On 1 February, DairyNZ released its latest rankings for the national Forage Value Index. These  always must be taken into consideration before any ryegrass cultivar decisions are made, and this year we are happy to report that Barenbrug cultivars have once again performed strongly across all categories.

The FVI is an independent, region specific, profit-based index for short-term and perennial ryegrass cultivars. It helps farmers make more informed and profitable decisions when choosing ryegrass cultivars for pasture renewal.

 

As in previous years, Shogun NEA hybrid ryegrass and Tabu+ Italian ryegrass have dominated the 12 month and winter feed categories of the latest FVI rankings for all regions, each with the highest possible ranking of 5 stars.

 

Trojan NEA2 perennial ryegrass retains its 5 star category in the North Island and upper South Island, giving Barenbrug the most comprehensive range of high ranked cultivars available.

 

That performance can be credited to the on-going work of our plant breeding team, which continues to develop class-leading cultivars for farmers throughout NZ.

 

Just a reminder of what these FVI rankings stand for. Pastures with 5 stars have the highest extra farm operating profit per ha compared with old ryegrass genetics.

 

Using Tabu+ for winter feed as an example, that translates to extra value of $318-$447 per ha, depending on which region you’re looking at. Moata and Tama by comparison are 1 star cultivars, and their ‘value’ for winter feed ranges from a loss of $43 per ha to a gain of just $72.

 

The difference is even bigger in the 12 month rankings. The 5 star profit benefit of Shogun NEA and Tabu+ in this category ranges from $509-$828 per ha, again depending on region. Meantime Moata at 1 star ranges from a loss of $193 per ha to a gain of $91.

 

To see the latest star rankings for all perennial ryegrasses in the DairyNZ FVI this year, visit www.dairynz.co.nz