Italian ryegrass MEROA RvP

A late, high yielding tetraploid Italian ryegrass with good resistance to rust

• High yields
• Very good regrowth
• Bigger, more succulent leaves
• Higher sugar content
• Ideal for dairy, beef, and other high-performance forage applications
• Performs very well as a cover crop, providing good weed suppression and generous biomass

• High yields of green mass
• Large, succulent, broad leaves
• The dry mass yield of the last cutting - 5.374 t/ha
• Winter hardiness – excellent (up to 10 % of plants damaged in the trials)
• For fodder purposes can be sown both in autumn and spring
• Grows only foliage (no panicles) in the sowing year
• Produces panicles in the second year after sowing in a cool climate zone
• Produces abundant foliage in spring
• Regenerates well
• Resistant to rust and grey leaf spot (Pyricularia grisea)
• Leaves are high in carbohydrates (sugar)
• Excellent forage quality as expected from late maturing ryegrass
• Crude protein content – 22 %
• NDF (neutral detergent fiber content) – 45.7 %
• ADF (Acid detergent fiber content) – 28.2 %
• Nutritional value (NEL, Net Energy for Lactation) – 0.71
• Perfect for cattle, dairy cows, sheep and goats
• Suitable for hay and silage
• Also suitable for green manure (suppresses weeds well, produces a lot of green mass)
• Optimal soil pH is 5.5-7.0
• At least 550 mm of rainfall would be required for growing

• Non-formation of stems in the first (sowing) year – 2 (points out of 4)
• Resistance to rust – 1-2 points (out of 4)
• Persistence – 2 points (out of 4)
• Yield in the spring harvest (when sown in autumn) – 3 points (out of 4)
• Total yield (when sown in autumn) – 3 points (out of 4)

• Heading time (according to Belgian research) – May 11
• Persistence – 5.9 points (out of 9.0)
• Resistance to rust – 4.7 points (out of 9.0)
• Non-formation of stems in the first (sowing) year, when sowing in spring – 6.1 points (out of 9)
• Yield of the 1st harvest (sown in autumn) – 104 % (100 = average of all tested varieties of this group)
• Total yield (sown in autumn) – 100 % (100 = average of all studied varieties of this group)
• First-year yield (sown in autumn) – 100 % (100 = average of all studied varieties of this group)
• First and second year yield (sown in autumn) – 98 % (100 = average of all studied varieties of this group)

*The highest number means the most favourable rating

**Source: ILVO Mededeling 223, décembre 2016. Catalog Belge – description et recommandation – plantes fourragères et engrais verts - 2017.

• Yield in spring – 3 points (out of 4)
• Overall score – 3 points (out of 4)
• Persistence – 2 points (out of 4)
• Resistant to crown rust – 2 points (out of 4)
• Forms few stems in the year of sowing – 2 points (out of 4)

*ILVO data in the catalogue

The varietal parameters may differ from those indicated here when the testing circumstances differ from quondam