BASE a success story: BASE has your BACK – a tetraploid with a difference!

BASE, is an excellent yielding tetraploid perennial ryegrass which has been selected for its strong persistence and very high tiller density.

BASE is an Australian-bred tetraploid ryegrass selected from plants that survived drought conditions and two years of hard sheep grazing. BASE has proved to be an excellent high yielding perennial tetraploid ryegrass that is ideally suited for dairy and beef production. Not only does BASE yield exceptionally well, it is also naturally high in sugars and has a high cell content: cell wall ratio, making it highly digestible. BASE has shown to have strong persistence as well as having a high tiller density which makes this a tetraploid with a difference.

Fred Bondesio and his son GF from Winterton have been growing BASE for the past three seasons. In the first season, he planted 30ha on a trial basis and now has 99% of his 280ha irrigated platform under BASE. The reason for this conversion? “BASE just gives you growth!” Fred also commented that BASE is exceptionally strong on rust resistance, which has been a problem on his farm in the past. The summers on Brandkraal farm, can also see temperatures above the 40°C mark for several days in summer. Fred said that he felt the key to BASE persisting through these conditions is good management of the pasture before the late summer heat hits the crop. Plant population is also key (he seeds BASE at 25kg/ha) and ensuring the pasture has enough water prior to and during the late summer stress period. Grazing rotation is also an important factor to bear in mind, Fred does not allow the pasture to grow too tall and get ‘ropey’. To help prevent this he generally gives the BASE a post-grazing mow. As with most farmers, the BIG question around tetraploid ryegrass vs. diploid cultivars is around management. Fred’s answer to this was, “it’s not a difficult pasture to manage. In our management system, it’s easier to manage. If it is looked after it persists through the summer stress period and as soon as conditions are favourable again, it produces. Its winter production is also good.”

BASE has shown to be a top performer in various trials both locally and internationally (ARC Cedara and Outeniqua as well in New Zealand). BASE is sold exclusively by PANNAR SEED and has been available for the past three seasons. It is an excellent cultivar delivering high yields of top quality perennial pasture. BASE delivers exceptional on-farm performance year-round, through the winter months and persisting beyond the heat of summer. PANNAR has BASE seed available for sale and this product is well worth a closer look for maximum return on your investment.