Ryegrass is a source of unending controversy among graziers. The mainstay of many New Zealand and European pastures, it has winter-hardiness problems in our climate of extremes here in the Midwest. Tetraploids and newer varieties have shown slightly better winter survival. If we can get it to persist, ryegrass is a valuable pasture choice. It is higher in quality than other cool season grasses because of higher digestible carbohydrate and lower fiber levels.
Italian ryegrass is a short lived perennial, more vigorous, but less hardy than perennial ryegrass.
It can be frost seeded into existing stands to improve yield and quality. A couple of pounds of ryegrass is a good addition to all seeding mixtures because it germinates rapidly and can protect against soil erosion while the slower germinating grasses get established. Festuloliums are a hybrid between Italian ryegrass and meadow fescue and are thought to have the winterhardiness of the fescues and the high quality of the ryegrasses. It is relatively tolerant of drought and heat but is not tolerant of close grazing. Unlike some other species which keep growing points near ground level, brome's elevated growing points often get grazed off, resulting in slower regrowth.