Cool-Season Grasses
Perrenial Ryegrass
Description
Globally, perennial ryegrass (PRG) is the most widely used grass for grazing because of its aggressive growth and high-quality forage. PRG also makes excellent haylage or baleage, but it does not dry well for dry hay. With proper management and high fertility, PRG can be persistent for 5 to 7 years or more in the Midwest. All the PRG varieties that Byron Seeds selects have excellent grazing tolerance.
Intensively managed pastures are a great place to use PRG, which requires aggressive management and high fertility. Residual heights can be lower for PRG compared to other grasses. Grazing down to about 2 inches in spring and fall is recommended, and leaving higher residual of at least 3 inches in the summer helps persistence and overall productivity of the stand. PRG is not a good candidate for pairing with orchardgrass, which has taller residual requirements.
Establishment
PRG can be sown by itself (usually 30 lb./A) or sown in mixtures with legumes or other cool-season grasses. Planting depth should be between 0.25 and 0.50 inch. Broadcast sowing into thin stands is sometimes successful, but no-till drilling is the recommended method to thicken existing stands. Plants are ready for pasturing when they no longer can be pulled out by the roots (about 6 weeks).
Rating Scale: Poor I Fair I Good I Very Good I Excellent
- A very winter hardy tetraploid and diploid blend that is great for grazing or haylage.
- Good persistence with the resistance to stem rust.
- A tetraploid with larger leaves for excellent forage quality.
- Very winter hardy.
- A tetraploid that has good summer production.
- It can go farther south than other varieties.