4front NEA2 is the new benchmark in tetraploid ryegrass, with superior year-round growth (unbeaten in NFVTs and the FVI), improved persistence, easy grazing and excellent animal performance. It’s better for the environment, too.
Best of the best
4front is the highest yielding tetraploid perennial we’ve bred, equally important is the way it does this, with high yield across both the cool and warm seasons.
Unbeaten in NFVT
In the 2021-22 industry National Forage Variety Trials (NFVT) results 4front NEA2 is unbeaten for total yield across all New Zealand trials. See page 10 for graph of results.
Only FVI 5-star nationwide
In the 2022 DairyNZ Forage Value Index (FVI) 4front NEA2 is the only 5-star cultivar in the perennial ryegrass lists across all four regions of
New Zealand. This result comes from 4front’s outstanding combination of yield and feed quality.
More tillers
The more tillers in a pasture, the more robust it is. Each tiller is an individual which can be killed by a range of stressors, including drought, pugging, insects and overgrazing. 4front’s enhanced tillering helps it persist when conditions are tough.
Piece of cake!
Animals love tetraploids. For you, that simplifies grazing management. Soft, high ME, legume-friendly tetraploid pasture makes life easier for your stock, too. Every bite takes less effort, encouraging animals to eat more for higher daily intakes. The result? More milk in the vat, and faster LWG for finishing stock.
Grazing is hard work! A cow on pasture might take 25,000 bites every day; a ewe, 40,000. 4front’s soft leaves make a big difference to their quality of life.
Lose less N & GHG
With higher animal intakes and easier management, 4front can help lighten your farm footprint.
Tetraploid ryegrass-based pastures, or tetraploid/diploid mixes, allow farm system changes to reduce N leaching while improving pasture growth and animal intakes, which is the future direction dairy farming needs to take.
A dramatic example of this is the Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF). It has cut N leaching by 40% and greenhouse gases (GHG) by about 22%, by making a range of systems changes including:
- Capturing more photosynthesis – pre-grazing covers are 300 kg DM/ha higher with tetraploids, growing an extra 1.2 t DM/ha/year across the farm.
- Longer grazing round (average 4 days longer) meaning fewer grazings per paddock and 30% better N use efficiency.
- Higher per cow production (+26 kg MS/cow) from fewer cows and better pasture intakes.
- Applying 170 kg/ha/year less N
LUDF could not have achieved this without sowing tetraploid ryegrass in every paddock but one.
To read more about the 4front system click here.
Mixing 4front and Maxsyn
While 4front can be sown alone on many farms, mixing 4front with Maxsyn diploid perennial ryegrass extends the benefits of tetraploids to a wider range of farm systems.
Some farmers struggle to avoid over grazing straight tetraploids, and don’t get the persistence they want. Adding a denser, finer diploid ryegrass to the mix makes it more robust. Diploid plants protect the tetraploid.
Very low chance of staggers
For dairy cows and beef cattle, 4front NEA2 provides ryegrass staggers free pasture.
For sheep and deer, ryegrass staggers grazing NEA2 endophyte is a very low risk. In extreme situations, (e.g. drought where animals are forced to graze close to the ground), a low level of staggers might very occasionally be seen.
Sowing 4front
4front can improve animal performance and environmental outcomes across many farm systems. Below are three examples.
