Grass advances
Grass advances
SIGNIFICANT advances in grass variety breeding are claimed by the National Institute of Agricultural Botany which has promoted 14 varieties to fully recommended status for general use in its Grass and Herbage Legume variety lists published for 1997/98.
The early perennial ryegrass promoted is Labrador, in the intermediate class are AberElan, Glen, Aubisque and Fetione and late varieties include Lasso, Gilford, Twystar, Dromore and Elgon. The Italian fully recommended lists now include AberComo, Meribel and Celebrity. White clovers Alberta and Avoca are now both listed for general use.
New varieties added to the lists as provisionally recommended are the late perennial Foxtrot, the Italian ELM 20, the hybrid AberExcel and the white clover AberDai.
Six varieties have become outclassed – the intermediates Dorset and Missouri, the lates Hercules, Trani and Parcour, and the hybrid Gazella.