Forge NEA

Forge NEA is a new break-through variety in ryegrass breeding. It combines the excellent cool-season growth potential of leading Italian ryegrasses with longer-term persistence traits from 75% elite perennial ryegrass genetics. The result is a variety which offers longer-term persistence to 3-5 years with excellent year-round yield. 

Forge ryegrass is a tetraploid with terrific animal acceptance and performance. It is mid-late heading (+11 days) and is partnered with NEA endophyte. This symbiosis offers improved yield through improved persistence under pasture pest pressures. Forge will find favour with operations seeking a level of persistence not offered by shorter-term hybrids, with exceptional cool season and year-round performance

Key Features

• 3-5 year pasture for highest productivity temperate systems
• Use pattern sits between 2-3 year hybrids such as Shogun and perennials such as 4front
• Temperate higher rainfall zone (>700mm) or irrigation
• Tetraploid grass component in a high-performance ryegrass/clover pasture
• Ideal for over-sowing thinning perennial, hybrid or Italian ryegrass swards
• Dairy, beef and lamb finishing, silage and hay
• Highly recommended for ryegrass systems where perennials may be desired but rarely persist well enough. 

Benefits of sowing Forge NEA

• 3-5 year option to reduce re-sowing frequency compared to annuals, Italians or 2-3 year hybrids
• Improved performance over perennial options and out-performs most shorter-term hybrids.
• Exceptional winter and early spring yield: 14% total yield improvement over Reward AR5, 11% over Ohau AR37, and 4% improvement over Shogun NEA in winter and early spring.
• Mid-late heading (+11 days): suits cool season performance and high silage and hay yield prospects
• Supports a high legume content: stock acceptance through tetraploid palatability

NEA endophyte:

• Good for managing black beetle and assists with other pasture pests.
• No ryegrass staggers
• Dairy, Beef and sheep systems

Performance

Agronomy and Management

Forge hybrid ryegrass is suited to temperate higher rainfall or irrigated locations with optimal growth between 10 - 30°C. Good paddock preparation will aid establishment. Use methods such as stale-seed bed, or a targeted herbicide program to reduce the weed-seed burden in the paddock, especially grass weeds. Application of slug bait may be an important consideration. Forge is best sown with soil temperatures of at least 10-12°C in early-mid autumn or in early spring as establishment below 8°C may be slower. Companion grasses are not typically required, as shorter-term types may thin over 2-3 years and full expression of Forge's 
yield potential may be curtailed if sown with perennials. Clovers should be sown at robust rates that provide opportunity for satisfactory pasture composition. Grazing management that seeks to avoid selective grazing will enhance and retain good pasture composition. 

Forge will require well-maintained pasture fertility levels to offer full productivity benefits. Forge and companion species will need maintenance of phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and other elements provided to ensure continued performance and persistence. Initial and regular soil testing is recommended. Once established, Forge ryegrass pastures should be rotationally grazed to from 2½-3 leaf stage to optimise feed quality. Graze down to 3-5 cm residuals within 2-3 days and remove stock to allow rapid recovery and yield maximisation. Forge with NEA endophyte has good tolerance to black beetle, and moderate-good tolerance to root aphids, and Argentine stem weevils.

Typical co-species

Clovers and forage herbs: White clover, red clover, plantain and chicory. 

If Forge is to be mixed with other grasses, options may include:
Perennial ryegrasses: 4front NEA2, Array NEA2, Maxsyn NEA4 and Rohan NEA2
2-3 year hybrid ryegrasses: Samurye NEA12, Shogun NEA

Forge may be best utilised as a sole grass. This will allow full expression of performance compared to perennial options or conversely, the relative persistence compared to shorter-term options.