4front NEA2

Breeding and thorough trialing over the past 15 years has now culminated in the release of 4front NEA2; setting a new benchmark for productivity in grazing systems targeting the highest possible performance.

Key Features

• Long-term pasture for highest productivity temperate systems
• Grazing high quality pastures well into summer
• Silage and hay production
• Tetraploid perennial component in a high-performance ryegrass/clover pasture
• Improvement and/or replacement for Bealey, Viscount and similar types.

Benefits of sowing 4front NEA2

• Improved winter and early spring feed – when it is needed most.
• Significant winter and early spring yield improvement Bealey NEA2 and Base AR37 in 24 years’ worth of trial data. (mean of eight x three year trials, multi-year LSD (5%), CV=3.2%)
• Late – very late heading (+18 days): retains feed quality deeper into spring
• Ideal for rotational grazing and maximising yield potential
• Better late spring quality and summer growth than earlier heading types.
• Supports a high legume content through tetraploid palatability
• NEA2 endophyte:
  • Excellent black beetle, Argentine stem weevil tolerance and good root aphid tolerance.
  • No concern for ryegrass staggers or reduced animal productivity.
  • Proven endophyte in Bealey, Impact 2, Kidman, and Rohan perennial ryegrasses.

* Eight trials in Australia over three years each

4front NEA2 has all the benefits and features of Bealey with significantly better performance in winter and early spring. From an average seasonal yield perspective 4front offers a significant improvement over Bealey and Base in terms of dry matter production over the cooler months. 
Productivity differences are less significant in late spring and summer. Persistence measurements have revealed no significant differences between the three varieties

Damian Adcock, Research Agronomist – Intensive Temperate Systems

Mean of eight 3-year trials: Warragul and Howlong, 2016-2019, 2017-2020, 2018-2021, 2019-2022. LSD (5%). Yields with the same letter are not significantly different. CV=3.2% (523 kg/ha total yield).

Agronomy and Management

4front NEA2 perennial ryegrass is suited to temperate higher rainfall or irrigated locations with optimal growth between 10-30oC. It is very cold hardy and more heat tolerant than ryegrass. 

Use methods such as stale-seed bed, or a targeted herbicide program to reduce the weed-seed burden in the paddock, especially grass weeds. 4front NEA2 is best sown with soil temperatures of at least 10-12oC in early-mid autumn or in early spring as establishment below 8oC may be slow. 

Companion grasses should be sown at rates that complement the performance of 4front NEA2. Diploid perennial ryegrass such as Maxsyn NEA4 can be included to offer a denser sward as well as assist with preventing over-grazing. 

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.

4front NEA2 will require well-maintained pasture fertility levels to offer full productivity benefits. 

4front NEA2 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, 4front NEA2 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. 4front NEA2 with NEA2 endophyte has a good degree of tolerance to black beetle, root aphids, and is avoided by Argentine stem weevils.