Perennial & Hybrid Ryegrass Seed

It's a trade-off. Endophyte is a fungus inside the plant that helps protect ryegrass from some insect pests, but some types produce the toxins behind ryegrass staggers. Low or nil endophyte grass greatly reduces that staggers risk but gives up insect protection. AusVic is our very low endophyte perennial, bred to stop staggers in sheep and cattle. Traditional types like Victorian may carry endophyte, so check the seed's endophyte status with us before you sow.

It depends on the variety. AusVic is a prolific seeder, so you can let it set seed in its first or later years to recruit new plants and thicken the pasture naturally, and it regenerates well the following season. Ease grazing in late spring so heads can form, then remove dry residue in autumn so seedlings and new tillers get light. Through summer, avoid grazing it hard so the existing plants survive to keep producing.

A hybrid ryegrass crosses perennial and Italian ryegrass to combine strong cool-season growth with more persistence than an Italian. Hypa is a tetraploid hybrid bred from 75% perennial and 25% Italian, selected for high dry matter from late winter to mid spring. Its mid-late maturity makes it a suitable choice for most environments with at least 650 mm of rainfall. It's more persistent than other hybrids in drier conditions and has excellent rust resistance. Sow at 15–25 kg/ha.

Dunstan suits that well. It's a mid-maturing diploid perennial ryegrass for medium rainfall zones, rated from 600 mm, with strong rust resistance and persistence and a good chance of finishing strong in a variable season. AusVic, rated from 550 mm, is the alternative if you want very low endophyte and a grass that reseeds itself. Both suit sands through to heavy soils. Sow Dunstan at 15–25 kg/ha with a sub clover suited to your rainfall.

Sow AusVic at 12–15 kg/ha in 550–700 mm rainfall areas and 15–20 kg/ha where you get 700–850 mm. We recommend sowing it with subterranean clover and chicory for a balanced pasture. AusVic needs at least 550 mm, suits sands through to heavy soils, and has mild low pH tolerance and waterlogging tolerance. Sow shallow into a firm, moist seedbed after the autumn break, and graze lightly until plants are well anchored.

Go easy on it. Hold off the first grazing until seedlings are firmly anchored, graze rotationally rather than set stocking, and avoid hard grazing through the first summer. DPIRD advises keeping at least 1500 kg DM/ha over summer and never set stocking ryegrass that's under heat or moisture stress. In autumn, remove dry residue to encourage new tillers but keep feed above about 1200 kg DM/ha. Perennial ryegrass does best on well-drained, fertile loams in higher rainfall areas.

Victorian perennial ryegrass is the traditional choice. It's valued for hardiness and persistence under dryland grazing in higher rainfall districts with reliable winter moisture, and does best on moderately fertile loams and heavier soils that hold moisture. Sow it with a sub clover suited to your rainfall for a long-lived sheep or cattle pasture. Traditional types may carry endophyte, so check the seed's endophyte status with us, and ask us for the right sowing rate for your district.

That's a classic sign of African black beetle. Its larvae feed on roots from late spring to mid summer, and heavy populations cut the roots so the pasture lifts like a carpet. Adults also chew young plants at ground level in autumn. Kikuyu and perennial ryegrass are favoured hosts. Ryegrass with an insect-protective endophyte holds up better than low-endophyte types. Ask your agronomist about monitoring and control, and consider delaying autumn sowing into infested paddocks until May.

Only if it's mildly salty. Dunstan and Hypa have mild salinity tolerance, so they can work where salt is low and patchy, but perennial ryegrass isn't a saltland grass. Where salinity is moderate to severe, or the ground is also waterlogged, sow a salt-tolerant perennial instead. Tyrrell Tall Wheatgrass is our best option for saline and waterlogged areas, and Puccinellia, the most salt tolerant commercially available grass, suits scalds that dry out over summer.

Some, yes. Hypa and Victorian are listed for grazing, silage and hay, and Hypa is selected for high dry matter from late winter to mid spring. Dunstan and AusVic are grazing varieties, and we recommend using them that way. If you do cut a perennial pasture, leave time for regrowth before summer. DPIRD suggests perennial ryegrass should carry around 2000–3000 kg DM/ha at the end of spring to protect the soil surface, and not be grazed below 1500 kg DM/ha over summer.