Download a copy of the Endura Rhodes Grass factsheet.
Endura Rhodes® grass, a diploid Rhodes grass, is a new Katambora type. Bred in Australia, this perennial variety was selected from the market leading Tolgar Rhodes® grass, taking the greatest characteristics of this long-standing variety and significantly improving forage quality. Leaf blades are thinner again, resulting in finer textured vegetative growth, with a reduced amount of stem. The enhanced multiple tillering ability of Endura Rhodes® produces a higher leaf to stem ratio, providing more consumable dry matter than Tolgar Rhodes® and other Katambora Rhodes grass varieties on the market. The result of intensive breeding selection work from Tolgar Rhodes® has resulted in Endura Rhodes® grass ability to make top quality hay, with conditioning and drying down traits significantly improved. Less stem results in more even dry down rates and the ability to capitalise on quick initial leaf dry down gains. Maturity evenness of this variety provides higher levels of protein feed later in the season that has higher utilisation rates. Endura Rhodes® demonstrates exceptional persistence and recovery after grazing or cutting. Later flowering again compared to Tolgar Rhodes® and other Katambora Rhodes grasses provides Endura Rhodes® the ability to maintain feed quality longer into the season.
Uses
Endura Rhodes® is an excellent option for intensive hay production systems, as well as for use under intensive and extensive grazing situations. It is ideal for land reclamation, amenity, erosion control, and mine rehabilitation.
Suggested Sowing Rates (AgriCote coated seed)
Marginal Dryland: 4-6Kg/Ha
Ideal Dryland: 8-12Kg/Ha
Irrigated: 15-25Kg/Ha
Agronomy
Endura Rhodes® is well suited to tropical and sub-tropical production zones and in temperate regions under certain conditions. This variety is adapted to a wide range of soil types from infertile sands to fertile loams and Brigalow clays. Rhodes grass requires adequate nutrition and some form of rotational grazing to persist successfully in the medium to long term. Diploid Rhodes grass establishes and persists well, even at low fertility, having a higher tolerance for drought and a rapid growth rate compared to tetraploid Rhodes grass species. It can however be hard to establish on heavy cracking clays. This species has moderate frost tolerance, being less affected by frost than tetraploid Rhodes grass types.
Compatibility (with other species)
Endura Rhodes® grass performs well in tropical mixes and is compatible with a variety of pasture species. Grasses include buffels, digitaria, lower growing panic species (Gatton and green), brachiaria, setaria, millet and bluegrasses. It combines well with legumes such as burgundy bean, siratro, desmodium, butterfly pea, centro, glycine, coastal stylo, desmanthus, lucerne, medic, serradella and clover.
Growth Habit
Endura Rhodes® has a more dense, leafier, prostrate growth habit with finer leaf and stems compared to Tolgar Rhodes® and Katambora varieties. A strong stoloniferous ability aids in strong establishment, tolerance of heavy grazing and long-term persistence. Endura Rhodes® grass has the ability to dispose excess salt on the basal growth region of the plant, providing high salt tolerance abilities. Trials indicate productivity will remain between 4-10 ds/M and survive up to 20 ds/M in certain situations. Endura Rhodes® grass being a diploid, is insensitive to day length and will flower throughout the growing season.
Establishment
Seed can be drilled or broadcast and being a small seed, should be planted ideally at 5mm and no more than 1cm deep. Seed to soil contact is important, the use of press wheels or, on non-hard setting soils rolling after sowing, is recommended. Care should be taken not to plant in the hottest summer weather – the seed must maintain close contact with wet soil for about 3-4 days. The fluffier nature of diploid Rhodes grass tends to cause the bare seed to ‘bridge’. Coated seed provides ballistic properties, allowing seed to flow more readily. The use of AgriCOTE will greatly improve establishment success and allow the calibration of planting equipment to achieve desired planting rates with a higher degree of success.
Persistence
Endura Rhodes® demonstrates greater persistence than both Tolgar Rhodes® and Katambora. It can be used as a permanent pasture or a short to medium-term pasture ley. Long-term persistence is dependent on ideal grazing management. Recovers well after fire and generally has poor shade tolerance.
Management
Pasture success will depend on grazing management in the first season. Do not graze until follow-up rain post planting allows seedlings to develop a strong root system and set seed - graze lightly if early feed is required. Rotational grazing practices are preferable to continuous stocking. The stand should be maintained in a leafy condition by regular grazing or cutting, since feed values decline rapidly with the onset of flowering.
Nutrition
Rhodes grass can survive and tolerate infertile soil, however will usually be unproductive, with persistence being greatly reduced. The AgriCOTE coated seed ensures nutrients are available to the seedling during the most critical phase of establishment. Growth rates will continue to respond dramatically to increasing linear rates of nitrogen (N), while in poorer soils, very responsive to phosphorus (P). N and P fertiliser is recommended at sowing, banded away from the seed, which can be achieved via the use of a starter fertiliser. A maintenance fertiliser program is recommended to replace nutrient(s) removed by grazing or hay cutting over time, particularly at high stocking densities or under intensive hay cutting activities. Split applications of 50-150Kg/Ha N are used often. The use of a soil test will form the foundation of a suitable fertiliser program.
Toxicity
No record of toxicity in any livestock species. The low levels of oxalate in Endura Rhodes® makes it an ideal species for horse pastures.
Plant Breeder Rights (PBR): Chloris gayana ‘KG2’ is protected under Australian Plant Breeder’s Rights (Certificate # 4219) in the name of Barenbrug for marketing under the trademark Endura Rhodes®. Unauthorised propagation for commercial purposes or any sale, conditioning, export, import or stocking of propagating material constitutes an infringement under S.74 of the Plant Breeders Rights Act (1994) and is liable to 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.