In this study, the defoliation of timothy was followed by an approximate recovery period of 6 weeks. Results of this study indicate that the distinction between recommended early, mid-season, and late timothy (Phleum pratense) cultivars is slight. Only Clair timothy was significantly earlier than Champ, Itasca, or Bounty as indicated by height of apex and emergence of heads in primary growth. Total N was similar among cultivars in this study. The small differences among Champ, Itasca, and Bounty in this study were unexpected; these cultivars are classified as early, midseason, and late, respectively. These results suggest that cultivars with a greater range in maturity would be needed to benefit from a system based on different maturities of timothy in some areas of Atlantic Canada. Cutting primary growth at developmental stages, ranging from vegetative to heads emerged, for 4-years had only a limited effect on the persistence of timothy in this and a previous study. Under this kind of lax management timothy still recovered sufficiently and deterioration in the stand was minimal after four years. The authors conclude that the currently recommended timothy cultivars in Atlantic Canada do not provide a sufficient range in maturity for the average growing season in the region to warrant multiple cultivars on individual farms. At present, timothy stands may be cut prior to and during stem elongation to lengthen the harvest period.
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