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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)
Contents Vol 75(7)

Effects of heading date and Epichloë endophyte on persistence of diploid perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne). 1. Heading date

Katherine N. Tozer https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0027-922X A * , David E. Hume B , Catherine Cameron A , Rose Greenfield A , Tracy Dale A , Wade J. Mace https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3529-7700 B , Tony Craven A and Marty J. Faville B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.

B AgResearch, Grasslands Research Centre, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.

* Correspondence to: katherine.tozer@agresearch.co.nz

Handling Editor: Brendan Cullen

Crop & Pasture Science 75, CP23266 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP23266
Submitted: 16 September 2023  Accepted: 27 May 2024  Published: 25 June 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

Data are lacking on the effects of heading date of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) on ryegrass persistence.

Aim

We aimed to determine the impact of heading date on perennial ryegrass persistence.

Method

Two mid-heading (Samson, Bronsyn) and two late-heading (One50, Rohan) cultivars, infected with Epichloë endophytes (AR37, nea2/6 or standard toxic), were established in a replicated plot study grazed by cattle in a subtropical environment of the upper North Island of New Zealand. Persistence characteristics were quantified at least five times per annum, over 4 years.

Key results

Late-heading cultivars had higher yield, nutritive value, perennial ryegrass content in pasture dry matter, ground cover and tiller density than mid-heading cultivars. There were large seasonal impacts on all ryegrass characteristics, with a major decline over summer and recovery during late autumn into early spring, with less recovery in the final year. Overall, there was a strong linear decline in ryegrass content measured during spring (2018–21).

Conclusions

The two late-heading cultivars were more persistent than the two mid-heading cultivars, although persistence declined over 4 years for all cultivars.

Implications

Results support industry recommendations of choosing late-heading cultivars for improved pasture quality and persistence.

Keywords: flowering date, herbage production, maturity date, nutritive value, pasture persistence, perennial pastures, resilience, tiller populations.

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