2024 Volume 2024 Issue 17 Pages 1-22
Festulolium ‘Northfest’ is an amphiploid forage grass cultivar derived from crosses between the tetraploid meadow fescue and perennial ryegrass. It consists of four maternal lines and 19 individuals that were bred with breeding objectives such as winter hardiness and suitability for grazing use. The winter hardiness of ‘Northfest’ was superior to that of perennial ryegrass ‘Pokoro’ and other Festulolium cultivars in all test sites in Hokkaido. On the other hand, it was inferior in the Konsen region where overwintering conditions are severe compared to the meadow fescue ‘Harusakae’, but was similar to or slightly superior in other regions including the Tokachi region, suggesting that ‘Northfest’ can be grown stably even in eastern Hokkaido where overwintering conditions are relatively mild. The average yield of ‘Northfest’ for grazing use was higher than that of ‘Harusakae’ and ‘Pokoro’ in Hokkaido under multiple harvesting, and its seasonal productivity was at the same leveled, suggesting that it is suitable for grazing. In addition, it showed better initial growth performance than both those species and excellent forage quality (such as a high digestible fiber content) comparable to that of perennial ryegrass, making it suitable for use in improving the quality of existing degraded grasslands through additional seeding.