One white clover and intermediate Festulolium (Hybrid) and seven new varieties of ryegrass have been added to the 2021/2022 Recommended Grass and Clover Lists (RGCL) for England and Wales.
Only grasses and clovers that have undergone at least four years of independent testing are included in the lists.
Varieties are rigorously tested for factors such as total and seasonal yield, feed quality, disease and persistence before making the RGCL.
The RGCL is funded by plant breeders through the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB), the British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB), British Grassland society (BGS) and Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC).
Siwan Howatson, AHDB Grass and Forage senior scientist, said: “The lists are an invaluable resource for grassland farmers, enabling them to select varieties that will perform well in a particular system.
When thinking about reseeding, the RGCL should be used to check that the varieties being selected are on the lists and are the best available, helping farmers make informed decisions alongside their seed merchants about the varieties that best meet their needs.
In addition to providing information on each variety, the RGCL also includes a range of technical information for farmers on how they can manage their reseed and maximise the productivity of their grassland.
The 2021/2022 RGCL handbook and the full lists for merchants will be available to download from the AHDB website.
Hard copies will be included with Ruminant News, which is to be mailed out in July.
Summary of the new RGCL varieties:
- AberSirius White Clover;
- AberRoot Intermediate Festulolium (Tet);
- Wetherby Late perennial ryegrass;
- Zorgue Late perennial ryegrass;
- Delika Late perennial ryegrass;
- Ritchie Intermediate perennial ryegrass (Tet);
- Pinaco Italian ryegrass;
- AberSheen Hybrid ryegrass (Tet);
- RGT Cordial Hybrid ryegrass (Tet).
