Description
Green Spirit Italian Ryegrass is a premium, late-maturing blend of Tetraploid and Diploid Italian Ryegrass, benefiting from the diversity of the two, and performing very well over the last several years. Green Spirit when planted in the spring will not produce a seed head the first year and therefore maintains superior forage quality.
Green Spirit Italian Ryegrass is a “NutriFiber forage“, which aids in providing Highly Digestible Effective Fiber for use in dairy rations to promote healthy rumens, reduce acidosis, while increasing butterfat tests and supporting high milk production. Proven to work in University research and on dairy farms across the U.S.
Green Spirit Italian Ryegrass has won multiple Grand Champion Awards at the World Forage Analysis Superbowl over the past several years in testament to it’s outstanding forage quality. Green Spirit is probably the singe most used Italian Ryegrass in the Midwest because of its fast establishment, high yield, and overall performance. A great product in a rotation with corn silage and also with nutrient management plans. It’s deep root system gives the following corn crop a yield boost and some drought protection. Drill into an existing pasture to thicken it up or the last year of an alfalfa stand for additional high quality forage.
Suggested seeding rates:
- Seed at 35-40 lbs/acre alone or with a legume such as Freedom red clover.
- As a nurse crop <5 lbs/acre
- no-tilled into thin pastures or winter-killed alfalfa 20-30 lbs/acre.
Approx. seeds/lb.: 190,000
Seeding depth: Seed ¼” deep in a firm, moist seedbed.
Preferred soils: Light, medium and heavy soils with good fertility. Green Spirit is suited for all planting zones. In the northern United States it can be used as a spring-planted annual crop. In the transition zone it performs as a biannual forage crop. In the southern United States it is suited as an annual crop for winter production in mono-stand or in mixtures with winter cereals. Green Spirit performs well in the western United States with supplemental irrigation.
Establishment: Green Spirit may be planted in the fall or spring. Prior to planting, apply 100 lbs of a 20:20:20 fertilizer. For fall planting, plant immediately after harvest to improve establishment and graze or cut prior to winter in order to thicken the stand and promote winter survival. For spring planting, plant early in the spring. Green Spirit may be planted via full-cultivation, no-till drill or broadcast seeding. When planting as a nurse crop to a perennial or interplanting into an existing alfalfa stand, drill in a manner to stagger the placement of the Italian seed with the other crop.
Management suggestions: For highest forage quality, maintain in a vegetative state. For grazing systems, graze at 6-8 inches down to 3-4 inches and for cutting systems, harvest at 12-18 inches. Green Spirit responds well to nitrogen fertilization.
