Dactylis polygama Horvat in clover-grass mixtures

After 30 years of breeding work, the material of Dactylis polygama (further only DP) has been bred, now being subject to state varietal trials. Compared with the Czech certified cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata, further only DG) varieties, the former has later stage of heading by 1 to 2 weeks, is of a low competitive strength and does not produce ascencive clusters. Its herbage is less rough, with a great proportion of leaves, finer culms and does not age so fast as the herbage DG. DP mixtures with other grasses and clover crops form a closed and coherent stand. DP does not suppress clover crops, its proportion is 10 to 20% in lucerne-grasses does not allow invasive weeds (e.g. dandelion) to penetrate stands in the first two years. DP combination with bird's foot-trefoil was found to be very good. In the fourth harvest year the proportion of bird's foot-trefoil was still very high, stand dense, uniform, with minimum occurrence of weeds and skips. DP is better harmonized in growth rhythm with lucerne and red clover (particularly with tetraploid one) than with DG. Competitive strength of DP is weak and reminds meadow fescue. The green matter yield of the mixture with DP for four cropping years was lower by 1.7 to 6.2% compared with the mixture with DG. DP may become a standard component of preliminary and perennial grass mixtures with meadow or combined grazing utilization. Its valuable properties eclipse also in extensively cultivated grasslands, extensive grasses, orchards, vineyards and preliminary leaving-aside the arable land (green fallow). For these purposes DP in combination with red fescue, ryegrass, meadow fescue and smooth-stalked meadow grass seemed to be very good combinations. DP is more tolerant to shading than DG. For extreme dry soils and strongly-loaded sites DP is less suitable.