The addition of 11 new varieties of Grass and Clover to the recommended list has been welcomed by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales. The inclusion of these aims to improve grassland productivity, at a time when production costs is a key concern for livestock farmers. By including using the recommended list farmers can maximise forage use on farm, which in turn can help reduce feed costs and improve efficiency.
Varieties that have been added to the official Recommended Grass and Clover List (RGCL) include two Italian ryegrasses, six perennial ryegrasses, two lucerne and one festulolium variety.
HCC’s Research and Development and Sustainability Executive Dr. Heather McCalman said: “There are big advantages to be gained by selecting the most up to date grass and clover varieties which offer superior attributes such as yield, digestibility, and seasonal growth due to significant investment by plant breeders to improve efficiency, resilience and productivity.
“Welsh farmers can use this excellent handbook to make the most of the range of varieties available and select mixtures to meet their livestock needs. Whether its sheep grazing or a multi cut silage sward there is a variety for every purpose.”
The RGCL can help farmers understand the performance attributes of different varieties, such as yield, persistency, quality and disease resistance and select the ones for their farming system.
The rigorous selection process for new grass varieties ensures reliability and performance. Each new variety undergoes six years of independent testing across UK trial sites, assessing various parameters including total annual yields, seasonal growth, metabolisable energy yield, winter hardiness, and disease resistance. Only varieties demonstrating clear improvements over existing ones make provisional status. Reassessment, after an additional five years of trials, determines whether a provisional (PG/PS) variety is recommended for widespread adoption (G).
The Grass and Clover Recommended List (RL) trial programme is managed by NIAB on behalf of the BSPB, with trials sites across the country run by NIAB, IBERS, DLF, DSV and disease sites run by NIAB and Barenbrug. The lists build on the initial data of the National Variety Listing trials (also managed by NIAB on behalf of the BSPB for APHA), which include sites run by AFBI, SRUC and SASA.
The Recommended Lists trial programme is funded, through the BSPB, by plant breeders and agents, with contributions from the AHDB and HCC.
Ellie Sweetman, Forage Crop Specialist at NIAB and RGCL Trial Coordinator on behalf of BSPB, said: “To get onto the RGCL, varieties must offer a clear improvement to the existing list. This pushes the standard continually upward with increasing yield, nutrient use efficiency and ME yield per hectare, therefore increasing production efficiency and sustainability. Reseeding with RGCL varieties will increase sward performance and give good return on investment. By providing growers with accurate, independent data, the RGCL facilitates informed decision making in selecting varieties and mixtures tailored to specific farming conditions and animal requirements.
“As well as variety information, the RGCL offers farmers technical guidance on reseeding, maximising sward productivity.”
