass yield. Sowing methods generally use broadcasting or drilling, with a sowing rate of 1.5-2 kg per mu. Seeds can be sown directly after mixing with calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer, but in dry weather or when the soil is dry, irrigation must be done in time, otherwise emergence will be affected. Before sowing, it is best to sun the seeds for 1 hour, then soak them in warm water for 12 hours, or soak them in 1% lime water for 1-2 hours before mixing and sowing; this can advance emergence and increase the emergence rate. For relay intercropping in single-season rice fields, sowing can be done 7-8 days before harvest.
Tetragold ryegrass prefers a warm, humid climate. The suitable germination temperature for the seeds is 13°C—20°C; germination is difficult below 5°C or above 35°C. It can be planted from February to November, and the best planting times are early April to mid-May and mid-June to the end of July.
Ryegrass Planting Methods
Before sowing, plow and harrow the land, and apply 1000 kg of farmyard manure as base fertilizer. Autumn sowing is preferable. Row spacing is 15-30 cm, sowing depth is 1-2 cm, and the sowing rate is 1-1.5 kg per mu. It likes nitrogen fertilizer, and quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer should be applied after each cutting. It can be cut 3-6 times per year. Fresh grass yield is 4000-5000 kg per mu. For relay sowing under rice, about 20 days before the rice harvest, soak the ryegrass seeds in water for 5-8 hours, take them out and drain them, then mix with fine sand and broadcast. The sowing rate is 1-1.5 kg per mu.
Ryegrass likes moisture but is also afraid of waterlogging, so drainage and irrigation must be done in time. Combining ryegrass planting methods with irrigation and fertilization can greatly increase the yield and quality of ryegrass. Apply sufficient base fertilizer before sowing, and topdress once each at the three-leaf stage and the tillering stage, applying 5-10 kg of urea or compound fertilizer per mu each time. After that, topdress once after each harvest, applying 10-15 kg of urea or compound fertilizer per mu. To prevent the grass stubble from rotting, it is recommended to fertilize 3-5 days after cutting, and to combine each fertilization with irrigation. In the second year, 15 days before rice transplanting, plow the ryegrass into the soil and flood the field to ret it. It is best to plow it in 5-7 days after cutting.
When harvesting rice, cut as low as possible so that the rice stubble does not affect future ryegrass harvesting. Relay sowing can advance sowing and extend the forage growth period. The ryegrass planting method is plowing and sowing. After the rice harvest, plow and break up the soil, make beds 1.5-2 m wide, level them and broadcast, or drill in rows 20-30 cm apart, with a sowing rate of 1-1.5 kg per mu. After broadcasting, harrow shallowly and press once so that the seeds are firmly combined with the soil, then irrigate to keep it moist.
Growth Characteristics of Ryegrass
Ryegrass is a grass family plant that grows lushly in spring and autumn. Its grass is tender and juicy with good palatability, and it is a good feed for cattle, sheep, rabbits, pigs, chickens, geese and fish. The grass supply period is from October to May of the following year, and it cannot grow in summer. Ryegrass is characterized as a plant of the genus Lolium in the grass family Poaceae, about 10 species, including forage grasses and pasture grasses of the temperate regions of Eurasia and some poisonous weeds. Ryegrass is about 0.3∼1 m (1∼3 ft) tall, with tough, dark green leaves. The spikelets grow on a zigzag rachis. Perennial ryegrass (L. perenne) and Italian ryegrass sprout early and are important components of grass seed harvested for pastures and grasslands. Darnel is often infected with toxic fungi, and its seeds also contain narcotic toxic components; both are very dangerous to pasture animals. Ryegrass belongs to the genus Lolium in the grass family, grows lushly in spring and autumn, has tender and juicy grass with good palatability, and is a good feed for cattle, sheep, rabbits, pigs, chickens, geese and fish. The grass supply period is from October to May of the following year, and it cannot grow in summer.
Market Benefits of Raising Chickens with Ryegrass
Raising chickens with ryegrass can increase economic benefits. Because ryegrass is rich in nutrients and high in crude protein, feeding chickens with ryegrass can meet the chickens' nutritional needs. Mixing forage grass into the feed noticeably increases the daily weight gain of the flock, relatively raises the survival rate of the chickens, and clearly improves the overall quality of the chickens. As for the specific chicken feed formula, the crude protein requirement differs at different stages: during the brooding period the crude protein content is 19.5%, during the growing period 17.4%, and during the fattening period 16.3%.
Moreover, harvested ryegrass has strong regrowth ability and can be harvested repeatedly, so planting ryegrass to raise chickens can reduce the production cost of chicken farming. Chicken farmers generally know that the input cost of raising chickens is actually not large; the main investment is spent on chicken feed, estimated at about 80%. Ryegrass grows fast, tillers much and tolerates grazing, and is a high-quality forage grass for grazing, as well as one of the grass family forages with the highest digestible matter yield.
Raising chickens with ryegrass makes the chickens green, environmentally friendly and healthy. During the rearing process, to meet the chickens' nutritional needs and make the chickens plump at market, many chickens are given large amounts of additives, which leaves a large amount of drug residues in the chickens' bodies. Raising chickens with ryegrass not only meets the chickens' nutritional needs, but the chickens raised this way suffer no harm to their health, and consumers find them safer, healthier and greener to eat.
Raising chickens with ryegrass is a very scientific farming method; the chickens raised this way are not only ecological and green, but can also meet the needs of normal development. If farmers can combine ryegrass planting with chicken, duck and other livestock farming, it is a very beneficial industrial model.