Investing in high performing pasture cultivars.
During challenging times, there’s a temptation to opt for cheaper or uncertified cultivars. However, pasture productivity declines due to various factors like droughts and overgrazing, leading to the proliferation of weeds and pests. Therefore, it is crucial to invest in quality cultivars that can withstand challenges and maintain long-term productivity.
It’s advised to renovate up to 10% of your farm annually, as old pasture produces less and is lower in metabolisable energy and palatability. While pasture renewal can boost dry matter production by up to 5 tonnes per hectare per year.
The benefits of modern forage cultivars.
As a general rule, modern cultivars are fast establishing, higher yielding and have better seasonal growth patterns. Not only do they produce better quality forage with high metabolisable energy content, they also have better disease resistance and are safer for livestock.
Higher forage yield.
Independent industry trials consistently show that modern perennial ryegrass cultivars yield 2-3,000kg more dry matter annually than lower-performing ones. Moreover, their seasonal production aligns well with New Zealand farming conditions, ensuring feed availability when livestock need it most.
Higher forage quality.
Modern cultivars tend to have higher metabolisable energy content, higher digestibility and improved palatability from stock over older, cheaper cultivars.
Late heading with low aftermath heading.
When grass goes to seed, forage quality diminishes, affecting livestock performance. Modern cultivars, with delayed heading, maintain quality longer into spring and return to vegetative state quicker after grazing, improving overall forage quality and livestock performance.
Strong disease resistance.
Disease susceptibility has a direct effect on plant growth and on animal acceptability and grazing intake. Plant breeders have focussed on improving disease resistance of modern cultivars – particularly against diseases such as leaf and stem rust.
Novel endophytes.
Modern perennial ryegrass cultivars typically feature novel endophytes, including the CM142 endophyte developed by Cropmark Seeds. These are fungi that offer protection against insect pests, reducing ryegrass staggers and heat stress while enhancing livestock performance.
For a breakdown of the best cultivars to use in your farming system and environment, use our cultivar selection tool.
Collaborating with farmers to enhance production and profitability through insights and knowledge is at the forefront of what we do. Get in touch with our team with any topics you would like our Knowledge Hub to explore.
