Herbage Seed Production Possibilities in Finland

In the seed production variety experiments in Finland from 1977 to 1992 the mean seed yield of timothy (Phleum pratense) cultivar Alma was 717 kg ha-1, of meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis) cv. Boris 622 kg ha-1, of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) cv. Retu 350 kg ha-1, of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) cv. Riikka, of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) cv. Haka 295 kg ha-1, and red clover (Trifolium pratense) cv. Hankkijan Venla 403 kg ha-1. From 1988 to 1998 annual certified seed production of timothy from 4599 ha was 1845 t in total at an average yield of 401 kg ha-1. The meadow fescue seed production area was 1046 ha resulting in a yield of 470 t at an average of 449 kg ha-1. In perennial ryegrass, small domestic demand has maintained the seed production area low. Herbage seed of timothy, meadow fescue, perennial ryegrass and red clover is produced in Finland for the domestic market only. In the 1950s and 1960s, however, Finland exported herbage seed. Exports ceased in the 1970s mainly due to high production costs in Finland. When Finland joined the European Union (EU) in 1995 the economical regulations in agriculture changed. A study on possibilities to produce herbage seed of foreign cultivars in Finland for export is currently in progress