Sheep performance on perennial ryegrass cultivars differing in concentration of water soluble carbohydrate

High-sugar perennial ryegrass cultivars (HSG) selected for higher concentrations of water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) may enhance animal production and reduce emissions of methane and nitrogen. Assessing the effects on economic output and environmental footprint is most robust when related to production per unit of land. Average daily gain (ADG) and liveweight gain per hectare (LWG/ha) of sheep grazing a high-sugar perennial ryegrass cultivar (HSG), a diploid perennial ryegrass and a tetraploid ryegrass were compared during measurement periods conducted in spring (84 days duration), autumn (99 days) and late spring-summer (160 days). Continuous variable stocking was used, and stocking rate adjusted to maintain a target sward surface height of 6 cm. Average daily gain was higher (P=0.003) for the HSG than either control in summer and higher for the tetraploid control than the HSG or the diploid control in autumn (P=0.04), but the higher ADGs did not translate to significantly higher LWG/ha. These results can inform farmers on cultivar choice and support analysis of methane and nitrogen emissions on an intensity basis for inventory and regulatory purposes.