High sugar grasses and novel endophytes are two new
technologies promoted for pastoral farmers. While
assessing their value for pastoral farming it is important
to consider the interactive effects of these technologies
on both pasture production and composition. Pasture
production and botanical composition was measured
over 2 years for a range of perennial ryegrass cultivars
infected with different endophyte strains in grazed
small plot trials under irrigation in Canterbury. Cultivar
and endophyte strain had little effect on total dry matter
production; agronomically the UK-bred high sugar grass
performed as well as the New Zealand controls. There
was a trend for less white clover with ryegrass cultivars
infected with AR1 and AR37 endophyte compared
with endophyte-free treatments. Generally, endophyte
infection is promoted as being beneficial for ryegrasses.
However, under irrigated conditions and low levels of
insect pressure, the advantage of endophyte infection
was minimal.This research was funded by Foundation for Research
Science and Technology (Contract C10X0503)
