Breeding forage perennial grasses in northern Kazakhstan

In Northern Kazakhstan 80% of the area under cereal grasses is occupied by chaff or awnless bromegrass alone. The same is true for leguminous grasses where more than half of the area is planted with alfalfa. In addition there is a high proportion of old-age and low-productive grass stands which require improvement and re-seeding. In recent years in connection with optimization of the structure of sown areas and withdrawal of lands of low productivity for grain production from the arable land the need for seeds of promising species and varieties of perennial forage grasses has increased sharply.