Feedipedia
Animal feed resources information system
Feedipedia
Feedipedia

Sponsored by

Adisseo

Automatic translation

Did you find the information you were looking for? Is it valuable to you? Feedipedia is encountering funding shortage. We need your help to keep providing reference-based feeding recommendations for your animals.
Would you consider donating? If yes, please click on the button Donate.
Any amount is the welcome. Even one cent is helpful to us!

Ryegrass (Lolium spp.)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This datasheet is pending revision and updating; its contents are currently derived from FAO's Animal Feed Resources Information System (1991-2002) and from Bo Göhl's Tropical Feeds (1976-1982).

Datasheet

Description
Click on the "Nutritional aspects" tab for recommendations for ruminants, pigs, poultry, rabbits, horses, fish and crustaceans
Common names 
Rye grass, rygrass, ray-grass, Italian ryegrass, perennial ryegrass
Species 

Lolium spp. [Poaceae]

Feed categories 
Related feed(s) 
Description 
The most important cultivated temperate grasses. Also grown in subtropical areas of Australia, S America and S Africa; in the tropics, ryegrass is grown to a limited extent at high altitudes, e.g. in Colombia or Kenya, ryegrass is grown above 2400-2500 m alt. Often sown in mixtures with white clover. L. multiflorum is less persistent, dying out after 2-3 years of productive growth. It withstands drier and hotter conditions better than L. perenne and in the tropics it can be grown at somewhat lower altitudes than the latter.
Nutritional tables
Tables of chemical composition and nutritional value 
References
References 
Fulkerson, W. J. ; Neal, J. S. ; Clark, C. F. ; Horadagoda, A. ; Nandra, K. S. ; Barchia, I., 2007. Nutritive value of forage species grown in the warm temperate climate of Australia for dairy cows: Grasses and legumes. Livest. Sci., 107 (2-3): 253-264 web icon
Hannaway, D. B. ; Fransen, S. ; Cropper, J. ; Teel, M. ; Chaney, M. ; Griggs, T. ; Halse, R. ; Hart, J. ; Cheeke, P. ; Hansen, D. ; Klinger, R. ; Lane, W., 1999. Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Pacific NorthWest Extension Publications. Oregon State University, USA web icon
Kaushal, S.; Wadhwa, M.; Bakshi, M. P. S., 2006. Non-traditional straws: alternate feedstuffs for ruminants. Asian-Aust. J. Anim.Sci., 19 (12): 1722-1727 web icon
Margan, D. E. ; Graham, N. M. ; Minson, D. J. ; Searle, T. W., 1988. Energy and protein values of four forages, including a comparison between tropical and temperate species. Aust. J. Exp. Agric. Anim. Husb., 28 (6): 729-736 web icon
Marley, C. L. ; Fychan, R. ; Fraser, M. D. ; Sanderson, R. ; Jones, R., 2007. Effects of feeding different ensiled forages on the productivity and nutrient-use efficiency of finishing lambs. Grass and Forage Sci., 62 (1): 1-12 web icon
Masson, C.; Hacala, S., 1985. Utilisation du ray grass d'Italie en pâturage rationné par la chèvre laitière. Fourrages, 101: 31-45 web icon
Ohshima, M. ; McDonald, P. ; Acamovic, T., 1979. Changes during ensilage in the nitrogenous components of fresh and additive treated ryegrass and lucerne. J. Sci. Food Agric., 30 (2): 97-106 web icon
Ritter, W., 1983. Fodder production in the subtropics an example of a project from Brazil. Entwicklung + Landlicher Raum., 17 (5): 12-14
Sun, D. ; Liddle, M. J., 1993. Plant morphological characteristics and resistance to simulated trampling. Env. Management, 17 (4): 511-521 web icon
Waghorn, G. C. ; Shelton, I. D. ; Thomas, V. J., 1989. Particle breakdown and rumen digestion of fresh ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) fed to cows during a restricted feeding period. Br. J. Nutr., 61 (2): 409-423 web icon
Wilson, J. R. ; Deinum, B. ; Engels, F. M., 1991. Temperature effects on anatomy and digestibility of leaf and stem of tropical and temperate forage species. Nether. J. Agric. Sci., 39 (1): 31-48
11 references found
Datasheet citation 

DATASHEET UNDER CONSTRUCTION. DO NOT QUOTE. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/625 Last updated on March 16, 2010, 17:13

Image credits