Successful regrassing relies on the right preparation of paddocks and selection of seed. The following is a timely recap of best practice for autumn regrassing, and the release of compelling trial data for Avatar, the best performing winter perennial ryegrass in New Zealand, is a must read for milk producers.

Paddock preparation

The first step in successful establishment of your new pastures is controlling weeds, using a spray-out is a well-established practice, even when cultivation is used during seedbed preparation. Glyphosate 540, G360 or 680 Dry plus Accelerate penetrant is the basis for any good spray-out. We also have a range of companion herbicides to improve the control of specific weeds.

For those weeds that may not be well controlled with glyphosate alone, it can be tank mixed with a range of herbicides to improve control. This also helps reduce the risk of some weeds developing resistance to glyphosate.

It’s also important to check your paddocks for pests and to control weeds in new pastures post-sowing, check out our other tips for the successful establishment of new pastures.

Seed selection

While we have a range of high performing cultivars and cultivar mixes available, one tetraploid perennial ryegrass that has consistently excelled within trials* is Avatar NEA, a new high performing tetraploid containing the NEA endophyte.

Avatar is a very late heading and persistent tetraploid ryegrass producing high metabolizable energy (ME) yields per hectare – a winning combination for milk producers.

Avatar NEA combines three high value traits that drive its overall performance and value:

1. Plant persistence by withstanding increasing environmental pressures to maintain high plant populations within grazed swards
2. Improved nutritive value and palatability to promote higher consumption per cow, increase daily energy intake, improve sward utilisation and assist maintaining residuals
3. Seasonally weighted ME yield with an emphasis on increased yield during winter, summer, and autumn when feed is needed most, whilst maintaining spring pasture quality.

Avatar NEA excels across all three of these traits and is highly ranked in the NZPBRA National Forage Variety Trials (NFVT) for its dry matter yield alone. In fact, Avatar NEA has earned the highest NFVT rank of all perennial ryegrasses, of any ploidy, for high value winter yield for all NZ.

 

 

Avatar NEA has repeated its competitive dry matter yield in the most recent Upper South Island NFVT trial completed this year.

Tetraploid cultivars highlighted within the 2018-2021 upper South Island NFVT trial P218BUR. Perennial ryegrass seasonal and total yield (KGDM/ha), mean of 3 years.

Means that differ by more than the Least Significant Difference (LSD, 5%) differ significantly (P < 0.05) as denoted by differing letters. CV = coefficient of variation. Note: this trial included a total of 31 varieties, on which the statistical analysis was conducted; however, 13 non-commercial lines have been removed from this presentation as requested by the NZPBRA.

Avatar NEA also offers exceptional flexibility with a range of custom mixes available. Your Ravensdown agronomist can discuss the benefits of adding clover, diploid perennial ryegrass, plantain, or chicory to your Avatar order to suit the needs of your herd and optimise production.

Speak to your local agronomist or call the Customer Centre
on 0800 100 123.