'CERES' MISSILE - ANNUAL RYEGRASS 

Missile, a diploid annual ryegrass, bred for WA conditions.

Missile is a new Diploid annual ryegrass developed to produce winter spring feed and was bred by Dr Alan Stewart, Research Leader of Pyne Gould Guinness Seeds in New Zealand.

Missile was selected with Western Australian conditions in mind after earlier visits in the 90’s to determine the type of annual ryegrass that would best suit our climate and soil types and exhibits the following attributes:

1. Rapid establishment.
2. Excellent yields through the growing period.
3. High forage quality.
4. Densely tillered for assisting recovery from grazing.
5. ME values are consistently showing increases of 8 to 10% above other similar types across a range of trials in Victoria and WA.
6. Suited to grazing, silage and hay.

Following the successful trialing of Missile in Victoria over a number of sites where it exhibited consistently high yields and ME values, Missile was commercially launched in 2002.

In WA in 2002, Missile was sown at Donnybrook, Busselton, Cowaramup and Boyup Brook areas with impressive results. On a farm trial conducted during 2002 in WA, Missile hay showed up to 10% higher ME figures than a hay crop of mixed varieties of annual ryegrasses sown in the same paddock.

Missile recommended sowing rate: minimum of 20 and up to 30 kgs/ha in rainfall zones above 500 mm plus accompanying clovers. (Increased sowing rates will increase pasture production where supported with increased fertiliser and rainfall). In the lower rainfall zones of 400-500mm a minimum of 10 kgs/ha is sufficient.

Missile is marketed by PGG Seeds and Proudly distributed by Irwin Hunter & Co.