Annual Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum)

Description

Annual ryegrass will last between 1 to 2 years, depending on climate and variety, providing very high yields and high-quality forage. Varieties may be either diploid or tetraploid. Tetraploid varieties are usually higher in sugar content, whereas diploid varieties tend to be more tolerant of traffic and continuous grazing.

Strengths

High yields; easy to establish; cost effective; able to uptake excess nitrogen; compatible with many legumes; excellent palatability, digestibility, and feed value; useful for overseeding warm-season and cool-season pastures.

Limitations

Short term; can dominate other grasses that don’t grow as fast; performance is limited by water and nitrogen, due to shallow roots and rapid growth - highly demanding of nutrients; some varieties are susceptible to rusts and gray leaf spot.