Over the years John has tried a large number of other perennial ryegrass varieties but always comes back to ONE⁵⁰. “It is very persistent for a ryegrass and is hard to beat for outright yield versus other grasses on the platform,” John explains.

ONE⁵⁰ diploid perennial ryegrass has been a solid performer across New Zealand since its release seven years ago. Being a medium leaved, late heading ryegrass (+20 days relative to Nui), ONE⁵⁰ is an ideal fit for a dairy farming system as it has excellent spring quality with its flush coming during mid to late spring. This is followed by outstanding summer, autumn and winter growth particularly with the AR37 endophyte.

John emphasises the importance of choice in endophyte, along with the choice in cultivar as he needed an option that can stand up to the significant insect pressure in the area. Initially, John tried ONE⁵⁰ AR1 which controlled Argentine stem weevil. However, he soon realised he needed the increased insect protection provided by the AR37 endophyte. The combination impressed and John’s conclusion was simple: “It just grows more grass than AR1.”

AR37 endophyte has a very high level of resistance to many pasture insects. AR37 is effective against Argentine stem weevil, porina, black beetle adult, pasture mealy bug and root aphid. ONE⁵⁰ perennial ryegrass combined with the AR37 endophyte results in very good insect control, allowing ONE⁵⁰ to reach its genetic potential without the additional pressures of insects resulting in high on farm yields. This combination has ensured that John can confidently use ONE⁵⁰ AR37 to achieve consistently good yields and achieve his spring demand of 65 kgDM/ha/day.