Ryegrasses: Do they have a place in

Kentucky?

Ray Smith and Gene Olson

Forage Extension Specialist

Forage Variety Testing Coordinator

University of Kentucky

Lync Session

April 11, 2013

Annual Ryegrass vs. Tall fescue Seasonal Growth

Annual Ryegrass– An easy to establish annual cool season grass– Fits into overseeding programs like cereal rye,

but provides higher quality and quicker regrowth. Less fall growth than rye.

– Tolerates heavy grazing

– Probably the most widely planted annual forage grass in the U.S.

–Use winter hardy varieties– Sometimes used to add production to weakened

cool season grass pastures

Photo taken: January 2013

Feast II

Gulf

Annual Ryegrass Varieties

Photo taken: March 15th 2013

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Annual Ryegrass Varieties

Photo taken: April 5th 2013

Feast II

Gulf

Annual Ryegrass Varieties

Annual Ryegrass (sometimes called Westerwolds ryegrass)

Rapid establishment with high seasonal productivity during the year of planting. It is a true annual species and produces seedheads during the year of planting.

Commonly used to overseed warm season grass pastures across the southern U.S. in the fall.

The most commonly used type in Kentucky is Italian ryegrass. The other is sometimes referred to as Westerwolds ryegrass. The Westerwolds type is a true annual, in that stands seeded in the spring produce seedheads that summer, and little regrowth occurs after seedheads are produced. Westerwolds ryegrass varieties are commonly used in the lower South (Florida to Texas) because they can be seeded in the fall and will survive the winter. In Kentucky, winter survival can be an issue for Westerwolds varieties, so before planting one of these varieties, review winter survival results for Kentucky.

Italian Ryegrass

Stand survival for up to two years. Provide high yields of quality forage, show quick regrowth, early spring growth, and late fall growth. Require longer rest periods than perennial ryegrass for maximum production.

Do not produce seedheads during the year they are seeded.

Annual RyegrassVariety Testing Program(Gene Olson)

•Planting•Fertility•Ratings•Harvest timing

Summary of KY Annual ryegrass 1999-2012

Hay, Baleage, Grazing

Overseeding Winter Feeding Areas

Spring Seeding Italian Ryegrass for Grazing

Weed Issues

Perennial Ryegrass

2008 2009 2010Variety May 16 May 14 Apr 28 Apr 7 Nov 22BG34 9.0 7.8 6.9 92 55Power 8.3 8.0 7.3 92 32Granddaddy 8.8 6.3 7.3 88 16Quartet 8.8 8.0 7.5 20 11

Table 8. Seedling vigor, grazing preference and stand persistence of perennial ryegrass and festulolium (FL) varieties sown September 5, 2007 in a cattle grazing

tolerance study at Lexington, Kentucky.

Grazing Preference Percent Stand

2010

PR-617 – 2010 Cool-season Grass Grazing Tolerance Report

Festulolium• Cross between meadow fescue and

perennial ryegrass or Italian ryegrass

• High palatability

• Similar yield to Tall Fescue (at least first two years)

• Out yields perennial ryegrass

• Usually more winterhardy than perennial ryegrass

Festalolium

RyeAdvantages• Most tolerant to cold, poor soils, drought

and grazing of any small grain• High yielding and good quality (if cut early)• Most productive small grain for pasture• Good fall and spring grazing (better fall

pasture than wheat)• Abruzzi types have faster regrowth and

more forage yield than grain types. Especially good for pasture.

RyeDisadvantages• Quality drops rapidly after flowering• Can have lodging problems if not cut early• Quickly becomes stemmy and unpalatable in

late spring

Forage Yield (tons/acre)

Wisconsin Kentucky

Orchardgrass 4.4 – 8.0 2.4 – 6.2Perennial ryegrass 2.7 – 7.8 2.4 – 5.4Italian ryegrass 1.7 – 10.8 1.0 – 4.9Reed canarygrass 6.3 – 6.9 ---Smooth bromegrass 4.4 – 7.7 3.0 – 4.1Meadow bromegrass 4.9 – 7.5 3.2 – 4.4Tall fescue 5.5 – 7.9 3.1 – 8.3Festulolium 3.5 – 5.0 3.0 – 5.8Meadow fescue 3.8 – 6.7 ---Timothy 3.9 – 6.7 2.0 – 6.0

WheatAdvantages

• Pasture, hay or silage (grain after pasture)

• Very winterhardy, later sowing than barley

• Withstand wetter soils than barley and oats

• Higher quality than oat, rye and triticale when cut for hay or silage

• 6-10 tons/acre at 65% moisture

WheatDisadvantages• Early planting for fall grazing can lead to

Hessian fly and wheat streak mosaic damage• Semi-dwarf varieties for grain have lower

forage yields• Awns (length and roughness varies between

varieties)• Severe yield reduction under poor soil

conditions

Triticale Advantages and Disadvantages• Cross between rye and wheat so advantages

of both (newer varieties clearly improvements)

• Good choice for silage• Higher yielding than wheat, but lower

quality• Better quality than rye, but not as stress

tolerant• Certain varieties susceptible to winterkill

and lodging

Winter Oats Advantages and Disadvantages• High yields of good quality forage• Best forage for companion cropping• Least winterhardy small grain• Late maturity of most varieties reduces double

cropping opportunities• Not as tolerant to drought or waterlogging as wheat

or rye• Require good soil conditions for best performance

Fertility• Correct pH (rye will tolerant the lowest pH,

but adequate liming will improve production)

• 30 lb/acre at seeding followed by 30-60 lbs topdressed in Feb/early March

• Annual ryegrass – another application of 30-60 lbs in late April/early May

• P and K to soil test recommendations. P is especially important for rapid early growth.

Grazing Small Grains• Rye most popular for grazing, but all small

grains are good pasture crops when properly managed

• In KY August 1 seeding of rye, oats and triticale yielded 1.3, 1.4 and 1.4 ton/DM/acre on Sept. 30

• Grazing can reduce grain yields from 25 to 79%, but yield increases have been reported in Kansas, Texas, Okalahoma, Indiana, New Jersey and Argentina (likely due to increased tillering)

When to Graze and When to Stop Grazing• Make sure plants well established (6 to 8

inches in height), usually 6 to 8 weeks though not uncommon to graze rye as early as 4 weeks after planting

• Rotational grazing improves recovery and forage yield

• For grain production or for maximum hay and silage production, essential to stop grazing when internode elongation begins (hollow stem growth stage)

When to Stop Grazing

Wheat for Pasture, Oklahoma Statehttp://agweb.okstate,edu/pearl/plantsoil/crops /grains.html

Questions?

Small Grains for SilageAdvantages• Often more dependable yields than corn • Highest quality at boot or early head emergence,

but adequate quality at soft dough with the exception of rye

• Improved quality and yield over hay• Allows better utilization of silage storage space• Ensiling reduced palatability problems due to rough

awned varieties and 40 to 60% reduction in nitrate level vs. pasture or hay

Small Grains for Hay• Yield often 2-4 tons/DM/acre

• Quality best at late boot, especially for rye, but often wait till early milk as a compromise between yield and quality

• Watch for nitrate accumulation following drought, hailstorms or late frosts especially with oats

• Cutting, handling and baling recommendations similar to all hay crops