Livestock farming is changing fast, with farms focusing on their strengths, increasingly efficient dairy and livestock production.

The modern farmer has different needs regarding their grassland.  Instead of just high dry matter production, more and more priority is being given to palatability, persistency, nitrogen efficiency, drought tolerance, winter survival, rumen stimulation and protein production.  Naturally, the highest level of disease resistance is also a leading purpose in all our forage breeding programmes.  These issues make up the leading criteria for grass mixture selection for modern farming, demanding a new focus.

For this purpose Barenbrug breeds grasses and forage legumes at 10 breeding stations worldwide.  The final seed mixture is a specific combination of grass species and varieties and their interaction.  The mixtures are tested in assessment trials and on farms, to meet the requirements of modern farming and grassland management.

Scotvar mixture trials.

The trialing of single cultivars for national listing by SAC, NIAB and ABFI provides invaluable data for use throughout the UK.
As grass breeders we have made substantial investment in our new Scotvar mixture trials located at SAC in Aberdeen. The trial is set up to evaluate how individual cultivars interact and compete within mixtures throughout each stage of development. We are evaluating many key aspects including yield, persistency, digestibility and winter-hardiness.

To ensure as many interested parties as possible have the opportunity to view the trials we will be organising a series of Open Days at SAC throughout 2008.