POTENTIAL OF WESTERWORLDS, ITALIAN AND PERENNIAL RYEGRASS AS SEED CROPS IN CANADA

B. Coulman and H. Loeppky

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Saskatoon Research Centre, 107 Science Place

Saskatoon, SK. S7N 0X2 Canada

Trials were conducted from 1996-98 in western Canada to examine the potential of ryegrasses (Lolium spp.) as seed crops in western Canada and determine optimum production practices. Seed yields of 1 t/ha were obtained for Westerwolds ryegrass, but individual cultivars were highly variable.  Late October “dormant” seedings show the potential to greatly increase the seed yield of this species.  Spring seedings of Italian ryegrass did not survive the winters of western Canada.  August seedings showed some capacity to overwinter, but stands were poor and seed yields low.  Late October  “dormant”  seedings of coated Italian ryegrass seed produced moderate (up to 800 kg/ha) seed yields the following year. Spring seedings of perennial ryegrass were not reliably winterhardy and seed yields of surviving stands were marginally economic.  Establishing this species in the spring under a companion crop improved winterhardiness and subsequent seed yields.  August seedings, providing they established well, showed the best overwintering and subsequent seed yields.  Late October “dormant" seedings of perennial ryegrass did not produce any seed the following year.

Keywords:  Westerwold ryegrass; Italian ryegrass; perennial ryegrass; Lolium spp.; seed production.