Grasslands Kara cocksfoot: a productive cultivar under lax grazing

Abstract

Field testing compared the agronomic performance of Grasslands Kara cocksfoot (Dactylis glomera& a L.) with other commercially available cocksfoot cultivars and perennial ryegrass (Ldium perenne L.) in Southland and Canterbury. Animal performance was also assessed in southland. Kara cocksfoot had the highest establishment score of the cocksfoot cultivars in Canterbury but was slower to establish than ryegrass. Annual yields of Kara cocksfoot were 7% lower than Wana in Southland. The yield of Kara in Canterbury was 131 and 74% greater than ryegrass in a dry summer and autumn respectively. In Southland the pasture production from Kara under goat grazing was never significantly different from that of Nui ryegrass. The liveweight gains of both sheep and goats on Kara pastures were similar to those on ryegrass. Pasture digestibility was lower for Kara than Nui ryegrass pastures in spring but similar in summer and autumn. Pasture protein content was higher for Kara than Nui pastures in spring and similar in summer and autumn. The leaf-stem ratio of Kara was higher than Nui in spring but similar in summer and autumn. Rust tolerance of Kara was high and similar to Wana and Porto. The results from animal performance and pasture parameters show that Kara has a high feeding value. The effects of winter frost damage were greater on Kara and Wana than on Apanui due to their winter activity. Keywords animal performance, Dactylis glomerata L., cocksfoot, establishment, frost damage, pasture production, pasture quality