Hopes grass hybrid will miminise flooding impact

FOR farmers who have spent months looking at sodden fields, scientists have this week offered some hope with the arrival of a new grass hybrid that could minimise the impact of flooding.

The researchers believe a hybridised species of grass linking perennial ryegrass with a closely related species, meadow fescue, might provide the answer, with the rapid establishment and growth rate of the ryegrass linking with the large, well-developed root systems and efficient water capture of the meadow fescue.

Over two years of field experiments at North Wyke in the south-west of England, the research team demonstrated that the hybrid, which they named Festulolium, reduced water run-off from agricultural grassland by up to 51 per cent compared to other grasses.

Their conclusion was the reduced run-off was achieved because Festulolium’s intense initial root growth and subsequent rapid turn-over, especially at depth, had allowed more water to be retained within the soil.

The scientists also claimed the hybrid grass provided high-quality forage with resilience to weather extremes, making the grass doubly useful for farmers.

Collaborating on the project were scientists from the James Hutton Institute, Rothamsted Research, the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University, Lancaster University and Nottingham University.

ANDREW ARBUCKLE