United Kingdom
July 28, 2022
The English and Welsh Recommended Grass and Clover List (RGCL) gives farmers the edge in grassland management, with only the very best varieties making it to recommendation. This year, five new varieties have been included in the coveted directory.
The go-to guide for grassland farmers
The 2022/23 list remains the go-to guide for farmers aiming to keep grassland as productive as possible. With costs of feeding livestock increasing significantly this year, gaining the most from homegrown forage is now critical to farm profitability.
The list’s unique value to farmers comes from the rigorous independent testing carried out on every variety. Those varieties selected for inclusion must bring added value to the list, giving farmers a continuous improvement in forage varieties.
Germinal ranking high on Recommended Grass and Clover List
In the current RGCL, our Aber High Sugar Grass and clover varieties are found in every category. Through the cutting-edge work undertaken by our research and innovation division, Germinal Horizon, we place innovative new varieties on the list every year and raise the bar of forage quality.
The new additions will be available after 2023 once we have had time to multiply the seed stocks following their listing. They include the following varieties:
Aber High Sugar Grass (HSG) late diploid perennials
- AberThames – ideal for long-term performance and persistency, giving exceptional early spring grazing for early turnout as well as excellent conservation yields in later years
- AberDon – with the highest grazing energy yield (MJ ME/ha), this is the best option for those seeking outstanding animal performance through milk yield or liveweight gain
Aber HSG Hybrid ryegrass
AberOpal – high-yielding with a late heading date making it essential for those who start mowing in the second half of May
White clover
AberSirius – a high-performing medium-large-leaf white clover, important for farmers keen to capture free nitrogen plus the production and environmental benefits of including clovers in their grass leys.
These new Aber varieties join those already on the list and proving popular with UK grassland farmers. Those top performers include Aber HSG varieties AberBann and AberLee. Both give excellent quality grazing, their high digestibility driving dry matter intakes.
Alongside these, AberSpey is a specialist cutting variety. It yields well and is suited to multi-cut systems, benefitting those starting silage-making early.
“We are delighted to see more of our expertly bred varieties added to the recommended list,” says David Lloyd, Germinal head of forage plant breeding.
“Having the performance characteristics of each variety means farmers know how they’ll fit with their system and give them the best returns.
“We strive to produce the very best grass and clover varieties knowing every mixture must bring farmers economic benefits. This latest accolade shows our varieties are doing just that.”
For advice on grass and forage production, talk to our experts.
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