Summary

NEA2 endophyte provides very good animal performance. NEA2 endophyte provides ryegrass staggers free pasture for dairy cows and beef cattle.

We have never seen staggers on commercial sheep farms. However, in an extreme situation, (i.e. summer drought, and/or where animals are forced to graze close to the ground), a low level of staggers may occasionally be seen with sheep or deer.

 

Ryegrass staggers trial

Staggers is rated from animal performance trials where lambs are run under 'worst case scenario' conditions, designed to cause severe ryegrass staggers. The trials are pure ryegrass swards, grown to a high herbage mass, with lambs set-stocked on plots for 8 weeks (or until staggers become too serious).

 

Trial results

Ryegrass staggers score (RGS) in 1999-2000 and 2002 Lincoln University lamb trials

 

RGS were scored in the above trials on a 0-5 scale, with 0 representing no symptoms and 5 representing very severe staggers (events ≥3 are significant). In these three summers RGS were seen in the lambs grazing on Standard endophyte (SE). Lambs grazing NEA2 showed no RGS, even in summer 2000 when an extreme level of RGS was seen in lambs on the plots of SE. In 2002 a small level of background staggers was seen, which was not caused by endophyte, as it was seen on AR1 and WE treatments.