Cocksfoot

The cocksfoot or hedgehog (Dactylis glomerata) is a species of perennial herbaceous plant. This is a top loose-grass cereal with a short rhizome with fibrous thin roots. Stems with a large number of leaves reach a height of about 100 cm. The basal leaves are soft, they are quite long, painted in a light green color. The hedgehog team begins to grow in early spring.
 
 

The hedgehog is a rather productive cereal, it has good fodder properties when mowing in the early phases (no later than the heading phase). Able to form 2-3 mowing and more. Belongs to valuable fodder plants. 100 kg of hay harvested at the beginning of flowering contains 54.5 feed. units and 4.3 kg of digestible protein. The content of carotene in 1 kg of feed is from 1 mg in hay to 4 mg in grass. The maximum yield of green mass under culture conditions is already in the 2-3rd year of life. 

The average hay yield for two cuts is up to 50-60 c/ha. Responsive to fertilizers, especially phosphorus-potassium. In hay and pasture it is well eaten by all types of livestock, but especially by cattle and horses. Grazing tolerates satisfactorily, but overgrown hedgehogs are not eaten well by cattle in the pasture. It vegetates early and grows well after feeding or mowing. Used to create lawns. Common varieties: VIK-61; Morshanskaya-89, 143; Dedinovskaya-4, Torpedo; Birskaya-1; Bylina and others.