May 2006
The breeders' perspective
Views from Paul Billings and Rod Bonshor
Paul Billings, British Seed Houses
"In recent years, herbage breeders have focused on improved quality and persistence, while achieving very high dry matter yields and enhanced disease resistance.
NIAB recommended list data shows improvement over the past 20 years. Grazing yields have risen by more than 10% but the largest improvement is in grass quality. AberStar, one of the latest intermediate diploid varieties to be recommended, shows an improvement in grazing D value of 4.1 points over Fennema, recommended in 1987.
NIAB research shows that each one point increase in D-value during summer grazing can boost animal performance by 5%.
In future, breeders will also focus on new traits, such as higher sugars to reduce nitrate and methane emmissions, and varieties high in healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids."
Rod Bonshor, Oliver Seeds:
"Every farmer must maximise output from home grown forage and it is vital that a robust recommended list is available to guide him and his advisors on his choice of grass crop.
Grass breeders have delivered major advances by focusing on the needs of the livestock industry. Varieties are now avaialable that gear production through the peak summer grazing months, combined with improved sward density and persistence to ensure reduced reseeding costs.
Disease is more prevalent in many areas than ever before. Breeders have used genetic resources to provide much improved rust resistance in new varieties. This is crucial where extensification and reduced nitrogen use mean that varieties have to perform without protective fungicides.
Sourced from Grass & Forage Farmer Summer 2006