FORAGE VARIETY PROFILE

Fintona Perennial Ryegrass

Fintona is an intermediate tetraploid perennial ryegrass Species: Lolium Perenne which was bred in Northern Ireland by AFBI and first England and Wales, Scotland and officially listed in 2011. It is currently the highest yielding Officially listed in: Republic of Ireland. perennial ryegrass ever bred and recommended in the UK. England & Wales 20th May Fintona performs very well under both cutting and grazing Heading Dates: Scotland REE 32 management schemes making it a very flexible option and ideal R.O.I. 24th May for fields that are both cut and grazed. Fintona’s key feature, aside from its exceptional yield, is its excellent shoulder growth Ploidy: Tetraploid making it a great choice to boost spring and late season yields. Bred in: Northern Ireland Any medium – long term ley which Most suited to: will be grazed or cut.

Recommended Grass & SRUC Grass & Clover Loughgall, Northern Republic of Ireland Clover List for England Varieties for Scotland Ireland Barenbrug Recommended List and Wales 2020/2021 2019/2020 Breeders Trials (2019) 2020 Total Average 16.12 t DM/ha 17.16 t DM/ha 19.45 t DM/ha Cutting Yield 14.82 t DM/ha Total Grazing 10.17 t DM/ha 10.98 t DM/ha 16.16 t DM/ha Yield

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Across the multiple geographical location, and throughout the year, Fintona provides high quality forage from both silage and grazing management. Grazing D values are particularly high and the high early spring growth displayed by Fintona will require careful management to maximise D values, particularly at first cut.

Other Attributes

Fintona has strong drechlera resistance of 8.5 and mildew resistance of 8.1 combined with excellent winter hardiness and decent ground cover.

Being a tetraploid, you should expect an average of 290,000 seeds per kilogram and a slightly more upright growth habit. Fintona has ground cover scores typical of the tetraploid type and to encourage tillering, will benefit from grazing, particularly in the first 12 months after establishment.

Before official recommendation, Ballintoy has been extensively trialled across 17 different site in the United Kingdom and Ireland to gather data on its performance in multiple climatic conditions.

Fintona was bred in Northern Ireland at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) by the now retired grass breeder David Johnston. The variety was named after a village in County Tyrone which is thought to be one of the county’s oldest settlements dating back to over 4000 years of human activity in that area.

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