Hybrid/biennial ryegrass

Scientific name(s)

Lolium multiflorum (Italian rygrass)

Lolium multiflorum x L. boucheanum (Hybrid ryegrass)

Strengths

Italian ryegrass (biennial type)

Very strong cool season growth and nutritive value

Hybrid ryegrass (short-lived type)

Developed to combine strengths of perennial and Italian ryegrasses, particularly increased cool season growth and increased nutritive value (eg water soluble carbohydrate).

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

Longevity (2 years); may occasionally be greater in moist, pest-free situations and rotational grazing

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 Status^PLUS	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:

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