Product Description
The export product being investigated for export to Nepal is a brand of Italian Ryegrass seed called Green Spirit Italian Ryegrass. Italian Ryegrass is sometimes also known as annual ryegrass, is a excellent quality forage that is designed for high producing dairy livestock such as cattle and buffalo. Italian Ryegrass is a densely populated grass that is leafy and very palatable (figure 1), it is best suited for cooler conditions and has a very quick regrowth (Bagg, 2014). Also because the grass is very thick it is very valuable in erosion prevention. The Italian Ryegrass can be seeded in late August with one cut being taken before winter or it can be seeded in the spring (Bagg, 2014). Generally the forage can be harvested 8 weeks after seeding (Bagg, 2014). Fall seeded Italian Ryegrass can have 5-6 crops harvested in a year while spring seeded Italian Ryegrass can have 3-4 harvested in single year.
Description of Company and Production
ProRich Seeds Ltd. is a family owned company based in Mount Elgin Ontario and has been working in the forage seed industry for 80 years (ProRich Seeds, 2013). The company is an industry leader in alfalfa and also sells grasses, clovers, trefoils with many custom mixtures available made for the customers preference (ProRich Seeds, 2013). Although the Italian Ryegrass is a relatively new product in Ontario many dairy farmers are very happy with the quality of the forage.
The Italian Ryegrass seed is combined, cleaned and packaged by the Barenbrug seed company whose North American headquarters are in Tangent Oregon, with seed production facilities throughout Canada (Barenbrug, n.d.). The seed is then transported in 22.68 kg (50 pound) bags to ProRich Seeds Ltd. in Mount Elgin ON. where it is sold and distributed.
Cost Evaluation
Italian Ryegrass seed is delivered from ProRich Seeds Ltd. in 22.68kg (50 pound) bags. The Italian Ryegrass is about $1.11 per kg ($2.45 per lbs) and about 122.50 dollars per bag (McKay, 2015). Depending on the field, a new field the seeding rate should be 35-45 lbs/acre or 15-30 lbs/acre when being planted into a pre existing, injured alfalfa crop to boost yields (Bagg, 2014).
Figure 2-Cost of Seeding into New Field
Seeding Rate Cost per acre
35 lbs/acre $85.75
45 lbs/acre $110.25
Figure 3- Seeding into injured Alfalfa Field
Seeding Rate Cost per acre
15 lbs/acre $36.75
30 lbs/acre $73.50
The seeding rate does depend on want the producer wants out of his crop, especially for injured alfalfa fields where it depends on the damage to the alfalfa stands and the density of the crop. Figure 2 shows the cost of planting a new field of Italian Ryegrass. The cost would be about $85.75-$110.25 per acre. Figure 3 shows the cost of seeding into an injured alfalfa field which would be about $36.75- $73.50 per acre.
Italian Ryegrass is very responsive to Nitrogen. It is recommended that 50 lbs/acre is applied at planting along with another 50 lbs/acre after each cut is taken off (Bagg, 2014). Nitrogen cost about $76.10 per acre to apply yourself or Nitrogen can be applied professional by companies providing the Nitrogen for a fee (Fs Partners Harmony, n.d; Mckay, 2015).
Planting and Harvesting
1) Planting
Planting Italian Ryegrass can be done with a conventional or no-till seed drill and should be planted at a depth of ¼ inch or a ½ depth if conditions are dry (Bagg, 2014). The Italian Ryegrass seed is like other grass seed and is very light so packing or rolling the field after planting will help the crop seed. The seed will establish itself very quickly with germination happening in only 7-10 days (Bagg, 2014).
2) Harvesting
Harvesting Italian Ryegrass requires all of the same equipment for taking off alfalfa or hay. The Italian Ryegrass can be cut with a haybine, sickle bar mower or discbine and is usually cut when the crop is 15-18 inches in height. It can be harvested with a forage harvester, large square baler, round baler or small square baler. The forage makes excellent, high quality haylage and baleage (Bagg, 2014). It can also be made into dry hay but is very difficult because of its unique leafy texture. Doug McKay of Kaymanor Holsteins (2015) has been feeding Italian Ryegrass for 3 years but has only made ever made baleage until this past summer when three cuts of Italian Ryegrass were made into dry hay. Doug said “We made sure the crop was very dry before baling it and then made it into small square bales to put upstairs in the barn beside the hay dryer to make sure the crop was cured.” The result of the crop was very high quality dry hay that was “candy for the cows” (McKay, 2015). Italian Ryegrass is also an excellent forage to pasture, especially as a winter pasture for beef cattle.
3) Fertilizer
As stated above Italian Ryegrass is very responsive to Nitrogen and is essential to having a high yield and nutritious crop. 50 pounds per acre should be applied when the seed is planted and after every successive cut taken off after that (Bagg, 2014). Solid and liquid manure also work but is not as effective as true nitrogen. Liquid manure is preferred because traces of solid manure would most likely be found in the next crop taken off.
4) Herbicide and Pest Control
Italian Ryegrass is a very densely populated grass so weeds and other unwanted growth is not a problem in the forage. Pests are also another non factor in Italian Ryegrass and can generally help reduce pest and insects in a field (Tscharnthe and Grieler, 1995).Erosion Control
Erosion control is often overlooked in Italian Ryegrass because the forage is of very high quality. But Italian Ryegrass is very effective in erosion control with its large, fibrous root system and adds organic matter to the soil improving the soil quality/structure (Kunelius, 2011). Italian Ryegrass can be planted in places where erosion is a problem or may become a problem and it will significantly help the soil.
