Ky-Early

Timothy

Graze longer. Make more hay.

With this mega-yielding, early-maturing, Midwest-bred timothy you can make mounds of hay, graze more pounds per acre, and plant less often.

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Features

Improved Selection

KY-Early Timothy is an improved selection from Clair timothy bred for earlier heading, high yields, improved vigor and re-growth. It was developed jointly by the KY Ag Experimental Station and the USDA-ARS.

Alfalfa Compatible Harvest

KY-Early was specifically bred for earlier maturity to better coincide with alfalfa harvest. This means it grows faster in the spring than later maturing timothys like Clair, Climax and most other timothy varieties. In blended stands with alfalfa, KY-Early is ready for harvest at the same time, meaning both the alfalfa and the timothy are at their optimal forage quality. High quality timothy/alfalfa hay and forage is worth more.

Multi-Year Performance

KY-Early has shown an ability to survive wet years as well as dry/hot years, assuring farmers of longer-lasting stands.

Uses

KY-Early for Horses

KY-Early gives you more horse happiness per acre. For many horse owners, timothy is the grass of choice and is oftentimes recommended by trainers and veterinarians. It has been known to bring a shine to their coats, help mares foal easier, expedite recovery of colic surgery, and even help reduce boredom in horses confined to stables. These are just a few of the many benefits of KY-Early you can expect for horses.

KY-Early for Hay

Why is KY-Early the timothy of choice for hay? Three reasons.

Outyields numerous other varieties of timothy, meaning more bales of hay.
Excellent regrowth, meaning a greater chance of a high-yielding second cutting.
Good longevity, meaning less replanting.

All this adds up to more profit per acre.

KY-Early for Grazing

KY-Early is ideal forage for grazing all types of livestock including horses, cattle, sheep and goats. Grazers will appreciate the increased leafiness and darker green color.

*Note, all timothy varieties can be damaged by over grazing. Use in continuous grazing situations will drastically reduce plant longevity.

KY-Early in Mixes

KY-Early is easy to use in mixes. It is a non-competitive bunch grass compatible with other grasses, legumes, and multi-species mixes. It will add palatability and forage tonnage, especially during early season cuts.

Yield Data

KY-Early is a high forage yielder as show by the most recent University of Kentucky data below. Growers can expect high yields with KY Early, plus excellent vigor, winter hardiness, and mid-summer growth. KY-Early has been evaluated in Kentucky for numerous years. The most recent data is from a 2013 planting. As of 2016, KY-Early is the highest yielding entry and the earliest to head.

Kentucky
New York

Timothy Forage Trials

LEXINGTON, KY, 2013–2016

	Maturity May 12-13	Percent Stand		Yield (tons/acre)
Variety	3-yr Ave ^¹	14-Oct-13	17-Oct-16	2014 Total	2015 Total	2016 Total	3-year Total
KY-Early	54.7	93	89	3.69	4.39	2.09	10.17*
Derby	52.8	98	89	3.95	3.34	2.21	9.50*
Zenyatta	52.0	96	90	3.66	3.31	1.78	8.74*
Clair	53.3	73	81	3.32	3.4	1.49	8.22*
Summergraze	41.8	99	80	3.22	3.02	1.93	8.18*
Comtol	40.8	98	88	3.25	2.97	1.63	7.85
Climax	41.0	96	84	3.1	2.45	1.39	6.95
LSD		14	11	0.64	0.94	0.79	2.02
Trial sown September 5, 2013.
^¹Average May 12-13, 2014-16. Maturity rating scale: 37 = flag leaf emergence, 45 = boot swollen, 50 = beginning of inflorescence emergence, 58 = complete emergence of inflorescence, 62 = beginning of pollen shed.
*Not significantly different from the highest numerical value in the column, based on the 0.05 LSD.

Forage Yields – First Year Harvest

Ithaca, NY 2017

Variety	Yield (Tons DM/A)
KY-Early	1.20
Rakel	1.07
Climax	1.03
Lsd	0.09
Trial sown May 18, 2017
Trial was cut off 8/28; harvested 10/18

Planting

General Adaptation and Limitations

KY-Early and other timothys are shallow-rooted bunch grasses with high growing points. It tolerates cold temperatures and is highly palatable.

KY-Early performs best in well-drained and fertile soils and when used for hay or in rotationally grazed pasture situations. Timothys do not tolerate drought, poorly drained soils or intensive continuous grazing.

Seeding Rate	8–12 lbs./ac
Seeding Rate - with alfalfa or clover	2–4 lbs./ac
Planting Dates	late summer/early fall and late winter/early spring
Planting Zones (map)	green
Planting Depth	½–¼"

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