Forge NEA is the phenomenal 3-5 year pasture bred to deliver stock performance your neighbours will envy, with environmental benefits too.
Groundbreaking
Yielding at least 14% more than all other cultivars in the National Forage Variety Trials (NFVT), Forge is a breakthrough in genetic gain. (Few new ryegrass cultivars ever exceed 5% yield improvement!) Even better, Forge gives this extra yield and quality across all seasons.
NFVT hybrid ryegrass summary: All New Zealand Trials*
Feed when you need it
Growth in autumn, winter and early spring is increasingly sought-after in our farm systems. It provides feed when it is often most needed, and most expensive.
Forge’s cool season yield is unbeaten. In autumn it grows 15% - 46% more than other hybrid ryegrasses in the NFVT system; and 15% - 37% more in winter.
Tasty as
Animals love tetraploids – they are soft, high in sugars, legume-friendly, and easy to eat. Forge encourages higher intakes, optimal per head performance and improved efficiency.
Lose less N & GHG
With higher animal intakes, and extra cool season growth, Forge helps lighten the farm footprint.
Tetraploids can be grazed at higher covers, so you grow more pasture for the same amount of N. Forge’s extra winter yield also better mitigates N leaching through the high-risk cool season when soils are wet. Its palatability and high feed value lifts per animal performance, which lowers both greenhouse gas emissions and animal health costs.
Extra 1.6t DM/ha
Forge NEA will produce around 1.6t DM/ha a year more than a high performance perennial ryegrass. How could you use this in your farm system?
- Dairy farms: Forge’s extra cool season yield supports winter milking/early calving. More ME/ha year-round can increase MS production. Just as importantly, high ME and palatability lift efficiency through more MS/cow, rather than more cows. Alternately, the extra feed could reduce supplement costs.
- Sheep and beef: Forge’s extra early season yield feeds ewes better through lactation, meaning more lambs finished off mum. More lambs meet the early schedules, and efficiency improves as the weaning check is avoided. Forge’s high quality is also great for growing or finishing stock.
- Undersowing: Forge establishes rapidly, with fast regrowth, so it is ideal for direct-drilling into thin, runout pastures to improve both yield and feed quality.
Add red clover & stand clear
We’re testing a range of mixes with Morrow red clover, as this will provide the highest summer feed quality. So far mixes of 30 kg/ha Forge with 6 kg/ha Morrow, and 20 kg Forge with 10 kg Morrow, are the best performers, with the latter likely (from experience) to give a bit less winter yield and more summer yield as time goes on.
Breeding & persistence
Forge has 75% perennial: 25% Italian ryegrass parentage, so it fits between Shogun (50:50% parentage), and 4front perennial ryegrass. Forge’s persistence is very good for a tetraploid hybrid, thanks to high tiller density and a focus on persistence in its breeding.
Sowing Forge
Other species can be added as needed e.g. Captain CS plantain.