There are as many varieties of annual ryegrass as I have fingers and toes... There are a few that are suitable for pasture. Those would be the diploid and tetraploid italian varities. Maris Ledger and Fabio are common around this area, as was Ajax at one time. Ajax gave us our best experiences. We've grown it strictly for pasture, and strictly as an annual. We never try to over winter it. Generally it will survive the winter, but it's first year is it's production year and the second year is it's reproduction year where it shoots a seed head. When it does that you may as well feed bullrushes to the cows... These are low growing varities, but they are very lush feed, produce a good tonnage and regrow very well with some moisture... but they're not really practical for mechanical harvesting. Let the cows get it themselves.
There are a multitude of other varities that grow more upright that you could harvest for hay/silage, but I have no real experience with them. I think David mostly filled in that bit anyway. I will say that this is likely our last year with the annual ryegrass too. It's gotten to be too much work for us to plant every year, we had a poor germination this year, and we've had two years now out of ten where it bolted and set seed under some stress... so it's gotten to be a somewhat costly and unpredictable crop. I think we'll go with a preannual ryegrass and Huia white clover next spring, perhaps with a bit of annual mixed in for the first year. I don't see that we've got much to lose that way even if it does winter kill...
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Hydraulic Basics - Part 2 - by Curtis Von Fange. In the last entry to this series we gave a brief overview of hydraulic system theory, its basic components and how it works. Now lets take a look at some general maintenance tips that will keep our system operating to its fullest potential. The two biggest enemies to a hydraulic system are dirt and water. Dirt can score the insides of cylinders, spool valves and pumps. Wate
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
1964 I-H 140 tractor with cultivators and sidedresser. Starts and runs good. Asking 2650. CALL RON AT 502-319-1952
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.