KY-Early
Timothy
Graze longer. Make more hay.
With this vigorous, mega-yielding, early-maturing timothy you can make mounds of high quality hay, graze more pounds per acre, and plant less often.
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Big Yields
KY-Early Timothy produces abundant quantities of forage. Trial results indicate 20-30% yield increases over Clair, Climax and many other timothy varieties. KY-Early provides more timothy per acre than the competition.
Alfalfa Compatible Harvest
KY-Early was specifically bred for earlier maturity to better coincide with alfalfa harvest, meaning both the alfalfa and the timothy are at their optimal forage quality at first cutting.
Multi-Year Performance
KY-Early is hardy. It has shown an ability to survive wet years as well as dry/hot years, assuring farmers of longer-lasting stands and fewer replants.
Uses
KY-Early for Hay
Why is KY-Early the timothy of choice for hay? Four reasons.
- 1 Maturity matches up with alfalfa
- 2 Outyields numerous other varieties of timothy, meaning more bales of hay.
- 3 Excellent regrowth, meaning a greater chance of a high-yielding second cutting.
- 4 Good longevity, meaning less replanting.
All this adds up to more profit per acre.
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 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. Growers can expect high yields with KY Early, plus excellent vigor, winter hardiness, and mid-summer growth. Independent multi-state trial data indicates a significant performance advantage over other timothy varieties.
Kentucky
University of Kentucky
Timothy Forage Trials
Lexington, KY
|2017-2020
| Maturity May 9-14 | Plant Height (in) | Percent Stand | Yield (tons/acre) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variety | 3-yr Ave ¹ | May 9, ‘18 | Oct ‘18 | Oct ‘19 | Oct ‘20 | 2018 Total | 2019 Total | 2020 Total | 3-Year Total |
| KY-Early | 49.1 | 26.5* | 100* | 96* | 93* | 3.78* | 2.53* | 3.05* | 9.36* |
| Dawn | 47.7 | 24.5* | 100* | 97* | 97* | 3.53* | 1.99* | 2.89* | 8.42 |
| Barpenta | 39.8 | 13.5 | 100* | 78 | 88* | 3.61* | 1.77 | 2.28* | 7.66 |
| Barfleo | 43.9 | 18.0 | 100* | 91* | 92* | 3.60* | 1.76 | 2.28* | 7.63 |
| Climax | 45.3 | 16.5 | 100* | 94* | 93* | 3.34* | 1.78 | 2.36* | 7.49 |
| Clair | 40.7 | 14.5 | 100* | 81 | 84 | 3.52* | 1.61 | 2.07 | 7.20 |
| LSD | 2.0 | 0 | 12 | 10 | 0.71 | 0.59 | 0.78 | 1.66 | |
| Trial sown September 8, 2017. | |||||||||
| ¹Average May 9-14, 2018-20. 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. | |||||||||
Timothy Forage Trials
Lexington, KY
|2013-2016
| Maturity May 12-13 | Percent Stand | Yield (tons/acre) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variety | 3-yr Ave 1 | Oct. 14, 2013 | Oct. 17, 2016 | 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. | |||||||
Pennsylvania
Penn State University
Short-Lived Forage Trials - Timothy as an Annual (season multi-cut)
2020-2021
| Yield (Tons DM/A) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variety | Harvest Dates | Cut 1 | Cut 2 | Cut 3 | Cut 4 | Total |
| KY Early | 5/21, 6/30, 8/16, 9/30 | 2.68 | 1.59 | 0.49 | 2.24 | 7.00 |
| Zenyatta | 5/21, 6/30, 8/16, 9/30 | 2.61 | 1.68 | 0.52 | 1.82 | 6.63 |
| Basho | 6/2, 7/21, 8/25, 9/30 | 2.14 | 1.51 | 0.64 | 1.40 | 5.68 |
| Climax | 6/4, 7/21, 8/25, 9/30 | 2.22 | 1.09 | 0.67 | 1.17 | 5.14 |
| LSD (.05) | 0.35 | 0.59 | 0.13 | 0.41 | 0.74 | |
| Trial was planted September 16, 2020. | ||||||
New York
Forage Yields (Tons DM/A)
Ithaca, NY
|2017-2020
| Variety | Heading Date ‘19 | % Stand Nov. 26, 2019 | 2018 Yield | 2019 Yield | 2020 Yield | 3-Yr. Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KY-Early | May 28 | 73% | 5.67 | 4.55 | 2.50 | 12.73 |
| Carson | May 31 | 68% | 5.26 | 4.62 | 2.63 | 12.51 |
| Rakel | June 7 | 65% | 4.90 | 3.84 | 2.17 | 10.91 |
| Climax | June 10 | 60% | 4.76 | 3.85 | 2.19 | 10.81 |
| Lsd | 0.27 | 0.49 | 0.17 | 0.77 | ||
| Trial sown May 18, 2017. | ||||||
| Harvested four times in both 2018 and 2019. | ||||||
Michigan
Forage Yields (Tons DM/A)
East Lansing, MI
|2018-2021
| Yield | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variety | Heading Date | 2019 Total | 2020 Total | 2021 Total | Three-Yr. Total |
| KY Early | May 24 | 4.87 | 3.31 | 5.33 | 13.50 |
| Winnetow | June 5 | 5.20 | 2.57 | 4.26 | 12.04 |
| Climax | June 5 | 4.97 | 2.38 | 4.20 | 11.55 |
| LSD | ns | 0.33 | 0.46 | 1.00 | |
| Seeded July 2018. | |||||
Forage Yields (Tons DM/A)
East Lansing, MI
|2017-2020
| Yield | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variety | Heading Date | 2018 Total | 2019 Total | 2020 Total | Three-Yr. Total |
| KY Early | May 25-27 | 5.07 | 5.49 | 3.29 | 14.41 |
| Climax | Vegetative | 3.16 | 4.79 | 2.79 | 11.30 |
| LSD | 0.68 | 0.64 | 1.11 | 1.82 | |
| Seeded May 2017. | |||||
Forage Quality
Penn State University
Short-Lived Forage Trials - Timothy as an Annual (1st Cutting Quality Analysis)
2020-2021
| Variety | CP% | NDFD 30 | TTNDFD |
|---|---|---|---|
| KY Early | 11.22 | 52.01 | 48.09 |
| Zenyatta | 11.59 | 53.11 | 48.93 |
| Basho | 10.99 | 50.81 | 48.56 |
| Climax | 11.07 | 50.69 | 47.53 |
| Trial was planted September 16, 2020. | |||
KY-Early Gallery
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 | ¼–½" |
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