RAM P. GHIMIRE, DINESH PARIYAR, JOHN G. HAMPTON, KEITH ARMSTRONG, ADRIAN RUSSELL, KISHOR K. SHRESTHA, M. PHIL ROLSTON AND RITA AMGAIN
Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Lalitpur, Nepal
Seed Research Center, Lincoln University, New Zealand Global Oats Limited, Christchurch, New Zealand
Plant Research NZ Ltd, Canterbury, New Zealand
Foundation for Arable Research, Templeton, New Zealand
*(e-mail: ramghimire.narc@gmail.com)
(Received: 26 August 2025; Accepted: 27 September 2025)
SUMMARY
Hill pastures play a vital role in sustaining ruminant production systems in Nepal, yet adoption of improved forages remains limited. To address this, 11 cultivars of Cocksfoot grass (Dactylis glomerata L.), Hybrid ryegrass, Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were evaluated for forage and seed yield during 2018-2020. Multi- location trials were conducted at Khumaltar, Lalitpur (mid-hill ecology) and Dhunche, Rasuwa (high- hill ecology). At Khumaltar, the Perennial ryegrass cultivar Base produced significantly higher (p<0.05) forage dry matter yield than others. At Dhunche, cultivars Base, One50, and Dhunche consistently performed better in first to third harvests and total forage yield, also showing higher plant height and tiller number. For seed yield, Asset, Winter Star II, and Dhunche were superior at Khumaltar, while Base and Winter Star II were better at Dhunche. These findings highlight the potential of selected ryegrass cultivars to enhance both forage and seed productivity under mid- and high-hill conditions. Their promotion and adoption could substantially strengthen hill pasture-based livestock systems in Nepal.
Key words: Ecological regions, genotypes, plant height, number of tillers, temporal and spatial effects, yield and yield attributes