New grass and clover varieties added to Recommended Lists for England and Wales

To help improve grassland productivity, the 2024/2025 Recommended Grass and Clover Lists (RGCL) for England and Wales have welcomed 11 new varieties, including two Italian ryegrass, six perennial ryegrass, two lucerne and one festulolium variety.

With production costs being a key concern for livestock farmers, maximising forage use on farm can help reduce feed costs and improve efficiency.

The RGCL can help farmers understand the performance attributes of different varieties, such as yield, persistency, quality and disease resistance, and select the ones for their farming system.

The rigorous selection process for new grass varieties ensures reliability and performance.

Each new variety undergoes six years of independent testing across UK trial sites, assessing various parameters including total annual yields, seasonal growth, metabolisable energy yield, winter hardiness and disease resistance.

Only varieties demonstrating clear improvements over existing ones make provisional status.

Reassessment, after an additional five years of trials, determines whether a provisional (PG/PS) variety is recommended for widespread adoption (G).

The Grass and Clover Recommended List (RL) trial programme is managed by NIAB on behalf of the BSPB, with trial sites across the country run by NIAB, IBERS, DLF, DSV and disease sites run by NIAB and Barenbrug.

The lists build on the initial data of the National Variety Listing trials (also managed by NIAB on behalf of the BSPB for APHA), which include sites run by AFBI, SRUC and SASA. 

The Recommended Lists trial programme is funded, through the BSPB, by plant breeders and agents, with contributions from the AHDB and HCC. 

Katie Evans, Senior Engagement Manager (Beef & Lamb) at AHDB, said:

“While farmers readily embrace advancements in livestock genetics, reliance on outdated grassland varieties persists.

"Failing to adopt modern varieties represents a missed opportunity to capitalise on significant investments by plant breeders, resulting in superior attributes – such as yield, digestibility and seasonal growth – not being utilised by livestock farmers.

“The priority to minimise production costs per unit of output remains a key concern for livestock producers. Increasing forage production on farm presents a viable strategy to reduce reliance on external feed sources.

"Grassland farms in England and Wales hold substantial potential to increase both the quantity and quality of grass and clover produced and consumed.”

Ellie Sweetman, Forage Crop Specialist at NIAB and RGCL Trial Coordinator on behalf of BSPB, said:

“To get onto the RGCL, varieties must offer a clear improvement to the existing list. This pushes the standard continually upward with increasing yield, nutrient use efficiency and ME yield per hectare, therefore increasing production efficiency and sustainability.

"Reseeding with RGCL varieties will increase sward performance and give a good return on investment.

"By providing growers with accurate, independent data, the RGCL facilitates informed decision-making in selecting varieties and mixtures tailored to specific farming conditions and animal requirements.

“As well as variety information, the RGCL offers farmers technical guidance on reseeding, maximising sward productivity.”

Visit the RGCL webpage to:

• Download the 2023/24 RGCL handbook and the full list for merchants
• Order a hard copy
• Use the online interactive version

• Excellent total average yield
• Very good ME yield for an Italian diploid
• Excellent ground cover in both harvest years
• Excellent resistance to crown rust
• Limited data showing very good resistance to brown rust

• Excellent total average yield and ME yield for an Italian diploid
• Excellent ground cover in both harvest years
• Excellent resistance to crown rust
• Limited data showing very good resistance to brown rust

• Excellent total annual yields in second and third harvest years when compared to hybrid tetraploid means
• Outstanding ground cover with good D values
• Limited data shows excellent winter hardiness
• Very good resistance to crown rust
• Limited data shows very good resistance to brown rust

• Excellent total annual yield, ME yield, seasonal growth and D value under simulated grazing with good ground cover
• Excellent total yields, D values and ME yield under conservation management
• Good resistance to crown rust
• Very good resistance to drechslera
• Limited data shows very good winter hardiness

• Very good total annual yield
• Good ME yield, D value and ground cover under grazing management
• Good yields and D values under conservation management
• Good resistance to crown rust and drechslera
• Limited data shows very good winter hardiness

• Excellent total annual yield and ME yield
• Excellent late season growth under simulated grazing
• Excellent yields and ME yields under conservation management
• Good resistance to crown rust

• Good total yield
• Outstanding early season growth and D value under simulated grazing management
• Excellent first and second cut D values under conservation management
• Good winter hardiness and good resistance to Drechslera

• Excellent total yields under conservation management
• Excellent first and third cut yields and very good second cut D value

• Very good total yield
• Excellent ME yield
• Outstanding D value under simulated grazing management
• Excellent seasonal growth from early summer to autumn
• Excellent second cut D value under conservation management