The contribution of hybrid ryegrass (Lolium x hybridum Hausskn) to dry matter yield in mixtures with perennial ryegrass

Abstract

In UK agriculture, forage grasses are invariably grown in mixtures composed of different varieties and species. A study was carried out to estimate the contribution of varying amounts of hybrid ryegrass to the performance of a typical silage ley mixture comprising hybrid ryegrass, intermediate flowering perennial ryegrass, and late flowering perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). In a plot experiment, it was established that dry matter yield responded linearly to the percentage hybrid in each harvest year confirming that the hybrid ryegrass had a significant effect on the yield of the mixture even in the third harvest year.