PERFORMANCE OF RYEGRASS VARIETIES INALABAMA, 1984-1985

SEPTEMBER 1985 AGRONOMY AND SOILS DEPARTMENTAL SERIES NO. 103 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION ALUBURN UNIVERSITY AUBURN UNIVERSITY, ALABAMA GALE A. BUCHANAN, DIRECTOR

PERFORMANCE OF RYEGRASS VARIETIES IN ALABAMA, 1984-85

1
W. C. Johnson and Darrell Williams

The Alabama Ryegrass Variety Test is a continuing evaluation of available varieties and breeding lines from private companies and state agricultural experiment stations. Tests are planted in northern,

central, and southern locations to evaluate the varieties under the different environmental conditions of these regions of Alabama. The

tests are conducted by experiment station personnel and the results are presented in a fair and unbiased manner.

Experimental Procedures and Discussion Ryegrass entries were seeded at a 20-pound-per-acre rate in rows 7 inches apart, using plots 5 x 20 feet with four replications. stand was obtained at all locations: A good

Gulf Coast Substation, Sand

Mountain Substation, and the Plant Breeding Unit. The tests were fertilized with phosphorus and potassium according to soil test. At planting, nitrogen was applied at the rate of 50 pounds N per acre, except at the Plant Breeding Unit where 100 pounds was applied. An additional 50 pounds of N was applied per acre after each

cutting to allow the varieties to perform at their maximum yield

1 Professor

and Research Associate (resigned), Agronomy and Soils.

potential.

A 32-inch swath of each plot was harvested with a flail type A herbage sample

harvester each time the ryegrass reached 6-10 inches.

of approximately 1 pound was taken from each plot at each harvest for determining forage dry matter percentage. The unusually severe cold

weather during late January virtually eliminated any winter production at the Plant Breeding Unit and Gulf Coast Substation and destroyed the test at the Sand Mountain Substation. Marshall continued to be among the highest in total herbage production throughout Alabama and is especially outstanding in late winter/early spring production. Planning ways to meet seasonal forage needs is an important consideration for livestock producers. Tables 5 and 6 show 3-year A 3-year average

average yields for the ryegrass production season.

provides a more dependable comparison of ryegrass varieties than does single-year results.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Appreciation is expressed to W. H. Hearn and Mrs. Sally Bagwell, Research Data Analysis, for the data processing of this report. Also

acknowledged are the contributions of J. T. Eason, and M. E. Ruf, Sand Mountain Substation; E. L. Carden and N. R. McDaniel, Gulf Coast

Substation; and Steve Nightengale, Plant Breeding Unit, for growing and harvesting the experiments.

SOURCES OF RYEGRASS SEED

Caramba Dalita Florida 80 Gulf Marshall MOM Lm 454 MOM Lm 455 MOM Lm 456 MOM Lm Multimo Ninak Penploid -4 Shannon Tetrablend 444 Urbana

Mommersteeg Int., Netherlands Pacific Seed Production Co., Albany, Oregon Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, Florida Local purchase Funk Seeds Int., Alexanderia, Louisiana Mommersteeg Int., Netherlands Mommersteeg Int., Netherlands Mommersteeg Int., Netherlands Mommersteeg Int., Netherlands Mommersteeg Int., Netherlands Western Seed Co., (van der Have Seeds), Albany, Oregon Pennington Enterprises, Madison, Georgia Pioneer Hi-Bred, Inter., Tipton, Indiana Northrup King Co., Columbus, Mississippi Western Seed Co., (van der Have Seeds), Albany, Oregon

Table 1. Seasonal Dry Matter Yield of Ryegrass Varieties at the Gulf Coast Substation, Fairhope, Alabama, 1985

Brand-variety 1/7 Lb. Marshall Mom LM 456 Mom LM 457 Mom LM 455 Ninak Multimo Dalita Tetrablend 444 Mom LM 454 Urbana Gulf Caramba Florida 80 Shannon Penploid-4 1,447 1,265 1,228 1,447 1,938 1,631 1,036 1,727 1,036 1,244 1,222 1,661 1,083 1,292 844

Yield/acre, by harvest date 3/7 3/25 4/10 Lb. 800 785 835 880 506 650 527 390 658 608 333 491 554 358 370 Lb. 1,782 1,803 1,817 1,494 1,327 1,454 1,614 1,391 1,932 1,432 1,528 1,233 1,373 1,197 1,184 Lb. 1,320 1,257 1,270 1,364 1,226 1,362 1,428 1,061 1,311 1,385 1,092 1,143 686 1,135 999

5/8 Lb. 1,546 1,758 1,718 1,436 1,550 1,358 1,822 1,854 1,477 1,580 1,783 1,273 1,771 1,321 1,578

Season total Lb. 6,894 a* 6,868 a 6,867 a 6,621 ab 6,547 ab 6,465 ab 6,428 ab 6,422 ab 6,413 ab 6,250 abc 5,959 abcd 5,800 5,467 5,304 4,975 bcde cde de e

*Yields followed by the same letter are not different, P = .05. Planted: October 31, 1984.

Table 2.

Seasonal Dry Matter Yield of Ryegrass Varieties at the Plant Breeding Unit, Tallassee, Alabama, 1985 ttePYied ofR dat res

Brand-variey 1/7

Dry M Lb.I

matter/acreby 3/7 3/19Lb. 366 522 494 596 639 454 116 243 497 536 557 138 37 36 150 Lb. 187 403 299 337 310 291 152 244 340 322 529 125 94 60 113

paI

0

,

ms

4/13 Lb. 1,957 2,004 1,904 1,894 1,904 1,538 1,756 1,683 1,613 1,565 29069 1,286 1,344 1,088 1,276

5/10 Lb* 1,541 1,366 1,583 1,345 1,358 1,367 1,410 1,462 1,227 1,257 1,162 1,442 1,303 1,487 1,147

Seas-on total Lb. 6.887 a* 6,609 ab 6,538 ab 6,463 abc 6,241 abc 5,967 5,S739 5,694 5,407 5,377 5,350 5,051 4,865 4,705 4,563 bcd cde cde def def def efg fg fg g

Marshall Mom LM 456 Mom LM 455 Mom LM 454 Mom LM 457 Urbana Fl orida 80 Shannon Ninak Mul timo Dalita Penpl oi d-4 GuIlf Tetrablend 444 Caramba

2,836 2,312 2,259 2,293 2,029 2,317 2,305 2,063 1,731 1,698 1,033 2,061 2,087 2,035 1,878

*Yields followed by the same letter are not different, P = .005 Planted October 12, 1984.

A

av. Table 3. Total Dry Matter Yield of Ryegrass Varieties and Two- and Three-Year Averages, Gulf Coast Substation, Fairhope, Alabama Dry matter/acre.~' ~3-yr. 2-yr. av. (1983-85) (1984-85) Lb. 7,476 ,Lb. 7,1290

Brand-variety

1985 Lb.

momm

Marshall Mom LM 456 Mom LM 457 Mom LM 455 Ninak Mal timo Dalita Tetrablend 444 Mom LM 454 Urbana Gul f Caramba Florida 80 Shannon Penpl oid-4
I~~)\AUILI~Y rl r

6,894 6,868 6,867 6,621 6,547 6,465 6,428 6,422 6,413 6,250 5,9959 5,800 5,467 59304 4,975
v)lr~

6,334

6,339

5,663

6,645 5,795

6,986

5,612 5,568 5,148

5,888 5,763 5,802

Table 4. Total Dry Matter Yield of Ryegrass Varieties, Plant Breeding Unit, Tallassee, Alabama. Two- and Three-Year Averages Dry matter/acre 2-yr. av. (1984-85) Lb. 9,112

Brand-vari ety

1985 Lb.

3-yr. av. (1983-85) Lb. 10,623

Marshall Mom LM 456 Mom LM 455 Mom LM 454 Mom LM 457 Urbana Florida 80 Shannon Ninak Multimo Dalita Penploid-4 Gulf Tetrablend 444 Caramba

6,887 6,609 6,538 6,463 6,241 5,967 5,739 5,694 5,407 5,377 5,350 5,051 4,865 4,705 4,563

8,092 7,380 7,892 7,884

9,948 8,931 9,573 9,652

7,159 7,060 6,961

9,058

Table 5. Seasonal Distribution of Ryegrass Variety Forage Production, Gulf Coast Substation, Fairhope, Alabama, 1983-1985

Variety Autumn Lb. Urbana Marshall Ninak Shannon Penploid-4 Florida 80 1,252 1,230 1,198 878 1,042 926

Seasonal forage yield/acre Winter Lb. 1,166 1,120 899 832 916 1,150 Early spring Lb. 3,491 3,804 3,207 3,087 2,872 2,696 Late spring Lb. 1,074 1,134 1,043 964 971 1,115

Table 6. Seasonal Distribution of Ryegrass Variety Forage Production, Plant Breeding Unit, Tallassee, Alabama, 1983-1985

Variety Autumn Lb. Urbana Marshall Ninak Shannon Penploid-4 Florida 80 2,512 2,879 2,474 2,352 2,843 2,589

Seasonal forage yield/acre Early Winter spring Lb. 975 912 925 879 854 963 Lb. 3,825 4,218 3,754 3,789 2,984 3,262

Late spring Lb. 2,635 2,613 2,498 2,552 2,376 2,116

Information contained herein is available to all without regard to race, color,

sex, or national origin.