Project to lift ryegrass yields

Farmers will be better off by as much as $1500 a hectare if a Foundation for Arable Research (Far) project can lift ryegrass seed yields over the next three years.

The plan is to reduce the gap between average yields of 1600-1800kg/ha and the best yields of 3000kg/ha. The lowest-yield seed crops are about 1000kg/ha.

Far project manager Richard Chynoweth said average seed yields could be improved by transferring information that may not have made its way out to all farmers.

"There are farmers who are producing 3000kg/ha reasonably frequently and it shows it can be achieved.