High sugar grasses - harnessing the benefits of new cultivars through growth management

Abstract

Perennial ryegrass cultivars with high levels of watersoluble carbohydrates (WSCs) have been proposed as a means to increase animal performance and nitrogen use efficiency in pasture-based animal production systems, with consequent environmental benefits. But this depends on a sufficient elevation of WSC in leaves. A gene x environment interaction (G x E) in the expression of the high sugar (HS) trait has been shown previously, with WSCs measured at a single stage in regrowth. Keywords: regrowth interval, defoliation, Lolium perenne, water soluble carbohydrates, plant composition