PRODUCTIVITY OF ITALIAN AND PERENNIAL RYEGRASS MIXTURES

Italian ryegrass cv. Leda and perennial ryegrass cv. Presto were sown alone and in five mixtures containing different proportions of viable seed and compared with hybrid ryegrass cv. Manawa and Italian ryegrass cv. S22. Yields and herbage composition were measured five times in 1962 and 1963, with particular reference to the contribution from perennial ryegrass in the first year and the effects of Italian ryegrass on second-year production. Italian ryegrass dominated first-year production wbile perennial ryegrass dominated second-year production. Manawa was the top yielder in the first year, but both Manawa and S22 bebaved as Italian ryegrasses and were badly frosted and weedy in the second year. The mixtures were generally intermediate in yield between the components and tended towards the yield of the more vigorous component. Since the more vigorous component changed from cut to cut or from season to season, the sums of harvests sbowed some advantage for certain mixtures. Certain pairs of herbage varieties can be sown togetber witb yield advantage. Furtber physiological investigations are warranted and the breeder has a part to play in a search for complementary varieties.