Production and quality of irrigated timothy hay in Saskatchewan for exporthay markets

A market for timothy (Phleum pratense L,) hay exists in Asia and is adapted under irrigation in southern Saskatchewan, but variation among cultivars f or the required quality characteristics was unknown, We evaluated forage yi eld and quality For export and traditional hay markets of timothy cultivars on two irrigated sites in southern Saskatewan Eleven cultivars were grown at two N fertilizer rates (100 and 150 kg N ha(-1)) st Swift Current and Ou tlook for 3 yr, Seed head length, stem length, leaf/stem ratio, forage dry matter yield, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and crude prot ein concentrations were determined. Seed head length and stem length, which are quality characteristics for export to Japan, were subject to site X cu ltivar X year interaction due to instability of some cultivars, 'Drummond' had the longest seed heads in five of six site-years while 'Toro' had the s hortest in four site-years. 'Timfor' and Toro ranked first to fourth for st em length while Drummond and 'Bottnia II' had the shortest stems. Thus, the requirement For long heads and long stems was not met by one cultivar, Pri ncipal component analysis separated cultivars based on maturity compared wi th yield. Richmond, the earliest-maturing cultivar, was distinct From Drumm ond, the latest cultivar, The second principal component separated Timfor, a high-yield and low-quality cultivar from Bottnia II, a low-yield and high -quality cultivar, Drummond is the best cultivar for export markets while R ichmond is better suited for traditional markets.