TOPGRASS - ForFarmers UK

PLUS Grasses

PLUS Grasses is the marketing name for festuloliums which are hybrid ryegrass developed by crossing meadow fescue or tall fescue with Perennial ryegrass or Italian ryegrass.

This process combines the properties of the two types of grass. The fescue contributes qualities such as high dry matter yield, resistance to cold, drought tolerance and persistance, while the ryegrass contributes rapid establishment, good spring growth, good digestibility, sugar content and palatability. The individual festulolium varieties contain various combinations of these qualities, but all are subsequently better yielding than their parent lines.

PLUS Grasses - Better field value

Depending on the variety and the growing conditions, PLUS - grasses provide from 5 - 25% more forage and 1 - 2 years more persistency. PLUS - grasses depending on the variety can withstand colder winters, drought and disease. They produce a higher output and offer a better feed value compared to tall fescue.

Two main groups

PLUS grasses are split into two main groups:

Ryegrass PLUS

  • High seedling vigour
  • Very early spring growth
  • Very high yield
  • Tendancy for heading in regrowth
  • Upright growth
  • Better persistency than their ryegrass parent lines.

Tall Fescue PLUS

  • High seedling vigour
  • Very persistent
  • Earlier spring growth
  • High quality
  • Tendancy to head only in 1st cut
  • High yield
  • Upright growth
  • Tolerates drought and periodical flooding
  • Good winter hardiness.

PERSEUS & PERUN

Ryegrass PLUS

  • All the attributes of an Italian Ryegrass with additional yield.
  • Demonstrate improved persistence and stress tolerance.
  • Ideal for short-term mixtures which last up to three years.
  • Can replace Italian in a silage and aftermath grazing mixture.
  • Quick to recover after drought/wet conditions.


PERSEUS en PERUN table

LOFA

Ryegrass PLUS

  • LOFA has the broadest appeal of all PLUS Grasses.
  • It has all the attributes of a Hybrid Ryegrass but exhibits improved persistence and stress tolerance over standard Hybrid Ryegrass varieties.
  • Ideal component in medium-term mixtures.
  • Persistence, similar to standard Hybrid Ryegrass, matches the expected duration of the vast majority of medium-term mixtures currently used in the UK.
  • Provides extra yield and quality in your ley.
LOFA plus grasses 2022

HIPAST & FOJTAN

Tall Fescue PLUS

  • Suitable to be included in all leys but especially grazing due to its excellent density.
  • Complement perennial and hybrid ryegrasses along with lucerne and red clover.
  • Tall Fescue Plus increases the persistency of a mixture as they are able to tolerate challenging and stressful conditions.
  • Deeper rooting system which means a greater tolerance to dry conditions.
TOPGRASS PLUS Grasses 2023 Hipast en Fojtan

The varieties compared in the tables above are for reference only. Comparing festulolium perfomance vs the specific species varieties. Individual performance may vary.

PLUS Grasses

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