Scientific name(s)
Lolium perenne (Table 1)Lolium x boucheanum Kunth (Table 2) - Refer Hybrid ryegrass fact sheet for details re description etc.
Strengths
- Easily established, highly productive and nutritious under grazing, moderate winter and summer growth, rapid regrowth from cutting/grazing; regenerate well from self-sown seed if allowed to seed
Limitations
- Requires moderate to high soil fertility. Does not withstand heavy grazing pressure through drought. Susceptible to cockchafer and cricket damage
Plant description
Plant: Densely tufted, multi-tillered perennial with fibrous root system
Stems: 30-90 cm
Leaves: fine (~7 mm), dark green, hairless, under surface shiny, blade folded about mid-rib in young shoot, leaf-base usually dark red
Seedhead: spike ~20 cm, spikelet usually <10 florets/spikelet; awnless lemma
Seeds: fawn, flat, awnless, ~6mm long. Approx. ~520,000/kg (diploid cvv) or ~350,000/kg (tetraploid cvv)
Tetraploid cvv.: these have double the number of chromosomes, larger cells, leaves and seed. Compatability with clover maybe enhanced
Pasture type and use
Grazing and fodder conservation. Most widely sown pasture grass in temperate regions
Where it grows
Rainfall
> 650 mm; >500 mm re South coast WA
Soils
Medium-heavy texture, moderate-high fertility (eg Olsen P >12, 0-10 cm). Tolerates slight salinity
Temperature
Cold and frost tolerant, growth constrained by high temperature, mild summer desirable
Establishment
Companion species
Grasses: phalaris, cocksfootLegumes: white clover and sub clover
Sowing/planting rates as single species
7-20 kg/ha
Sowing/planting rates in mixtures
3-10 kg/ha
Sowing time
Autumn and spring
Inoculation
Not applicable.
Fertiliser
P & possibly N at sowing
Management
Maintenance fertliser
Perennial ryegrass requires fertile soil to persist. ~10 kg P/ha. Monitor S, K, Cu especially. Supply N by clover/fertiliser. Maintain Colwell P ~30 (WA), Olsen P >12
Grazing/cutting
Tolerates close, continuous grazing - except if drought-stressed. Graze at 3-leaf stage to optimise yield under rotational grazing. Well suited to hay/silage
Seed production
Prolific seeder; commercial yields up to 2 t/ha
Ability to spread
Will spread on fertile soil if allowed to seed
Weed potential
Widely naturalised on fertile soils in temperate Australia
Major pests
Red and black-headed cockchafer, black field cricket, white-fringed weevil, African black beetle, corbies, underground grass caterpillar
Major diseases
Crown rust, stem rust, barley yellow dwarf virus, ryegrass mosaic virus
Herbicide susceptibility
A wide range of weeds may be encountered. In selecting selective herbicides consider the stage of growth of the ryegrass and what non-target companion species are present. For detailed information consult local weed agronomists or visit NSW DPI - Weed control in Lucerne and Pastures 2007
Animal production
Feeding value
High nutritive value
Palatability
Palatable
Production potential
High yields; highly responsive to fertiliser and irrigation
Livestock disorders/toxicity
Cultivars with wild endophyte can cause perennial ryegrass toxicosis and ill-thrift. Bacterial infection of seedhead can occasionally occur and result in ergot poisoning.
Cultivars
Table 1 - Perennial ryegrass cultivars
| Flowering group2 | Cultivar | Origin of germplasm | Endophyte options | Seed Source/Information |
| Very early | Boomer | NSW | Low3 | Valley Seeds |
| Skippy | NSW | Wild | VicSeeds | |
| Early | Everlast | NSW | Wild | Seed Distributors |
| Fitzroy | NSW | Wild | Wrightson Seeds | |
| Meridian | NZ x NSW | AR1 | Heritage Seeds | |
| Roper | NSW | Low | Valley Seeds | |
| Early-Mid | Bolton | Victoria | Wild | VicSeeds |
| Drylander | Victoria | Wild | Seed Distributors | |
| Victorian | Victoria | Wild | Australian Herbage Plant CultivarsVicSeeds | |
| Mid | AusVic | Victoria | Low | VicSeeds |
| Bronsyn | NZ | AR1 | Specialty Seeds | |
| Camel | Mediterranean | Low | Valley Seeds | |
| Ceres Cannon | NZ | Wild/Low | PGG Seeds | |
| Ceres Kingston | NZ | Wild/Low | PGG Seeds | |
| Extreme | NZ | AR6/AR1/AR37 | AusWest Seeds | |
| Grasslands Commando | NZ | Wild/AR1/AR37 | PGG Seeds | |
| Grasslands Lincoln | NZ x Spanish x Italian | Wild/Low | Wrightson Seeds | |
| Grasslands Nui | NZ | Wild | Australian Herbage Plant CultivarsSpecialty Seeds | |
| LM9928C | Low | Valley Seeds | ||
| Prolong | NZ x NSW | Low | Valley Seeds | |
| Rich | Specialty Seeds | |||
| Tomson | NZ | Wild | Seed Distributors | |
| Mid - Late | Arrow | NZ | AR1 | Heritage Seeds |
| Avalon | Victoria | Wild | Australian Herbage Plant CultivarsVicSeeds | |
| Grasslands Samson | NZ | Wild/AR1/AR37 | PGG Seeds | |
| Jackaroo | Tasmania | Wild | Wrightson Seeds | |
| Victoca | Victoria | Wild | TasGlobal Seeds | |
| Wintas | Spanish | Wild | TasGlobal Seeds | |
| Late | Aberdart | Europe | AR1 | Specialty Seeds |
| Alto | NZ | AR1 | Pasture species database - University of MelbourneHeritage Seeds | |
| one-50 | NZ x Spanish | Wild/AR1 | PGG Seeds | |
| Optima (4n) | Denmark | Low | Seed Distributors | |
| Sierra (4n) | Spanish | Low | Pasture species database - University of Melbourne | |
| Very Late | Bealey(4n) | NZ | Advanced | Pasture species database - University of MelbourneHeritage Seeds |
| Grazmore (4n) | NZ | Low | - | |
| Quartet(4n) | NZ | Wild/AR1 | Wrightson Seeds |
Table 2. Relatively persisten/"long rotation" hybrid ryegrass cultivars
| Flowering group | Cultivar | Origin of germplasm | Endophyte options | Seed source/Information |
| Medium | G5. Ohau (4n)4 | NZ | AR1/Low3 | PGG Wrightson |
| Horizon (4n) | NZ | Wild | PGG Seeds | |
| Late | G. Supreme | NZ | Low | AusWest Seeds |
| G. SupremePLUS | NZ | AR1/Low | PGG Seeds | |
| G. Impact | NZ x Spanish | AR1 | Heritage Seeds | |
| G. Sterling (4n) | NZ | Wild/AR1 | PGG Seeds | |
| Blitz (4n) | ? | Not given | Specialty Seeds | |
| Banquet (4n) | NZ x Spanish | Wild | Wrightson Seeds | |
| Banquet II (4n) | NZ x Spanish | AR5 | Wrightson Seeds | |
| Matrix5 | ? | Wild/Low | Cropmark Seeds NZ | |
| Revolution5 | ? | AR1 | Cropmark Seeds NZ |
Footnotes:
- "Vic." is classed as an ecotype, not a cultivar; it shows extreme variation between seedlines.
- NZ base: days relative to Grasslands Nui: Early -20 to -7; Mid -6 to +7; Late +8 to +21.
- "Low" endophyte status is given to cultivars by a seed company endeavouring to supply a seedline without endophyte.
- Tetraploid.
- has some Festuca pratensis parentage
Denotes that this variety is protected by Plant Breeder's Rights Australia
Further information
Comparing Cattle Growth on Short Rotation and Perennial Ryegrass Pastures in a Cropping RotationAustralian Herbage Plant Cultivars - GrassesGreener pastures for SW Vic (2006) Vic DPI (Nie & Saul, eds.)Perennial Pastures for WA (2007) WA Dept Food & Agric Bull 4690 (Moore, Sanford & Wiley, eds.)
Acknowledgements
Seed companies; Depts. of Primary Industry
Author and date
KFM Reed7th August 2008
