Circular 26

SMOOTH bromegrass ( Bromus inermis Leyss.) is the principal perennial forage crop grown in Alaska. Despite this, none of the varieties developed elsewhere are sufficiently winterhardy for consistently good survival in most of the State. Approximately two-thirds of Alaska's perennial grass acreage is in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley area. In two seasons since 1956 there has been widespread winterkill of bromegrass fields in the Matanuska Valley. Nearly half of the planted acreage winterkilled during 1956-57 and again in 1961-62. In other years individual fields have shown winter injury. Polar bromegrass, a new improved variety, has consistently displayed outstanding winter hardiness and forage yields in experimental tests in Alaska.The developmental work leading to this improved forage grass was partly underwritten by the Crops Research Division, Agricultural Research Service, U.S.D.A