Plant Rohan SPR this spring, and you’ll soon see what makes it unique among perennial ryegrasses in NZ.

 

Generally, ryegrass grows upright. Each plant consists of a clump of tillers and in most cases those tillers stick closely together and grow vertically.  

 

Rohan’s growth pattern is more lateral. As well, each plant puts out runners or stolons which further help it cover the ground. Each of these can set down growing points which in turn become new Rohan plants which then do the same thing.

 

Some of these runners can reach 10 cm long or more, with several new growing points along them.

 

The end result? A dense, robust pasture that can compete aggressively with weeds, stand up to harder grazing pressure and recover better from extended dry periods and other adverse weather events.

 

We created Rohan SPR for persistence, but it’s also easy care and it tastes good too – just look at the photo below for proof.

 

Taken in April 2016, after a very dry summer, it shows how stock have preferentially grazed a split paddock of Rohan (the green) instead of Nui (the brown) on a Central Otago sheep and beef farm at Oturehua, in the Maniototo. Both grasses were sown three years previously.