Fröodling av Raj- och rörsvingel i Sverige

Sammanfattning: Festulolium (Festulolium) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) has not been grown inSweden over a longer period. So far there is no greater area cultivated, but the area isincreasing. Festulolium and tall fescue are expected to eventually replace meadowfescue in many leyseed mixtures to dairy cows in southern and central Sweden. Tallfescue has in recent years become popular again. Festulolium is a hybrid betweenryegrass and fescue. Festulolium has high yields and good quality feed from ryegrassand good drying resistance and winterhardiness from fescue. Some festulolium varietiesremind most of ryegrass, while others remind most of tall fescue.We have done a literature review and compiled the Swedish and international trials ofseed cultivation of festulolium and tall fescue. We sent out a questionnaire to all growersof festulolium and tall fescue in Sweden to hear their experiences and to be able tocompare their results with experimental results. Of the 20 growers we sent thequestionnaire to 15 responded.The literature study showed that you got the best seed yield on clay soils if you do nothave access to irrigation. A distance between rows of 24 cm is the ultimate in bothconventional and organic farming and a seed amount of 8 kg/ha gave the best yield inboth field trials and survey. Survey results shows that farmers add too little nitrogen tofestulolium and tall fescue compared with the recommendations in the cultivationguidances and the results of field trials. Survey results shows that a well-establishedfestulolium or tall fescue has little need of herbicides apart from the year ofestablishment. Results from the survey show that there is little or no attack of diseasesand pests in the festulolium and tall fescue in Sweden. Growth regulation gives onaverage 20 % higher yield in field trials, but it is important that the crop is in goodgrowth and not stressed by drought. Most conventional farmers growth regulatedfestulolium and tall fescue. If there is risk of rain, swath harvesting is not a good strategyin festulolium and tall fescue. Swath harvesting, however normally gives a higher yieldbut is a little more time consuming than direct harvesting. Festulolium and tall fescueappears to be a suitable crop for organic leyseed growers because the difference in theyield is small compared with conventional cultivation.We believe that there is a need for field trials with nitrogen fertilization in festuloliumand tall fescue. Additionally, there is a need for field trials with growth regulation invarieties of festulolium like Felopa which has different growth characteristics thanHykor.The weakness of the thesis is that there are a limited number of growers of festuloliumand tall fescue in Sweden and thus we have a rather limited number of surveys to workwith.