Ryegrass Seed Prices and Planting Methods Explained in Detail
Ryegrass is a grass commonly used on golf fairways and is also an excellent forage grass widely introduced and cultivated around the world. It is a perennial plant of the genus Lolium in the grass family (Poaceae), growing in meadow grasslands and commonly found in roadside wetlands. It is widely distributed in the Kashmir region, Pakistan, Europe, the warm temperate zone of Asia, and northern Africa. Let's take a look together at ryegrass seed prices and planting methods!
How much does a jin of ryegrass seed cost?
The price of ryegrass seed is around 8 to 15 yuan per jin, but prices vary greatly depending on variety, quality, market, and other factors. Ryegrass is divided into perennial ryegrass and annual ryegrass. Generally, annual ryegrass is mainly used as winter forage, while perennial ryegrass is mostly lawn-type. Its cold and heat tolerance are both poor, and it is not shade-tolerant. Under suitable soil and climate conditions, it can grow for more than 2 years. In China, it is generally used only as a biennial forage grass, with about 2 to 3 jin of seed used per mu.
Growth Habits of Ryegrass
Ryegrass prefers a cool and humid climate and is suitable for growing in areas with cool summers and winters that are not too cold. It can grow well at around 10°C, with temperatures below 27°C being suitable for growth, and it grows poorly at 35°C. Strong light, short daylight, and lower temperatures favor tillering, while excessively high temperatures cause tillering to stop or die off midway. It is relatively tolerant of moisture, but poor drainage or an excessively high water table is also unfavorable for the growth of ryegrass. It is not drought-tolerant, and especially unfavorable conditions are high heat and drought in summer. It has relatively strict soil requirements and prefers fertile soil over poor soil. It is slightly tolerant of acid, with a suitable soil pH of 6 to 7.
Sowing Methods for Ryegrass
1. Land preparation and fertilization: For ryegrass planting, choose a plot with loose soil, fertile texture, flat terrain, and convenient drainage and irrigation. Before sowing, plow and clear weeds, break up soil clods, and then compact the plot. Apply 1000 to 1500 kg of farmyard manure or 40 to 50 kg of calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer per mu.
2. Sowing methods: There are three sowing methods for ryegrass: drilling, dibbling, and broadcasting. Generally, drilling is the main method, supplemented by dibbling and broadcasting.
① Drilling: Open furrows in the prepared land with a row spacing of 20 to 30 cm and a sowing width of 5 cm. After sowing, cover with about 1 cm of soil and water thoroughly.
② Dibbling: Sow at a spacing of 15×15 cm, with 8 to 12 seeds per hole. After sowing, cover with about 1 cm of soil and water thoroughly.
Planting Methods for Ryegrass
1. Weed removal: There are three weed control methods for ryegrass: pre-sowing soil treatment, pre-emergence treatment, and seedling-stage treatment. Pre-sowing soil treatment means using glyphosate and similar herbicides to clear field weeds one day before sowing. Pre-emergence treatment means spraying with glyphosate after sowing and before emergence.
2. Reasonable fertilization: When sowing ryegrass, apply about 3000 kg of organic fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer, and mix the seed with 20 kg of calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer. During the seedling stage and after each harvest, apply nitrogen fertilizer as a top dressing, with 5 to 10 kg of urea per mu. If biogas slurry is used for irrigation, the yield-increasing effect is even more significant.
3. Timely irrigation: Ryegrass is relatively sensitive to moisture conditions. Water appropriately during the tillering, stem elongation, and booting stages. In case of drought, irrigate promptly to keep the soil moist, and the yield-increasing effect is obvious.
4. Harvesting and utilization: After sowing, ryegrass can be cut for the first time after 40 to 50 days. When cutting, it must be harvested regardless of whether the growth is good or bad. The stubble left after the first harvest must not be lower than one inch. After that, harvest once every 20 to 30 days according to growth conditions.
5. Pest and disease control: After ryegrass emerges, the main pests are cutworms and white grubs. Related pesticides such as trichlorfon and imidacloprid can be sprayed before dark for control. Cutworms can be controlled by flooding with water.