This year’s Recommended List of Grass and Clover for England and Wales (RGCL) offers six new perennial ryegrass varieties, two hybrid ryegrasses – including a festulolium and two white clovers (see list below).

To have made it to be provisionally listed these candidate varieties have proven their value as an overall improvement on the existing recommended varieties, explains NIAB-TAG forage manager Don Pendergrast. “By setting this standard, it ensure breeders have to continually improve the varieties coming forward. Varieties are rigorously tested across a range of characters, including: yield and quality under grazing and conservation management, persistency and disease resistance.”

“It’s estimated, taking into account the whole process of variety selection before the recommended list tests, that only the top 5% off varieties bred actually makes it to full recommendation, so growers really do get the cream of the crop,” says Dr Pendergrast.

“There are a number of new varieties to watch out for this year with interesting characteristics that may benefit growers. Of particular this year we are seeing an increasing number of varieties offering potential yield in the late season which offering something new to the variety mixture.”

However, BGS Society Director Jessica Buss reminds farmers that to ensure they benefit from these highest quality varieties, they should use a merchant who pays grass seed levy.  “These merchants are able to use information from the independent testing scheme, which is not made public – such as persistence scores, to develop mixtures which really will deliver the required the results. Look for the green hills of the herbage varieties guide logo or NIAB-TAG logo on their brochures and bags,” she advises.

A list of levy paying merchants is available in the 2011 RGCL farmer booklet launched this week. Copies will be available at Grassland and Muck, as well as other events from BGS, EBLEX, DairyCo, plant breeding company and levy paying merchants stands. Or you can download a copy from www.britishgrassland.com  or contact BGS on 02476 696600 or office@britishgrassland.com 

The 2011 RGCL booklet also includes useful advice on reseeding and choosing the right grasses.