Grazing Preference of Dairy Cows and Pasture Productivity for Different Cultivars of Perennial Ryegrass under Contrasting Managements.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the pasture performance of different cultivars of perennial ryegrass, two "high sugar" and two standard cultivars, under two contrasting agronomic managements (aimed at either decreasing or increasing water soluble carbohydrates concentration), and their effects on the grazing preference of dairy cows. Eight treatments arising from the factorial combination of four cultivars and two managements were randomly applied to 31-m plots in three blocks. Pasture dry matter production and growth rate were measured for one year.