1/30/08 Benefits of Rygrass

Benefits of Ryegrass. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. More states back east are now learning about the economic and environmental benefits of Oregon annual ryegrass used as a cover crop during the winter. That can put more money in the pocket of Willamette Valley grass seed growers. It's not a silver bullet and there is still a lot of research to be done, but a ten year effort by Oregon annual ryegrass growers to find a domestic market back east seems to be paying off, according to Midwest-based consultant Dan Towery. TOWERY: Interest is continuing to grow. We've seen growers have good results, increase yields- which is what they are looking for. But we've also had some challenges. Those challenges include planting the annual ryegrass at the right time to make sure it survives harsh winters and finding the best variety for the job. But the benefits have included an increased yield of corn and soybean production as the ryegrass promotes deeper roots into the ground. The annual ryegrass also reduces erosion and runoff, and provides a good forage for cattle. More states are now taking notice: TOWERY: It's expanded beyond just the Corn Belt. We've got growers in eastern Kansas, Nebraska trying it, across the Midwest and the East Coast. Dairies in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland are very interested in it. If Oregon grass seed growers can produce enough of the varieties that work well back east, the acreage planted in annual ryegrass will rise significantly and provide a market that is well worth the effort. Towery says it is important to continue educating farmers back east about the economic and environmental benefits of annual ryegrass from Oregon. It's not as easy as just going out and planting it. TOWERY: There's no magic bullet and it's just one piece of the whole production system that has to be done correctly. Sometimes weather is going to throw you a curve and you need to have the understanding to know how to deal with that. Towery says the future of marketing Oregon annual ryegrass back east looks good, even though it continues to be an emerging market. TOWERY: Five years ahead, if we can get the varieties growers can plant in a proper time frame and we can quantify the benefits down to dollars and cents, it would be very easy to see acres increasing significantly. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.