Description

Annual Ryegrass

Sweet T was created from multiple selections in in the south of the USA, all demonstrating high forage yield, disease resistance, and adaptability to grazing livestock systems. Sweet T is a tetraploid annual ryegrass selected for beef and dairy cattle forage, developed by crossing high-yielding, disease-resistant ryegrass cultivars from a collection of plant genetics from a renowned breeder’s private collection. Sweet T offers season-long production, higher intake, and more digestible fiber due than other tetraploids, plus later maturity for extended grazing and harvest windows. Sweet T is suited for green chop, baleage, silage, hay, and cover cropping, with deep roots and an open sward that supports Bermudagrass re-growth and soil health.

Sweet T consistently offers fast germination (5-7 days) and vigorous early growth typical of annual ryegrass that amplifies its inherent tetraploid vigor. Its larger seeds and robust seedlings establish quicker and compete better against weeds than some slower-growing or less aggressive varieties, offering a practical advantage for erosion control and quick cover.

Notable Characteristics:

Enhanced Forage Quality and Yield:

High forage yield and nutritional value with digestible fiber and suitability for grazing. Sweet T is a variety with even greater biomass and protein content even exceeding Ranahan’s 1.3-2.4% nitrogen content, improving livestock weight gain and milk production.

Extended Grazing and Harvest Window:

Sweet T’s late maturity allows for prolonged grazing and harvesting periods. The broader window of usability maximizes flexibility for farmers.

Improved Soil Health and Nitrogen Management:

Sweet T is known for scavenging residual nitrogen up to 200 Ibs/acre/year, reducing fertilizer costs and environmental runoff. With its deep roots and open sward, farmers and ranchers will promote soil structure, drainage, and plant diversity. Paired with Sweet T’s vigor, you’ll create a robust cover crop that builds organic matter and suppresses weeds effectively.

Disease Resistance and Resilience:

Sweet T was developed with disease resistance in mind, using a diverse selection of resistant Southern ryegrass cultivars. This genetic diversity helps ensure a variety less prone to pests and diseases, reducing the need for chemical inputs and ensuring consistent performance across diverse climates.

Versatility in Use:

Sweet T’s suitability for green chop, baleage, silage, hay, and cover cropping, combined with its grazing adaptability, means Sweet T will excel in multiple roles. It has the cold tolerance and drought resistance, broadening its applicability across regions and seasons.

Animal Performance:

Sweet T has higher intake and digestibility due to larger cell size and lower cell wall content. Sweet T will optimize its various traits, leading to better animal performance like faster growth rates in beef cattle and higher milk yields in dairy herds.

Cost Efficiency:

Sweet T does more with less. It performs well even with seeding rates as low as 25- 45 Ibs/acre depending on use. With Sweet T, reducing planting costs and freight expenses is possible while still achieving dense stands. With its slightly smaller seed size, Sweet T is perfect for Tetraploid Diploid blends.

Synergies

The combination of Sweet T’s proven forage lineage, tetraploid vigor and late maturity, along with its unique contributions from a renowned private collection will yield a “best-of-all-worlds” annual ryegrass choice. If better cold tolerance and faster establishment, Sweet T can thrive in northern areas where early planting is critical, while retaining all Southern adaptability of the very top varieties.

Method of Seeding & Seeding Rates:

Use a Brillion seeder, a no-till drill or broadcast followed by a culti-packer. Sweet T can also be frost seeded. Seed to soil contact is vital to having a successful stand. Plant %” deep.

New fields/pasture: 40-45 lbs. /acre

Renovation/Overseeding existing fields/pastures:

Pastures: 25-35 lbs. /acre Alfalfa Hay Field: 3-5 lbs. /acre

Grazing and Harvest Tips:

Sweet T is highly palatable; avoid over grazing. Graze at approximately 10-12 inches and remove animals when at 3-4 inches. When grazing Sweet T, consider reduce grain levels and consider adding more fiber to the ration. If machine harvesting disc mowers and drum mowers are highly preferred. For high quality hay, harvest 1^st cutting at boot stage. *As with any forage, management practices dictate the yield and quality of the forage nearly as much as the genetics of the product. With proper management practices, Sweet T should provide high yielding, high quality forage that should result in improved producer profitability.

Additional information