The 2016/17 Recommended Grass and Clover List for England and Wales has been published – and once again varieties bred by Barenbrug UK feature highly throughout.
Entering the list for the first time are Glasker and Gosford – two brand new varieties of perennial ryegrass, which were developed by forage grass experts at Barenbrug in cooperation with the team at the Agri-Food and Bio-Sciences Institute (AFBI).
Other Barenbrug varieties that also appear on the list again include:
- Clanrye, Dunluce, Glenariff, Moira and Seagoe – which have been established on hundreds of UK farms and created excellent swards
- Caledon, Glenarm and Ramore, which were added to the Recommended List for England and Wales in 2015
- And Fintona – the highest yielding ryegrass ever produced by any breeder.
Glasker is an early diploid perennial ryegrass with a heading date of 17 May. It offers very good total annual yields combined with a very good mid-season D-value under simulated grazing management.
Glasker has an excellent first cut D-value, which allows cutting to be delayed to improve lower yields and maintain good quality.
It also offers very good autumn yields coupled with very good crown rust resistance.
Gosford is an intermediate diploid perennial ryegrass with a heading date of 28 May.
Offering very good spring yields under simulated grazing management, Gosford also has good first and second cut D-values and delivers a very good total annual yield under conservation management.
And again, very good resistance to crown rust is a characteristic of Gosford.
Mhairi Dawson, Research & Development Manager for Forage at Barenbrug UK, said: "Naturally we are delighted that two of our latest varieties have been included on the Recommended Grass and Clover list for 2016/17.
"This achievement – and the fact that other varieties continue to appear – is testimony to the quality, innovation and continual improvement of our breeding programmes, which create varieties with genetics that stand the test of time.
"Buying grasses and clovers that are bred by specialists like us, and included on the Recommended List, gives farmers peace of mind that they will be able to maximise the productivity of their grassland and get a good return on investment.
"In the current market, that’s more important than ever."
