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Scientific name(s)
Strengths
Limitations
Plant description
Pasture type and use
Where it grows
Establishment
Management
Animal production
Cultivars
Further information
Acknowledgements
Author and date
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Hybrid/biennial ryegrass

Scientific name(s)

Lolium multiflorum (Italian rygrass)

Lolium multiflorum x L. boucheanum (Hybrid ryegrass)

Strengths

Italian ryegrass (biennial type)

Hybrid ryegrass (short-lived type)

NOTE:  Italian ryegrass (annual type)

Cultivars of annual type Italian ryegrass are listed separately in the annual ryegrass fact sheet


NOTE:  Hybrid ryegrass (long-lived type)

Classed technically as hybrid ryegrass (awned lemma) some cultivars of hybrid ryegrass are dominantly perennial ryegrass re parental origin and quite persistent in good environments where they may be considered as perennial ryegrass options (such cultivars are listed separately in the perennial ryegrass fact sheet)

Limitations

Plant description

Italian ryegrass

Plant: biennial

Stems: up to 70 cm

Leaves: hairless; blades up to 400 x 12 mm; young leaves rolled in bud;

Seedhead:  spike up to 30 cm long; spikelets edge-on to the rachis which is recessed opposite each spikelet; 10-20 florets/spikelet, laterally flattened up to 25 mm long.  Straight, fine awn up to 10 mm.

Seeds:  ~460,000/kg (diploid)

Hybrid ryegrass

Plant: intermediate between perennial and Italian ryegrass species.  Characteristics between cultivars vary depending on perennial:Italian parentage

Tetraploid cultivars: these have double the no. of chromosomes, larger cells, leaves and seed. Compatability with clover maybe enhanced.

Endophyte: most cultivars carry the endophyte present in the perennial ryegrass parent plants
Seed:  ~500,000/kg (diploid cultivars)

Pasture type and use

Short term pasture offering high winter yields and enhanced nutritive value.

Where it grows

Rainfall

> 650 mm (South); >800 mm (North)

Soils

Medium-heavy texture, high fertility (eg Olsen P, 0-10 cm, >12 mg/kg)

Temperature

Cold and frost tolerant, mild summer desirable

Establishment

Companion species

Grasses: -

Legumes: white clover, sub clover and Persian clover

Sowing/planting rates as single species

7-20 kg/ha

Sowing/planting rates in mixtures

3-10 kg/ha

Sowing time

Autumn

Inoculation

Not applicable

Fertiliser

P & possibly N at sowing

Management

Maintenance fertliser

10 kg P/ha.  Monitor S, K, Cu especially.  Supply N by clover/fertiliser

Grazing/cutting

Graze at 3-leaf stage to optimise yield under rotational grazing.  Cut at early flowering for peak nutritive value.

Seed production

Prolific seeder; commercial yields > 1 t/ha

Ability to spread

Will spread from seed; seed set will occur if ungrazed/not cut and this will be associated with a substantial trade-off in nutritive value.

Weed potential

Low unless allowed to set seed.

Major pests

Red and black-headed cockchafer, black field cricket, white-fringed weevil, African black beetle.

Major diseases

Crown rust - especially in humid regions; stem rust

Herbicide susceptibility

glyphosate

Animal production

Feeding value

High

Palatability

Palatable

Production potential

High

Livestock disorders/toxicity

Some long rotation cultivars can carry wild type endophyte and cause perennial ryegrass toxicosis

Cultivars

Table1 - Cultivars of Italian ryegrass (biennial type)

Group Cultivar Seed source/Information
Early Dargo VicSeeds
  Barberia Heritage Seeds
  Archie(4n) Agriseeds
Mid Caversham Wrightson Seeds
  Diplex II Seed Distributors
  Andy (4n) Pasture species database - University of Melbourne
Crop Mark NZ
  Eclipse Valley Seeds
  Grasslands Warrior PGG Seeds
Mid-Late Concord Wrightson Seeds
  Crusader PGG Seeds
  Conquest Wrightson Seeds
  Kano Specialty Seeds
  Tabu Specialty Seeds
  Jeanne (4n) DLF Trifolium
  Hulk Heritage Seeds
  Feast II (4n) Wrightson Seeds
Late Mariner Heritage Seeds
  SF Accelerate Seedforce, 27 Telford Drive, Shepparton VIC 3632
  SF Indulgence DipQ Seedforce, 27 Telford Drive, Shepparton VIC 3632
  Ceres Progrow Valley Seeds
  Sonik Crop Mark NZ
  SF Emmerson (4n) Seedforce, 27 Telford Drive, Shepparton VIC 3632
  Grasslands StatusPLUS Pasture species database - University of Melbourne
  Charger Gold PlantTech

Table 2 - Cultivars of hybrid ryegrass (short-lived type)

Group1 Cultivar Seed source/Information
Early Grasslands Marsden Pasture species database - University of Melbourne
  Magnum (4n) Seed Distributors
  Grasslands Greenstone (4n2) Pasture species database - University of Melbourne
Mid Crossfire Seed Distributors
Mid-Late Ceres Geyser Pasture species database - University of Melbourne
Ceres Galaxy (4n) PGG Seeds
Magnum (4n)  
Late Maverick GII  
  Maverick Gold Wrightson Seeds
  SF Momentum Seedforce, 27 Telford Drive, Shepparton VIC 3632
  Delish  

Footnotes:

  1. NZ base: days relative to Grasslands Nui:  Early -20 to -7; Mid -6 to +7;  Late +8 to +21
  2. Tetraploid

 Denotes that this variety is protected by Plant Breeder's Rights Australia

Further information

NSW Department of Primary Industries - Short-term ryegrass

Acknowledgements

Seed companies; Depts. of Primary Industries

Author and date

K. Reed, 15.9.08