‘USDA‐Yeti’ orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), a new orchardgrass cultivar that combines excellent winterhardiness and agronomic performance

Abstract The USDA‐ARS announces the release of ‘USDA‐Yeti’ (Reg. no. CV‐17, PI 702557) orchardgrass ( Dactylis glomerata L.). Winter injury and mortality are important issues for orchardgrass production on sites with harsh winter conditions. USDA‐Yeti was developed from the USDA‐UTWH‐102 germplasm for increased winterhardiness and agronomic performance. USDA‐Yeti was then evaluated in multi‐location and multi‐year trials at Cassia County, ID, and at Cache, Davis, and Garfield County, UT, locations for winterhardiness and agronomic performance against 11 orchardgrass cultivars and one improved germplasm. Across years and locations, USDA‐Yeti was 10%–30% more winter hardy than all cultivars but the Canadian cultivar ‘AC Killarney’. Additionally, USDA‐Yeti established stands and produced herbage dry mass greater than or similar to all the included cultivars. USDA‐Yeti also had similar nutritive value to the other cultivars. Thus, USDA‐Yeti combines excellent winterhardiness and herbage dry mass production with good nutritive value for use on sites that possess risk of orchardgrass winter injury and mortality.