Forge NEA is the phenomenal 3-5 year pasture bred to deliver stock performance your neighbours will envy, with environmental benefits too.
Groundbreaking
Unbeaten in the National Forage Variety Trials (NFVT), Forge is a breakthrough in genetic gain. (Few new ryegrass cultivars ever exceed 5% yield improvement!) Even better, Forge gives this extra yield and quality across all seasons.
Feed when you need it
Growth in autumn, winter and early spring is increasingly sought-after in our farm systems. It provides feed when it is often most needed, and most expensive.
Nothing else compares to Forge when the temperature drops. In winter it grows 5
- 41% more than other hybrid ryegrasses in the NFVT system; and 7 - 28% more in
early spring.
Tasty as
Animals love tetraploids – they are soft, high in sugars, legume-friendly, and easy to eat. Forge encourages higher intakes, optimal per head performance and improved efficiency.
Lose less N & GHG
With higher animal intakes, and extra cool season growth, Forge helps lighten the farm footprint.
Tetraploids can be grazed at higher covers, so you grow more pasture for the same amount of N. Forge’s extra winter yield also better mitigates N leaching through the high-risk cool season when soils are wet. Its palatability and high feed value lifts per animal performance, which lowers both greenhouse gas emissions and animal health costs.
Extra 1.4t DM/ha
Forge NEA will produce around 1.4t DM/ha a year more than a high performance perennial ryegrass. How could you use this in your farm system?
- Dairy farms: Add more home grown pasture to your winter milking or early
calving system. More ME/ha year-round can increase MS production, too. Just
as importantly, high quality and palatability lift efficiency through more milk/cow,
rather than more cows. Alternately, use the extra feed to cut supplement costs.
- Sheep and beef: Feed ewes better through lactation, and finish more lambs off
mum. Capitalise on the early schedules, and avoid the weaning check. Forge’s
high quality is also great for growing or finishing stock.
- Undersowing: Direct-drill into thin, sad pastures to lift both yield and feed quality.
Forge establishes rapidly, with fast regrowth, so it’s perfect for this.
Endophyte & animal health
In most cases Forge NEA will deliver excellent animal health. We believe it is safe to
use for dairy cows and cattle.
There is a risk of some ryegrass staggers in sheep or lambs if you graze into the base
of the pasture in summer dry conditions. The risk of stagger is much lower than for
the old Standard (or High) endophyte
Add red clover & stand clear
We’re testing a range of mixes with Morrow red clover, as this will provide the highest summer feed quality. So far mixes of 30 kg/ha Forge with 6 kg/ha Morrow, and 20 kg Forge with 10 kg Morrow, are the best performers, with the latter likely (from experience) to give a bit less winter yield and more summer yield as time goes on.
Breeding & persistence
Forge has 75% perennial: 25% Italian ryegrass parentage, so it fits between Shogun (50:50% parentage), and 4front perennial ryegrass. Forge’s persistence is very good for a tetraploid hybrid, thanks to high tiller density and a focus on persistence in its breeding.
Sowing Forge
Forge ryegrass & NEA endophyte are owned and marketed by Barenbrug
Forge ryegrass & NEA12 endophyte are protected under the NZ Plant Variety Rights Act 1987
Other species can be added as needed e.g. Captain CS plantain.