DLF PLUS Festulolium PLUS – FESTULOLIUMS WITH BETTER FIELD VALUE AND PERFORMANCE Have you ever wondered about the nature of festulolium and how you can benefit from its potential? Worry not. This Q&A explains how PLUS-grasses improve forage production. Festulolium boosts meat and milk production through superior forage performance. Our festulolium varieties combine the best genetics of ryegrass and fescue species to create a distinctive species of high-performance grasses. These genetic enhancements make your grassland production more efficient and resilient. They cut your costs and improve your environmental sustainability. WHAT IS FESTULOLIUM? Festulolium is a forage grass created by crossing Festuca (fescue) and Lolium (ryegrass) species. It combines the desirable characteristics of the two parent species, such as improved yield, disease resistance, and adaptability to various growing conditions. In creating festulolium, we wanted to develop a forage grass with the positive traits – improved productivity and resilience – of both parental species. Farmers can use festuloliums as silage or forage crops for livestock grazing. They are popular in areas where the combination of fescue and ryegrass traits improves agricultural performance. The characteristics of individual festulolium varieties varies according to the amounts of the two parent species used in the cross-breeding process. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FESTULOLIUMS? Festuloliums offer numerous benefits. Some have the high forage quality, fast establishment, and yield of Italian ryegrass; others show the persistence, excellent stress-tolerance, and high disease-resistance of tall fescues. The key benefits are: Increased yield Festulolium is known for its improved forage performance, which produces higher yields than traditional forage grasses. It produces higher feed production for your livestock. Genetic advantages By blending the genetic traits of ryegrass and fescue species, festulolium inherits desirable characteristics from both parents – characteristics such as improved disease-resistance, geographic and climatic adaptability, and overall robustness. Efficiency and lower cost The genetic upgrade in festulolium contributes to more efficient grassland production. This efficiency translates into cost savings and increased productivity for farmers. With improved forage performance and potentially higher yields, farmers enjoy lower feed-production costs, which has a positive impact on farm finances. Environmental sustainability The genetic traits of festulolium can support sustainable agriculture practices. You could end up using less fertiliser and pesticide, while festulolium’s adaptability to tough conditions can reduce the environmental impact of your farm. Versatility Festulolium adapts well to various climates and soil types. It’s a versatile forage option that thrives in a wide variety of agricultural settings. WHAT ARE PLUS-GRASSES FROM DLF? PLUS-grasses are a simple way to categorise festulolium varieties based on their genetic inheritance and morphological appearance. The two categories – Tall fescue PLUS and Ryegrass PLUS – should be compared tto their parent material, not to each other. Within each category you find a range of highly successful crosses between fescues and ryegrasses; all perform substantially better than their parental material. HOW MANY TYPES OF PLUS-GRASSES ARE THERE? There are two types of PLUS-grasses. Sow Ryegrass PLUS varieties instead of Italian, perennial, and hybrid ryegrasses; and sow Tall fescue PLUS varieties instead of tall fescue. HOW DO I CHOOSE BETWEEN RYEGRASS PLUS AND TALL FESCUE PLUS? The basic choice between Ryegrass PLUS and Tall fescue PLUS is straightforward. Each type exhibit unique qualities - see the boxes below. Ryegrass PLUS varieties Exhibit ryegrass qualities such as: • Rapid establishment • Excellent spring growth • High digestibility • Sugar content • Eminent palatability Tall fescue PLUS varieties Exhibit tall fescue qualities such as: • High dry-matter yield • Resistance to cold • Drought-tolerance • Long-lasting persistency • Outstanding salt-tolerance 2
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