New turf and forage varieties

    If you are looking for top-performing varieties in France, you have plenty to choose from. Each year the French seed catalogue opens its lists to many new varieties developed by DLF. Here is a selection of what you can find in 2016.

    2016-03-01


    TURF VARIETIES

    Perennial ryegrass: Our top-ranked ANNECY is the latest in a long line of superb grasses with high wear-tolerance and strong visual appeal. It joins GIANNA (listed in 2015) and other varieties that are improving football-pitch performance for France 2016 and beyond.

    Strong creeping red fescues: Two new varieties, LAVERDA and the strikingly dark green CHANTILLY, join the excellent HASTINGS (listed in 2014) and others in our portfolio.

    Slender creeping red fescue: The superb performer CATHY is a fitting addition to a strong portfolio that includes the previously listed varieties BEUDIN and ALBERTINE.

    Tall fescues: Our new medium-light green ARMANI outclasses all other varieties with its overall performance and excellent winter-long visual appeal. Two other dark green varieties, FOXHOUND and TURFWAY, are currently producing encouraging results in their NTEP* trials (2012 sowing). In a trial with rhizome counts, TURFWAY reveals more rhizomes than most other varieties.

    *official US turf trials


    FORAGE VARIETIES

    Red clover: For excellent productivity, choose the newly listed GANYMED.

    White clover: Two new varieties, DUBLIN (medium-large leaved) and COOLFIN (small-medium leaved) join the selective French list. The pair provide more options for fine-tuning the levels of aggressiveness within a mixture.

    Perennial ryegrass: We are delighted that so many excellent varieties have joined the list for 2016:

    Variety HD Ploidy Segment
    MARNIERE 141 4n Intermediate
    OLIVE 142 4n Intermediate
    SADONNE 145 2n Intermediate/semi-late
    BOWIE (name approval pending) 160 2n Very late


    Note the listing of the exceptionally late-heading BOWIE. Although the beginning of heading is not before mid-May, BOWIE produces very high dry-matter yields in summer and autumn.

    Italian ryegrass: The diploid BELLUCI, with its high disease-tolerance and reduced aftermath heading, joins the list in 2016.

    Cocksfoot: The relatively recent French cocksfoot breeding programme is proving its worth. CAPTUR, an attractive, disease-tolerant, and highly productive late-heading variety – is our first successful listing.

    Please do not hesitate to contact your local representative to hear more about these new varieties.