Cultivation

Red top (black bent) for forage

Agrostis gigantea Roth

Red top is a valuable component of grass mixtures for lowland and moist lands, characterized by high resistance to trampling and the ability to grow on acidic, waterlogged soils.

In the reference 5 varieties crop Black bent, where this is mentioned in the description.

Red top has significant pasture value due to the presence of rhizomes that provide resistance to trampling, and it is considered an important grass for challenging soil and climatic conditions. Unlike other species in the genus, it is capable of developing actively in waterlogged, acidic soils with low lime content.

As a hay crop, red top is inferior to timothy grass because it produces coarser and tougher hay. The high nutritional value of the crop is evident mainly at the beginning of the growing season; however, due to its developmental characteristics—late start of growth and early senescence in autumn—its use is most effective as part of multi-component grass mixtures.

General information about the subject — on the page Forage purpose.

Sources8

Varieties of Black bent mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.