Species: Lolium Perenne
Officially listed in: England, Wales & Scotland
Heading dates: England & Wales 2nd June, Scotland REE 47
Ploidy: Diploid
Bred in: Northern Ireland
Most suited to: Any medium - long term grazing and/or cutting ley where spring growth is vital.
Digestibility
Ballyvoy provides high quality forage from both silage and grazing management. Grazing D values and second cut silage are particularly good and the high early spring growth displayed by Ballyvoy requires cutting at the correct growth stage to ensure quality is maximised.
Grazing: 77.4; 2nd cut 75.4
Other Attributes
Ballyvoy has excellent Mildew resistance (6.6) and has the highest winter hardiness combined with excellent ground cover scores.
Being a diploid, you should expect an average of 600,000 seeds per kilogram and a slightly more prostrate growth habit. Ballyvoy therefore brings ground cover and a higher plant population than tetraploid counterparts to mixtures.
Before recommendation, Ballyvoy has been extensively trialled across almost 20 location in the British Isles to gather data on its performance in multiple climatic conditions.
High ME yield, excellent winter hardiness (7.3), British bred, excellent spring growth
Yield: Cutting average: 15.79t DM/ha, Grazing average: 9.85t DM/ha
Ballyvoy was bred for Barenbrug UK at AFBI (Agri-Food & Bioscience Institute) in Northern Ireland. The Variety was named after a small village in Northern Ireland.
PERENNIAL RYEGRASS
DESCRIPTION: Dark green, densely or loosely tufted. Folded shoot and leaves.
FLOWERING HEAD: Flattened spike with the spikelets arranged alternately on opposite sides of the stem. The spikelets are stalkless with the narrow, rounded face fitting against the stem.
LEAF BLADE: Ribbed on upper surface, smooth and shiny underside. Red at base of stem.
AURICLES & LIGULE: Auricles are usually well developed, up to 1/12 of an inch (2 mm) long, or are sometimes lacking.