Grass Seed Mixtures

Choose a 5 star grass mixture

Maximise the value of your grazing

From the grass seed you sow to the silage you make, there are decisions along the way that can greatly impact the quality of your grazing and silage - both of which are directly related to the cost of inputs and production.

Teagasc’s Pasture Profit Index (PPI) top grass varieties in Ireland

Teagasc’s Pasture Profit Index (PPI), is released every year following trials of the top grass seed varieties, measuring variables such as grass yields, digestibility and persistence.

For the first year ever in 2021, the Index also includes the grazing utilisation trait – how appealing the variety is to grazing cows.

Grazing utilisation is a measure of a varieties ability to be grazed. The 2021 PPI includes a star rating for varieties that have been trialed in Moorepark. Higher star ratings represent better grazing efficiency leading to increased utilisation and greater farm productivity.

Only three of the thirty-four varieties assessed achieved 5 star, with two of them, Xenon and Aspect, produced by Waterford-based DLF – Ireland’s only non-State research facility.

5 star grazing utilisation trait

The utilisation of grass grown is a key performance indicator of any farm and each extra tonne of grass utilised is estimated by Teagasc to be worth an additional €256/ha.

The grazing utilisation trait is based on the principle that cows will graze their favourite varieties down to a lower residual height, thus utilising more grass grown. Increasing the number of tonnes of DM grown increases profitability, but only if the animal actually eats the grass!

Maximum grass utilisation can be achieved by selecting the right varieties and mixtures.

What is a NxGen Tetraploid variety?

Both Xenon and Nashota are described as NxGen Tretraploid varieties, but what does this mean.

NxGen varieties have a slender leaf and dense growth habit not associated with traditional tetraploids, combining the grazing ability and quality associated with tetraploids, with the dense slender leaf associated with diploids.

Selecting the right mixture

Specialist Nutrition will help you choose the grass mixture most suitable for your on-farm forage needs. Designed for both grazing and silage, all mixtures have been proven in the fields and parlours of Ireland.

Important considerations when deciding on your grass mixture

Graze out - a variety that delivers 15T is not much use on a farm if the cows won't eat it.
Yield - if the variety grazes out, you want it to produce as much as possible.
Quality - now you have your utilisable yield determined, we want that to be of the highest quality possible
What the sward will be used for
The type of land and its baseline fertility