UMS

Denver

Denver

Italian Ryegrass

Denver is a long-season, tetraploid Italian ryegrass selected for its seedling vigour and substantial winter growth.

Scientific Name

Lolium multiflorum

Ploidy

Tetraploid

Sowing Rate

25 –30 kg/ha

Blend Rate

5 – 15 kg/ha

Seed Size

200,000-300,000 seeds per kg

Source: Pasture varieties used in NSW 2006-2007, Bev Zurbo, 2006

Maturity

Late

Denver is a late-flowering plant designed to produce good quality feed late into the spring.

Days to flowering relative to Nui (0) = +16

Key Features

  • Establishes rapidly

  • Excellent palatability

  • Dynamic recovery from grazing and cutting

  • Extremely disease resistant

Plant Characteristics

  • Tetraploid Italian-type plant

  • Designed to persist for 2-3 years under suitable conditions

Where can I grow it?

  • High rainfall and irrigation areas

  • A reliable spring is essential to maximise production potential due to Denver’s late-flowering habit

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Frequently Asked Questions

Soil Type

Denver is best suited to well-drained loam soil types but adapts to a wide range of fertility levels and soil profiles. Tetraploids will cope with some waterlogging for short periods of time provided the growing tip is above water. To maximise stand productivity, soil testing is advisable. Analyse soil and neutralise deficiencies with fertiliser and/or lime.

Good base rates of phosphorus are necessary for maximum DM production especially during establishment phase. DM production is directly related to nitrogen availability. Consult your UMS agronomist or fertiliser advisor for nitrogen application rates.

Sow at 25-30kg/ha alone or 5-15kg/ha when a component of a pasture blend. Sow seed no deeper than 1cm in a fine but firm seed bed. Sow into bared ground if direct drilling. Lightly harrow and roll to improve germination. Suitable for oversowing into an established stand. Pasture productivity is directly related to successful plant establishment.

During emergence it is essential to monitor regularly for damage from insects such as RLEM and lucerne flea, and spray as required. Inspect during early stand life for populations of black-headed cockchafer and slugs. Contact your UMS agronomist for spray application rates.

Denver is very competitive as both a seedling and established plant. Always use a knockdown herbicide to ensure you are sowing into a clean seedbed. Monitor for post-emergent weeds and spray as required. Use options such as spray-grazing for broadleaf weeds.]

Do not graze Denver until the plant is well anchored and root depth is established. Carry out a quick in-paddock ‘grab test’ by hand to ensure stock cannot pull plants out of the ground. Denver should be rotationally grazed to maintain 2-3 leaves per tiller. If the stand is allowed to grow beyond the three-leaf stage, it may run to head earlier and there will be a proportional reduction in quality and productivity.

Short-term tetraploids such as Denver have 4 sets of chromosomes per cell resulting in bigger, darker leaves. This increased cell size has higher sugar and moisture content which is more palatable and digestible than diploid varieties.

To optimise livestock weight gain and health, ensure livestock are vaccinated and drenched. To prevent nutritional problems, make gradual diet changes when introducing hungry stock to lush pastures. Contact an UMS agronomist for more information.