Base
tetraploid perennial ryegrass
It’s Base’s 10th birthday and we’re partying ‘til the cows come home. Base is the top-performing, top-selling tetraploid perennial ryegrass that’s been trusted by more and more farmers over the last decade. Producing high quality feed and maximum production, no wonder it's been a firm favourite for a decade.
- Exceptional yielding tetraploid perennial ryegrass
- Excellent cool season yields
- Very high tiller density
- AR37 endophyte for strong persistence
- Excellent for dairy and intensive sheep/beef systems
- Best suited to rotational grazing
Ideal for high performance systems with a focus on pasture management and quality. Base tetraploid perennial ryegrass offers top production with increased animal preference meaning higher animal intakes and easier management of post-grazing residuals.
Base was selected from high yielding, densely tillered plants that survived two years of severe drought and hard grazing. Base pastures offer low aftermath heading to maximise summer quality and animal production. Base is New Zealand’s top performing tetraploid perennial ryegrass with a 5-star status on the DairyNZ Forage Value Index across New Zealand.
Sowing and Establishment
Base tetraploid perennial ryegrass seed is heavier than diploid perennial ryegrass seed so ideally should be sown at a 40% higher rate than diploid cultivars. Base should be sown at a minimum of 22 kg/ha as a pure sward with Superstrike® treated clover. Base performs best on farms with reasonable soil moisture and medium to high soil fertility.
- Soil Fertility High (Olsen P 18+)
- Pasture Life 5 years+
Grazing Management
Base tetraploid perennial ryegrass will produce and persist better under rotational grazing. Avoid hard set stocking during periods of stress (e.g. drought conditions).
- Grazing Method Rotational Grazed – Long Term
Mix Suitability
Base tetraploid perennial ryegrass combines well with other components of a pasture mix (e.g. tetraploid short rotation ryegrass, tetraploid Italian ryegrass and Grasslands Puna II chicory and clover).
Heading Date
| Early | Mid-Season | Late | Very Late |
| Base: 22 days later than Nui |
Example Pasture Mixes
Dairy Pasture Mix
Base perennial ryegrass 25-30 kg/ha
Legacy white clover 2 kg/ha
Quartz white clover 2 kg/ha
Sheep and Beef Pasture Mix
Base perennial ryegrass 25-30 kg/ha
Quartz white clover 2 kg/ha
Hilltop white clover 2 kg/ha
For increased animal performance, nitrogen fixation and pasture management, add Amigain red clover to pasture mixes at 4-6 kg/ha.
Base has exceptional yield and year-round production that's well suited to meeting the demands of a finishing system. It recovers well, with great persistence, from a harsh summer dry environment
