Preferred Seed

 Chiefton is a high yielding, long lived, low alkaloid variety adapted over a wide range of climactic and geographic regions. It is adapted to soils too wet for orchardgrass, bromegrass and fescue, but also demonstrates excellent drought tolerance. It is very cold tolerant and will withstand temperatures well below 30° F. Chiefton is adapted to a wide range of soil types, but its major use at this time is on poorly drained soils or those subject to flooding. Once established it can withstand flooding for up to 60 – 70 days. Because it has no tryptomine or carboline alkaloids it will not cause digestive upsets in cattle or sheep. Chiefton was bred to have good seedling vigor, and improved resistance to a number of diseases.

   Chiefton has been widely evaluated for both yield and quality, including trials at both Penn State and Cornell. Production wise, forage yields of Chiefton have been equal to or superior to yields of Palaton and Venture, two other low alkaloid varieties. Quality of Chiefton was proven to be superior to other Reed Canarygrass varieties in the results of forage quality trials at Ithaca, NY. Also, when harvested at similar stages of maturity, Chiefton was reported to have higher nutritive values than bromegrass, orchardgrass or timothy.

   For a Reed Canarygrass variety, Chiefton has good seedling vigor. Chiefton, as with other Reed Canarygrass varieties, should not be grazed until fully established. It is best to harvest for hay or silage one or two times before grazing. For hay or silage, harvest at the heading stage. Nutritional value and palatability decline rapidly after heads appear. As with other cool season grasses Chiefton responds to applications of lime and fertilizer, especially nitrogen.  

   Because of its tolerance to waterlogged conditions, Chiefton like other reed canarygrass varieties, is excellent for waterways and other conservation plantings, and it works well in nutrient management plans by utilizing large amounts of nitrogen and other nutrients from manure applications.