The Effect of Planting Date on the Dry Matter Production of Italian and Westerwolds Ryegrass in the Southern Cape of South Africa

The Effect of Planting Date on the Dry Matter Production of Italian and Westerwolds Ryegrass in the Southern Cape of South Africa

Perennial pasture species such as lucerne (Medicago sativa), kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and perennial clovers (Trifolium spp.) make an important contribution to the fodder flow programmes for dairy production in the southern Cape. One of the main challenges when these species make up the primary pasture base within a pasture system is the mutually low growth rates during winter (Van Heerden et al., 1989; Swanepoel et al., 2014). In order to bridge pasture shortages during the critical winter months, producers establish annual Italian (Lolium multiflorum var. italicum) and Westerwolds ryegrass (L. multiflorum var. westerwoldicum) either as pure swards, mixtures or over-sown it into perennial pastures. The production potential and seasonal growth of annual ryegrass varieties are affected by climate and may not follow the same pattern of production as in other regions. The aim of this study was to determine the production potential of Italian and Westerwolds ryegrass planted at different planting dates in the southern Cape of South Africa.