The role of cereal grasses in the formation of pasture grass stands on drained lands of the Upper Volga region

Relevance . In 2018–2022 In the Tver region, on drained lands, self-renewing legume-grass agrophytocenoses with the participation of grass grass grasses — giant bentgrass ( Agrostis gigantea Roth. ), meadow bluegrass ( Roa pratensis L. ) and red fescue ( Festuca rubra L. ) were studied to identify their adaptive reactions and prospects for use on drained lands. Methods . The study of the production process of legume-cereal grass stands was carried out in various agrometeorological conditions at two levels of mineral nutrition - without fertilizers and with fertilizers (N 45 P 45 K 45 ), on twelve legume-cereal grass mixtures. The grass stands were used in 3 mowing cycles per season. Results . It was established that air temperature and humidity, close to the long-term average, favored optimal growth, development and formation of the greatest productivity of grass stands: 2.6–3.4 natural and 3.14–4.80 thousand pieces/ha of food units. according to the fertilized background. It was revealed that a decrease in soil moisture by 6–8% over a long period reduces the productivity of grass stands. Poa grass stands on a natural background had an optimal ratio of perennial legumes (51.2%) and cereal grasses (47.5%); against the background of fertilizers, they gave the highest increase in dry mass — 0.7–2.2 t/ha. In terms of green mass against a natural background, grass stands with bentgrass were more productive — 17.1 t/ha. It has been determined that under five-year grass crops more than 12.3–20.1 t/ha of dry root mass accumulates, containing 214.0–349.7 GJ/ha of gross energy. The high efficiency of grass stands with bentgrass and bluegrass grass stands in terms of productivity of above-ground and underground biomass has been established.