Two white clover, one red clover, two Italian rye-grass and eight perennial rye-grass varieties have been added to the Recommended Grass and Clover Lists for England and Wales 2025/26 (RGCL).
The inclusion of 13 new grass and clover varieties in the annual RGCL handbook adds strength to the options available to farmers in Wales, as they continue to improve production efficiency, as well as environmental and economic sustainability.
Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) contributes towards the RGCL, along with AHDB and plant breeders through the British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) and the British Grassland Society (BGS).
HCC’s Dr Heather McCalman, Research, Development and Sustainability Executive, said:
“The RGCL is a useful tool for Welsh farmers; the handbook can be used to make the most of the range of varieties available and select mixtures to meet the needs of their livestock and to suit their land. There is a variety to suit every purpose and type of farm.
“The RGCL can also help farmers understand the performance attributes of different varieties, such as yield, persistency, quality and disease resistance and select the ones best suited to their farming system. In addition, it provides information to help manage reseeds and maximise sward productivity.”
Rhys Edwards from Blackmill, Bridgend has used the latest edition of the RGCL. He said:
“Every year I use the updated RGCL to help me select the very best diploid ryegrass and white clover varieties for grazing my sheep flock. I aim to minimise inputs to my sheep enterprise through grazing finishing lambs on high quality resilient swards. Reseeding is one area of cost where I feel I will reap the reward in my flock performance.”
Tested in trial plots at IBERS, Aberystwyth, and then compared against other trial plots in England, the new varieties were grown outdoors in areas of grassland production. They were added to the RGCL following at least six years of independent and rigorous testing, under a range of conditions, covering both conservation and simulated grazing management systems.
The new varieties have been granted provisional recommended status after they demonstrated a clear improvement compared with the varieties already on the lists. They will be reassessed after five years.
