Belfast-headquartered Germinal welcomes inclusion of its new, top-performing perennial ryegrass varieties, AberTweed and AberForth, in the Recommended Grass and Clover List for England and Wales

The two new Germinal varieties are:

AberTweed, an intermediate (i.e. mid-season heading) diploid perennial ryegrass that has been awarded a Provisional General (PG) recommendation in the RGCL for 2024-2025. It exhibits:

- Excellent total annual yield, ME yield, seasonal growth and D value under simulated grazing with good ground cover

- Excellent total yields, D (dry matter) values and ME yield under conservation management

- Good resistance to Crown Rust

- Very good resistance to Drechslera

- Limited data shows very good winter hardiness

AberForth, a late (i.e. later season heading) tetraploid perennial ryegrass that has been awarded a Provisional Specific Use (PS) recommendation in the RGCL for 2024-2025. It exhibits:

- Good total yield

- Outstanding early season growth and D value under simulated grazing management

- Excellent first and second cut D values under conservation management

- Good winter hardiness and good resistance to Drechslera

AberTweed and AberForth join 24 other Germinal-developed grass varieties, and six clover varieties already included on the Recommended Grass and Clover List for England and Wales.

Commenting, Technical Trials Manager at Germinal Horizon, Dr. Joanna Matthews, said: “The RGCL is a critical information tool for farmers and technical advisers that helps inform decisions around the variety choices farmers can make to maximise farm-grown forage and reduce costs. Both AberTweed and AberForth have performed very well as part of the long-term, multi-location trial programme that underpins the RGCL.

“We are also very excited about how these varieties are performing in Irish Trials. AberTweed and AberForth have been developed by Germinal Horizon - our R&D division - at our research stations at Aberystwyth University and Wiltshire.

“They are part of our long-term breeding programme focused on developing a pipeline of top-performing and climate smart products for grassland farmers.”

Both varieties are currently in production with commercial quantities of quality assured seed anticipated by 2026.

The RGCL trial programme is managed by the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB). New grass varieties undergo a rigorous selection process comprising six years of independent testing across UK trial sites which assess a range of parameters including total annual yields, seasonal growth, metabolisable energy yield, winter hardiness and disease resistance. Varieties that demonstrate clear improvements over existing ones are awarded provisional status. Varieties are reassessed following an additional five years of trials to determine whether a provisional (PG/PS) variety is recommended for widespread adoption (G).

AberForth is also among several new Germinal varieties currently progressing through Irish Recommended List trials and shows excellent promise.