Description

Samurye NEA12 hybrid ryegrass introduces NEA12 endophyte to elite ryegrass breeding.  The grass is a selection from a 50/50 Italian and Bealey perennial ryegrass cross. The result is a variety with the yield potential of the best Italian ryegrasses with improved persistence.

Samurye hybrid ryegrass is partnered with NEA12 endophyte. This symbiosis confers improved yield through increased cool-season performance and improved persistence under pasture pest pressures. Samurye NEA12 has been trialled for eight years in Australia with the aim of making substantive improvement over the very productive variety Shogun. Shogun remains highly productive in all high-performance situations. Now Samurye NEA12 offers an increased level of potential for dairy and beef systems seeking the highest possible performance.

Where to use Samurye NEA12

• 2–4-year pasture for highest productivity temperate systems
• Grazing high quality pastures well into summer
• Silage and hay production
• Temperate higher rainfall zone (>700mm) or irrigation
• Tetraploid grass component in a high-performance ryegrass/clover pasture
• Use a sole grass high performance pasture.
• Also ideal for over-sowing existing perennial, hybrid, or Italian ryegrass swards.
• Improvement and/or replacement for Shogun and similar types.
• Dairy and beef cattle only.

Benefits of sowing Samurye NEA12

• Next jump up in productivity over Shogun and similar types.
• Significantly improved autumn, winter, and early spring feed – when it is needed most.
• 8% total yield improvement over Reward AR5, and 4% improvement over Shogun NEA in 12 years’ worth of trial data (four trials x three years, multi-year LSD 5%, CV=4.8%)
• Very late heading (+26 days): retains feed quality deeper into spring
• Ideal for rotational grazing and maximising yield potential
• Improved late spring quality and summer growth than earlier heading types.
• Supports a high legume content through tetraploid palatability.
• NEA12 endophyte:
  • Janthitrem producing endophyte – high level of pasture pest tolerance
  • Excellent for managing black beetle, Argentine stem weevil and root aphid.
  • Dairy and beef cattle only

* Four trials in Australia over three years each – see over.

“Samurye NEA12 just stands out every time you enter one of the trials. It always looks good. When we are measuring the trials, we see Samurye NEA12 always performing, as it tops the scales all-year round. Even just cutting it with the trials mower you can sense the machine working a bit harder in the Samurye NEA12 trial plots. Shogun is really good, but Samurye is yielding more again. This is up to 15% more in some seasons, especially from late summer, autumn through to later winter. Samurye NEA12 is really something else.”

Dustin Cundy. Farm Operations Manager – Howlong Research Farm