Annual ryegrass is a quick-establishing, cool-season annual grass. Annual ryegrass can do it all – improve soil structure, alleviate compaction, control erosion, and sequester leftover nutrients. Can be seeded in early spring or late summer.
Seeding Rate (lbs. / acre)
- Drill: 15-20
- Broadcast: 20-25
- In a mix: 5-15
– Planting depth: 1/8”–1/4”
– Approximate seeds/lb: 227,000
– Days to germination: 5–7
Annual Ryegrass Benefits & Info
- Proven to help reduce soybean cyst nematode populations
- Excellent compaction breaker
- Good varieties are winterhardy and will survive northern winters
- Works well as part of a cover crop mix
- WATCH OUT – beware of annual ryegrass blends, or common and/or VNS lots of annual ryegrass – they may not have the winterhardiness needed nor have uniform maturity, which is so critical for successful spring management (see “Tips for Annual Ryegrass Burndown” below)
- Choose the best performing, winter-tolerant varieties of annual ryegrass. Varieties such as WinterHawk (a durable diploid annual ryegrass with industry-leading winterhardiness); Centurion (a diploid variety selected for cover cropping, with deep roots and
improved forage quality), and Bruiser (a late-maturing diploid selected for disease resistance and cold tolerance)
Forage Considerations
- Annual ryegrass works extremely well (higher seeding rates) either by itself or in a mix for forage production
- Produces quality forage with exceptional yield in a short period, often shining in poor soil conditions
- Excellent short rotation opportunity
Above – Bruiser annual ryegrass exhibits outstanding winterhardiness at the University of Kentucky plots, resulting in an excellent early spring forage opportunity.
Tips for Annual Ryegrass Burndown
1. Pre-treat water with AMS to reduce hard water and ensure correct pH levels.
2. Follow herbicide label directions (for adjuvants too).
3. Use standard or flat fan nozzles, keeping glyphosate spray volumes to a maximum of 12 gallons/acre.
4. Confirm soil temps are 45° F and climbing and air temps are 60° F (3 nights no lower than 40° F).
5. Target applications for midday (after dew has dried, but 3-4 hours before sunset).
6. If a 2nd pass is needed, wait at least 2 weeks (BUT DO NOT LET IT GET AWAY).
* taken from Oregon Ryegrass Growers Commission and cited in Cover Crop Guide, CISCO Seeds, p. 29 (see below)
