# italian ryegrass



## jrward (Nov 8, 2011)

Tug of war is selling this as an alternative to teff since they are out of teff seed. Has anyone tried it? They said it is less drought tolarant than teff but can be planted a little earlier. Just wondered if anyone had any experience with it. Also it's only $0.99 /lb.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Great feed, but you will never get it dry enough to bale for hay. Needs to be silage, balage, or grazed. Also, it is a cool season grass and teff is warm season. Your location would help us inform you better, but ryegrass is going to head in southern Indiana and it is not warm enough to plant teff yet.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Here it can be dried down enough for hay but it would be ready to cut now or a little earlier. I can't imagine it growing in heat well like teff does since it typically grows through the winter then heads out in the spring and is gone. I'm not sure what would happen by planting it now. Italian ryegrass in a dirty words to farmers growing small grains.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Yes, ryegrass hates heat, it stops growing when teff starts here.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I use annual ryegrass for cover crop or to fill in a thin stand.It does like moisture and has produced well in a wetter summer.Dry and hot not so good.Responds well to N also.It has a waxy surface and a tine type conditioner works better for conditioning.Wide swaths and teddering would help also.

I've only tried Itallion one time and was disappointed in tonnage compared to annual.Side by side.I've been using annual for 15+ yrs.


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Anybody used any of the Jumbo stuff???


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Last 3-4 years Italian ryegrass has been covering our bermuda fields in the winter and spring.....sure grows fast, and Pastora, despite being listed on the label, doesn't damage it a bit....we just cut it and bale it, feed it to whatever will eat it. Sure is a bitch to rake with a wheel rake.....


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## jrward (Nov 8, 2011)

Thanks for all the replies. My location is southeast wyoming at an elevation of about 5800 ft. We have very dry weather and our nights are cool enough to keep most cool season grasses going all summer. Is this stuff thick stemmed? Why doesn't it dry well? Also forgot to mention we have lots of irrigation water.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

I used Italian ryegrass last year when the alfalfa was winter killed. Was less than thrilled with the results. Might have been the dry summer we had too so take that for what it's worth. Annual is much better from my understanding.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

No offense but one would have to be very desperate to plant Italian Ryegrass on purpose.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Yet another lesson learned.


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

stack em up said:


> Yet another lesson learned.


And that would be???????????????/


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

My brother planted some last year. Yield wasn't great but fertility was bad as well. Fertilized too little too late. Neighbor baled and net wrapped some of it and it looked great.

Fast forward and I am pretty sure it almost caught fire (outside). First bale was sold in March. He got a call about it not as advertised. We went to check it out and he was correct. It fermented and looked black in places. Ended up substituting my hay to the buyer. That was a bummer. Good grass would have been 70-80/bale. His load brought $20. Ouch. Net wrapped 4*6.

Lesson learned. Avoid IRG. Not as dry as it seems.


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

Yea it is hard to dry makes great baleage.......it drys a little better down here in the south.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Lesson I learned here today is don't plant Italian ryegrass.


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