Kodiak is a high yielding, high quality annual ryegrass that produces a high quality feed. Kodiak has a medium-early maturity and excels in plant vigor, tiller density and forage yield. It is perfect for grazing, silage, cover crop and also winter-overseeding. Kodiak is a diploid variety developed by DLF Forage Seeds’ breeding program located in Philomath, OR and Boyd, KY. With its resistance to diseases and superior cold tolerance, Kodiak will be a great pick for your annual ryegrass.
High Yielding, High Quality
Kodiak gives its highest yield within the first three cuts in the early spring, and transitions rapidly into the fourth cut for full transition by midsummer, depending on climate conditions. Kodiak has a medium-early maturity similar to the cultivars MO-1, Marshall and the tetraploid cultivar Florida 4n. Kodiak has exhibited improved early spring forage yield over other early-maturity diploid cultivars. Feed quality measured in a Penn State trial showed Kodiak with the highest average RFV over 3 cuts.
Kodiak as a Cover Crop
Kodiak is very suited as a cover crop in Mid-West corn rotations when early spring growth is desired. Easy fall establishment, combined with a superior cold tolerance, will provide for an excellent spring cover, suppressing weeds and capturing nutrients. Underground, Kodiak’s massive root biomass will reduce soil compaction and improve water holding capacity, limiting the potential for fertilizer run-off and soil erosion.
Superior Cold Tolerance
Kodiak’s excellent cold tolerance was exhibited in the spring of 2014 when it survived the “Polar Vortex” of the epic winter of 2013/2014 at DLF’s Kentucky Research Station. There was no protective snow cover. The picture below shows a photo taken in April 2014, clearly demonstrating the superior cold tolerance of Kodiak; equal or better than MO-1, a proven cold-tolerant DLF variety that has been on the market for several years.
