1. Pasture Persistence & Genetic Gain Cáthal Wims on behalf of colleagues in the Feed and Farms Systems Team

2. Pasture Persistence Project Improve our understanding of pasture persistence Collect information on: –Perennial Ryegrass cultivar –Sowing rate –Characteristics of surviving plants vs.

3. How are we doing this… 4 cultivars –Nui SE –Commando AR37 –Alto AR37 –Halo AR37 5 sowing rates –6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 kg/ha 3 sites –Northland; Waikato; Canterbury (irrigated)

4. What we found so far… Modern cultivars are not less persistent than Nui –In fact, could be reverse Nui based pastures  higher % weed species Sowing rate –12 – 24 kg seed/ha = similar performance –Opportunity to lower seeding rates under ideal sowing conditions

5. Genetic Gain in Ryegrass Gain delivered by plant breeding? –Old vs. modern cultivars? Trials established in Waikato and Canterbury Cultivars included –Mid and late heading Diploids –Late and very late heading Tetraploids

6. Measuring gains in… Dry Matter Yield Pasture Quality Persistency Evaluated under grazing gains in profitability being delivered by plant breeding to NZ dairy farmers

7. Late and very late heading cultivars –Delayed reproductive development –Fewer reproductive tillers Less of this in late spring and early summer Heading dates

8. In summary Work underway to… –better understand perennial ryegrass persistence –Comparing old vs. modern cultivars No evidence that modern cultivars are less persistent than Nui Plant breeding has successfully altered heading date –Delayed reproductive development in spring