ASSESSMENT OF GRASS MIXTURES FOR MAKING STABLE LAWNS IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE KIROV REGION
In this article are presented the results of a field experiment to study grass mixtures based on typical lawn grasses with complementary components. All varieties studied in the experiment are from domestic selection. The experiment was conducted on the experimental field of the Vyatka State Agricultural Academy in Kirov. Weather conditions during the years of this experiment were adverse for perennial grasses. Over the seven years of using of the lawns based on red fescue 'Sigma' and meadow grass 'Dar' with the addition of the perennial ryegrass 'Karat', meadow fescue 'Kvarta' and timothy grass 'VIK 85' were completely transformed into the single-species red fescue herbages (excellent quality) and meadow grass herbages (good quality). In the herbages with the addition of the orchard grass 'Hlynovskaya' share in the seventh year of life was 24-48%. To create high-quality long-term lawns in the conditions of the Kirov region can be recommended grass mixtures based on red fescue 'Sigma' with the addition of the perennial ryegrass, meadow fescue and timothy grass. The quality of meadow grass herbages is lower than that of red fescue, however, from grass mixtures based on meadow grass with the addition of the same complementary components, it is possible to create good quality lawns. The inclusion of the orchard grass in lawn grass mixtures is not recommended, due to the reduction of the quality of lawn herbages.