Tetrone Tetraploid Annual Italian Ryegrass

Option for resistant ryegrass management control
Tetrone originated from the same source of germplasm as the well known Tetila ryegrass (i.e. the Western Wolths region of Holland). The germplasm is the true annual form of Italian Ryegrass. Tetrone is strictly annual and has high levels of winter production, particularly when planted early. Tetrone has later maturity than Tetila and consequently higher nutritive value (crude protein and metabolisable energy) for longer into spring. It is extremely frost resistant and has excellent cool season growth making great winter feed.

• Quick start and fast growing
• Annual by nature
• Suitable for grazing, silage or hay production
• Strong winter growth
• Later maturity than other annual tetraploid cultivars
• High levels of soluble carbohydrate and metabolizable energy
• Excellent annual performance

Seed agronomy table

Heading date	+5 days
Lifespan
Min Rainfall (mm)	350
Seeding Rate	Kg/Ha
Dryland	10-15
High Rainfall / Irrigation	25-30

Heading date: 0 days = Tetila annual ryegrass.

Blends using this Seed

Winter Feed Blend
Complete LR Blend

Enterprises for this Seed

Sheep
Beef Cattle
Horse
Hay & Silage

Strengths

• Very strong cool season growth and good nutritive value.

Limitations

• Short-lived.

Plant Description

Plant: Annual.
Leaves: hairless; blades up to 400 x 12 mm; young leaves rolled in bud.
Seedhead: spike up to 30 cm long; spikelets edge-on to the rachis which is recessed opposite each spikelet; 10-20 florets/spikelet, laterally flattened up to 25 mm long. Straight, fine awn up to 10 mm.
Seeds: ~460,000/kg (tetraploid).

Pasture type and use

Short term pasture and high-yielding silage/hay crop.

Where it grows

Rainfall: >650 mm (South); 800 mm (North).
Soils: Medium-heavy texture; high fertility.
Temperature: Cold tolerant.

Establishment

Companion species:
Grasses: Forage Cereals.
Legumes: Red and Persian clovers.
Sowing/planting rates as single species: 10-20 kg/ha (diploid cultivars); 15-30 (4n).
Sowing/planting rates in mixtures: 5-10 kg/ha (diploid cultivars); 7-15 (4n)
Sowing time: Autumn.
Inoculation: Not applicable.
Fertiliser: P and N.

Management

Maintenance fertiliser: Especially P and N.
Grazing/cutting: Well suited to fodder conservation. Strip or rotational grazing facilitates efficient utilisation and maximum regrowth.
Ability to spread: Will spread from seed; seed set will occur if ungrazed/not cut and this will be associated with a substantial trade-off in nutritive value.
Weed potential: Low unless allowed to set seed.
Major pests: Red and black-headed cockchafer, black field cricket, white-fringed weevil, African black beetle, corbies, underground grass caterpillar.
Major diseases: Rust.
Herbicide susceptibility: glyphosate.

Animal production

Feeding value: High.
Palatability: High and usually higher for tetraploid cultivars.
Production potential: High winter growth; rapid spring growth pre-flowering early summer. Livestock disorders/toxicity. The ryegrass endophyte (Neotyphodium lolii) is not present in Italian ryegrass.