Basic Knowledge of Sheepgrass (Leymus chinensis)

Abstract

Sheepgrass (Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel) is the key species which is widely distributed in eastern Eurasia steppe. It is a perennial gramineous plant belonging to Leymus, Triticeae, and Poaceae. As a very important forage grass of great value in animal husbandry, sheepgrass is well known for its abundant foliage, high palatability, and high nutritive content. Sheepgrass is also valuable in grassland repair and reservation since it is a perennial grass with a rhizome network to fix the soil and can survive well in stressful environments. Based on the sufficient morphological and developmental knowledge, the cultivation and plantation of sheepgrass had become the focus of many grass breeders. In recent decades, a variety of new cultivars of sheepgrass such as “Zhongke” series were verified for the grass and seed production. In the artificial grassland establishment of sheepgrass, proper watering and essential fertilizers assure the plant growth and the production of grass and seed. As a fine grass with resistance to various stresses, multiple scientific studies on development and stress tolerance of sheepgrass have drawn the attention of many researchers.