Download a copy of the Rohan SPR Perennial Ryegrass factsheet.
Rohan spreading perennial ryegrass (SPR) has been purpose bred to give sheep and beef farmers persistent, easy-care pasture. Its unique spreading habit can help Rohan SPR fill bare areas in pasture, and recover faster after adverse climatic events. Rohan SPR is palatable, late flowering and comes with NEA2 endophyte for great animal health.
Rohan can deliver farmers:
- Improved pasture persistence under set stocked/heavy grazing conditions, as its breeding focus was predominantly on persistence.
- Better tolerance to drought, pugging and insect attack through very high tiller density (more tillers = greater overall pasture density = more tillers to kill before pasture density becomes an issue, as well as improved recovery from damage.
- Good yield potential - Rohan’s yield potential is 5–10% below leading varieties such as Impact 2, but this difference is not visually noticeable. Rohan SPR suits difficult sites where persistence is a key requirement, and works particularly well in blends for good areas which can be prone to tiller damage through drought, pests and pugging.
- Improved quality through late spring, with reduced seed-heads so that it stays leafier, greener and better utilised than other cultivars through the spring seeding period.
Key features
- Diploid perennial ryegrass
- Exceptionally densely tillered
- Late flowering (+18 days vs. Nui)
- Tough, resilient ryegrass
- NEA2 endophyte
Key benefits
- Bred for persistence under grazing
- Productive in tough conditions
- Good tolerance to treading and pugging
- Produces lateral tillers to fill bare areas
- Resistance to a wide range of insects
- Grazing safe for sheep and cattle
Agronomy and management
Sowing rate
For best results sow Rohan at 15–20 kg/ha into a clean, weedfree seed-bed with adequate soil fertility.
Sowing depth
Ryegrass can be sown at 5–20 mm, however if sowing in a mix with clover, try to keep the sowing depth between 5–10mm.
Fertiliser
For best performance, soil fertility and acidity problems should be amended prior to sowing. It is usually best to plant ryegrass with 60−100 kg/ha of MAP or DAP at sowing to provide some starter phosphorus and nitrogen.
Weeds
Prior to sowing a perennial pasture, 18 months to 3 years of pasture renovation should take place, to amend any fertility issues and reduce the weed and pest burden of the paddock. A knock-down herbicide (such as glysophate) is the best applied prior to sowing if weeds are present.
Grazing
Ensure the first grazing doesn’t take place until the plants are sufficiently anchored. Use your hand to pull on the plants at grazing height, if the plants remain in the ground, then grazing can commence. Ideally, ryegrass should be rotationally grazed for optimal growth. To do this, graze at the 2.5−3 leaf stage, then let the plants rest again to the 2.5−3 leaf stage to recharge the carbohydrates levels to enable better growth rates.
Plant Breeders Rights (PBR): This variety is registered under Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) in Australia. Unauthorised commercial propagation or any sale, conditioning, export, import or stocking of propagating material is an infringement under the Plant Breeders Rights Act (1994). Any breach of this legislation will leave the grower liable for prosecution.
Disclaimer: The information presented in this brochure is from official and other sources and is considered to be reliable. It is provided in good faith and every care has been taken to ensure its accuracy. Barenbrug does not accept any responsibility for the consequences that may arise from the acceptance of recommendations or the suggestions made.