Ryegrass Management

Summary

The project group learned new methods for monitoring plant growth and production, and for recording information. The team also identified that Safeguard doesn't necessarily produce more dry matter than native rye grass. In a dry environment, Safeguard and native rye grass crossed and achieved a resistant state. Team members gained an in depth understanding of the process of ARGT and twist fungus effects on rye grass and discovered strategies to diminish risk and utilize rye grass in the sheep system. Producers understand how waterways and plant libraries assist the transference of twist fungus. They also learned about new species of grasses and pasture combinations and treatments, and that it's easy to make a mistake obtaining the right species of seed to plant. Once a mistake was made in the grass species, another grass option was included in the measurement systems. Effective planning and experimental design was determined to be of paramount importance, as was the support of experienced researchers. Producers are predicting that they will be able to use rye grass production when they have found a solution to ARGT. Producers are annually testing for ARGT in susceptible paddocks, and one producer is planning to put in a paddock scale area of Safeguard to integrate it into a pasture area for 2005.