Three new perennial ryegrass varieties and one new white clover variety are recommended for the first time this year by the Department of Agriculture. Irish breeder Teagasc provides two of the new grass varieties – a late-heading diploid named Glenroyal and a late-heading tetraploid variety named Solas. German breeder Deutsche Saatveredelung AG (DSV) provides a late-heading tetraploid named Astonenergy. Teagasc provides the new white clover variety named Buddy.

Outclassed grass varieties removed from the list are the late-diploid varieties Denver, Soriento, Portstewart and Malambo, and the late-tetraploid variety Glencar.

Each year, the Department tests more than 100 varieties of grass and white clover in replicated trials at five locations throughout the country. All new varieties are tested against existing commercial recommended list varieties over a minimum of two sowing years, with each sowing harvested for two years, giving a total of four harvest years.

Trials are grown on good-quality soils in a manner conducive to selection of varieties most suited to good commercial farming practices.

Variety descriptions

The variety descriptions on these pages are based on the information provided for the general purpose six-cut grass variety testing system completed by the Department of Agriculture. Information on the simulated grazing (frequent cutting) 8-10 cut system for intermediate and late perennial ryegrass groups is provisional for many varieties, as it is based on two harvest years rather than a minimum of four harvest years. The Department descriptions as outlined below are generally confined to pointing out cases where a variety’s performance relative to other varieties in the same group differs considerably regarding a particular characteristic.

Moyola: Good annual yield and autumn growth.

Genesis: Excellent spring growth.

Boyne: Highest total yield and very good spring growth. Its ground cover score is very good. Dry matter digestibility is moderate.

Solomon: Total yield is good. Spring growth is excellent.

Rosetta: Very good total yield. Spring growth is excellent.

Rodrigo: Very good ground cover score. Good spring growth. Total yield is moderate.

Abermagic: Good annual yield and very good autumn growth. Ground cover and dry matter digestibility are very good. Its heading date is the latest in the group.

Giant: Spring growth is very good. Ground cover is very good. The variety is becoming outclassed by newer improved varieties.

Magician: Spring growth is very good.

Carraig: Good total yield combined with excellent spring growth. Ground cover is very good.

Trend: Its total yield and spring growth are good. The variety is becoming outclassed by newer improved varieties.

Seagoe: Good total yield combined with very good spring yield. Dry matter digestibility is good. In the 2016 recommended list, the variety may be considered as becoming outclassed.

Dunluce: Dry matter digestibility is very good. Its autumn growth is the best of the tetraploids. It is the latest-heading tetraploid variety in the group.

Stefani: Good annual and spring yield. Good ground cover.

Majestic: Good annual, spring and autumn yield. Good ground cover.

Glenveagh: Good annual yield. Its ground cover is excellent.

Piccadilly: Good annual yield and spring growth. Good ground cover.

Tyrella: Its spring growth is excellent and is much better than that of other late-diploid varieties. Autumn growth is moderate.

Glenroyal: A new variety with good annual yield and very good ground cover.

Clanrye: Very good annual yield and ground cover.

Mezquita: Its ground cover is very good. Autumn growth is moderate. The variety is becoming outclassed by newer improved varieties.

Drumbo: Spring growth is very good. Autumn growth is good. Dry matter digestibility is very good.

Aberchoice: Annual yield and autumn yield are very good. Dry matter digestibility is excellent, being the highest in the group.

Delphin: Annual yield and spring growth are good. Dry matter digestibility is very good.

Astonenergy: A new variety on the list. Good autumn growth. Dry matter digestibility is excellent.

Abercraigs: Annual yield and spring growth are good. Dry matter digestibility is very good. The variety is becoming outclassed by newer, improved varieties.

Abergain: Highest annual yield. Spring growth is considerably better than other varieties. Dry matter digestibility is excellent.

Aspect: Good annual yield and spring yield. Ground cover is the best of the late tetraploids. Dry matter digestibility is very good.

Navan: Good annual yield. Autumn growth and dry matter digestibility are very good.

Twymax: Ground cover is one of the highest of the tetraploids. Very good dry matter digestibility. In the 2016 recommended list, the variety may be considered as becoming outclassed.

Kintyre: Annual yield, autumn growth and dry matter digestibility are all very good.

Aberplentiful: Very good annual yield. Spring growth is good and autumn growth is very good. Dry matter digestibility is very good.

Solas: A new variety with very good annual yield. Autumn growth is very good. Dry matter digestibility is very good.