Meadow fescue COSMONAUT

A mid-early, high-yielding, winter-hardy and crown rust-resistant diploid meadow fescue

• Pronounced dry matter yields, especially in regrowth
• Excellent winter hardiness
• Persistent
• Low susceptibility to rust
• Reliable for use in various climatic zones In Central and Western Europe
• High protein content
• Recommended for medium early mixtures with other grasses or legumes for long-term pastures and meadows

• Earliness – medium early (4 points)
• Excellent yields, especially – of aftermath
• Yield of first year – 5.57 t/ha
• Yield of second year – 3.69 t/ha
• Yield of third year – 6.12 t/ha
• 3-year (2015-2017) average yield – 5.13 t/ha  
• Total dry matter yield – medium (5 points out of 9)
• Dry matter yield of the 1st harvest – medium (5 points out of 9)
• Dry matter yield of subsequent harvests – medium/high (6 points out of 9)
• Initial growth – moderate (6 points out of 9)
• Plant height – 105 cm
• Plant height – 6 points (out of 9)
• Winters well
• Winter hardiness – good
• Sensitivity to cold – low/moderate (4 points out of 9)
• Drought tolerance – good
• Persistent
• Persistency – medium/high (6 points out of 9)
• Resistance to lodging – good
• Tendency to lodging – medium (5 points out of 9)
• Resistance to diseases – good
• Excellent resistance to crown rust
• Susceptibility to rust – low (3 points out of 9)
• Turf density – medium (5 points out of 9)
• Heading time – early/medium (4 points out of 9)
• Flowering time (in Germany) – May 21.
• Length of inflorescences – medium (5 points out of 9)
• Seed yield – 1000 kg/ha
• Seed yield potential – 1250 kg/ha
• 1000 seed weight – 2.3 g
• Green protein content – 14.6 %
• NDF – 49 %
• Tolerates grazing
• Suitable for various climate zones in Central and Western Europe
• Suitable for long-term pastures
• Suitable for mixtures with timothy, white or red clover, alfalfa
• Tolerates wetter soils, even short-term flooding

• Initial mass formation – moderately strong (6 points)
• Tendency to die in winter – moderately low (4 points)
• Tendency to lodging – medium (5 points)
• Susceptibility to rust – low (3 points)
• Persistence – moderately high (6 points)
• Turf density – medium (5 points)
• Total dry matter yield – medium (5 points)
• Dry matter yield of the 1st cut – medium (5 points)
• Dry matter yield of subsequent cuts – moderately high (6 points)

*Rating scale: 1 – very little, very early / 9 – very strong, very high, very late
*Source: According to the specifying variety list 2016 issued by the Bundessortenamt

• Heading time – 4 points
• Heading time (in Germany) – 45 days after April 1st
• Growth height at initial development – 5 points
• Growth habit at initial development – 5 points
• Growth height / fully developed – 5 points
• Growth habits / fully developed – 3 points

Stem length – 5 points
*According to Beschreibende Sortenliste. Futtergräse Ersparsette, Klee, Luzerne, 2020, Bundessortenamt, data

• Date of the 1st harvest – May 19
• 2017 yield – 6.12 t/ha
• 2016 yield – 3.69 t/ha
• 2015 yield – 5.57 t/ha
• 2015-2017 average yield – 5.13 t/ha
• Crop status 10/15/2017 – 93 %
• Green protein content – 14.6 %
• NDF digestibility (30-Hour NDFD) – 49

* According to research in Pennsylvania, 2015-2017. Source: Boone W, Harkcom WS, Hall MH. 2017 FORAGE TRIALS REPORT, p. 20.

• Yield – 5.3
• General appearance – 3.7
• Early growth – 3.3
• Competitiveness – 4.7
• Persistence – 3.5
• Tolerance / resistance to winter conditions – 5.2
• Tolerance / resistance to leaf diseases – 2.9
• Digestibility of organic matter – 5.0
• Adaptation to altitude – 4.1
• Indicator – 4.27

* Rating scale: 1 – very high, very good; 9 – very weak, very bad
*2008-2010 according to research in Switzerland. Source: Suter D., Frick R., Hirschi1 H.-U. Tests de nouvelles et d'anciennes variétés de fétuque des prés | Production végétale. Recherche Agronomique Suisse 2(6): 258–263, 2011

The varietal parameters may differ from those indicated here when the testing circumstances differ from quondam