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THIS PROMOTIONAL FEATURE WAS PROVIDED BY CROPMARK SEEDS.

It’s disappointing when ryegrass fails to live up to its promise, leaving farmers frustrated and weary of perennial cultivars.

We understand that resowing perennial ryegrass is a significant investment and Kiwi farmers and agronomists demand enduring, high-yielding performance for the lifetime of the cultivar. They also seek reliable assurances against common issues such as ryegrass staggers and insect damage. Taking onboard this feedback, we’ve developed Stampede diploid perennial ryegrass with the innovative CM142 endophyte.

The journey to Stampede CM142 has been one of perseverance. Developed by Cropmark’s breeding team in Canterbury and incorporating insight from farmers, Stampede represents many years of research and insight to combine New Zealand’s best ryegrass genetics with a new and unique novel endophyte.

Stampede CM142 is more than just another ryegrass cultivar says Cropmark’s plant breeder Stephane Montel. “This late heading diploid perennial ryegrass boasts consistent yield performance validated through rigorous on-farm trials across New Zealand and Australia. It’s a very nice-looking grass, dark coloured with very high tiller density to improve its persistence and ensure a reliable source of high-quality forage throughout the year”.

Central to Stampede’s remarkable resilience is the CM142 endophyte, a ground-breaking discovery with origins tracing back to the harsh alpine regions of Greece. Harnessing the natural insect deterrent capabilities of Epoxy Janthitrem alkaloids, CM142 combined with Stampede’s robust genetics “offers a natural defence mechanism to increase pasture persistence, which is a key attribute for perennial pasture” says Stephane. “Our main effort in developing CM142 was to maintain the component around insect protection while increasing livestock performance, due to lesser toxicity and better forage production”.

However, the benefits of Stampede extend beyond pest resistance. “CM142 has consistently shown a reduced potential to induce ryegrass staggers and heat stress. We believe this is a result of its unique alkaloid levels” says Stephane.

Cropmark says that Stampede will be commercialised this spring. In anticipation of its launch to the market, seed has been distributed to participating livestock farmers throughout the country to further assess its on farm performance. “It’s a great achievement for the team and the wider industry” says Stephane, “with innovation from a New Zealand owned company that provides farmers an alternative to support them in what they do best”.

For further information contact your Ruralco representative.

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