Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) increases milk yield of dairy cows. An indoor feeding experiment using Friesian dairy cows in mid lactation was conducted to determine what proportions of the milk yield and composition changes were due to the condensed tannins (CT) in Lotus, and what proportions were due to factors associated with legumes (higher herbage intake and forage quality). Cows w...

13-17 ABSTRACT Infection with endophytic fungi (Acremonium spp.) was detected in seeds of wild populations of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) collected in France by private breeding companies and INRA. In total, 262 populations were examined and 70% contained Acremonium. It is worth noticing that most populations are endophyte infected but generally endophyte infection rates per population ...

Degradation of dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) in fresh or frozen-thawed alfalfa and ryegrass was studied by using in situ technique. The forages were labeled with N during growth in a glasshouse, harvested at similar growth phase, and fresh (F) or frozen-thawed (FT) samples were incubated in the rumen of 3 sheep. There was no difference (P>0.05) between forage type (S) for the immediately sol...

Recent discussion about pasture persistence concentrates on pastures based on perennial ryegrass, the most commonly used grass species. This paper raises the question as to whether some of the causes of poor pasture persistence are due to perennial ryegrass being used in environments to which it is not suited. The adaptation to environmental stresses, particularly water, temperature and nutrien...

Some effects of l&m endophyte (Acremonium lolioe) on sheep production were evaluated using pure swards of h igh (SO%>) and low (< 5%) endophyte Nui and Ar ik i ryegrass. The proportion of infected t i l lers in high endophyte treatments increased by 19% in 15 months. Ryegrass staggers occurred on both high endophyte ryegrasses being sl ight ly worse on Nui . The peak ryegrass staggers outbreak ...

Four weed species (Bromus mollis, Vulpia sp., Poa annua, Steltaria media) occur in 30% or more of all perennial ryegrass seed samples. Of the listed undesirable species, Avena fatua (wild oat) and Hordeum murinum occurred respectively in 5.3 and 3.5% of ryegrass seedlots. Only 6 herbicides are registered for use in grass seed crops in New Zealand, 2 for wild oat, and 4 for broadleaved weeds. Th...

Rigid ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) is one of the most troublesome weeds in different crops in the Mediterranean region. A rigid ryegrass biotype from an olive grove in Jaén province (Andalusía, southern Spain), potentially resistant to glyphosate (RG), was tested for its resistance level through dose-response assays using a susceptible biotype (SG). To test the hypothesis of a non-target-site-base...

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is the most widely grown temperate grass species globally. Intensive plant breeding in ryegrass compared to many other crops species is a relatively recent exercise (last 100 years) and provides an interesting experimental system to trace the extent, impact and trajectory of undomesticated ecotypic variation represented in modern ryegrass cultivars. To explor...

Understanding the stability of chloropyromorphite (CPY) is of considerable benefit for improving risk assessment and remediation strategies in contaminated water and soil. The stability of CPY in the rhizosphere of phosphorus-deficient ryegrass was evaluated to elucidate the role of root-secreted low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) on the dissolution of CPY. Results showed that CPY trea...

An experiment investigated whether the inclusion of chicory (Cichorium intybus) in swards grazed by beef steers altered their performance, carcass characteristics or parasitism when compared to steers grazing perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne). Triplicate 2-ha plots were established with a chicory/ryegrass mix or ryegrass control. Forty-eight Belgian Bluecross steers were used in the first gra...