Raising the bar
There is a buzz going around town and it is all about the new annual ryegrass from PGG Wrightson Seeds.
Abuzz is the latest generation tetraploid annual ryegrass replacing the legendary cultivar, Winter Star II. Bred for New Zealand conditions, plant breeders have selected Abuzz for superior dry matter production and performance relative to its predecessor Winter Star II.
Winter Star II has been a mainstay on NZ farms throughout the majority of the 21st century with a reputation for fast establishment, high feed quality and strong dry matter production, all attributes that Abuzz matches or supersedes.
With its large distinctive broad leaves and tetraploid genetics Abuzz provides easily harvestable, high-quality forage that is well suited to all livestock grazing and silage production systems.
Supported by rapid regrowth and vigorous dry matter production Abuzz is an excellent choice for early silage production and for farmers aiming to increase feed availability during winter and spring periods, when pasture demand is at a premium.
Abuzz has been trialled extensively across the country on a range of soil types and environments including sites in Waikato, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay and Canterbury. Across 17 trials Abuzz has out-performed Winter Star II for dry matter yield across all seasons, with a combined yield 4–10% higher than its predecessor.
As well as improving on Winter Star II’s performance, Abuzz also offers a significant value advantage over older commoditised varieties such as Tama. First released in 1970 Tama was a gamechanger for farmers at the time, however 56 years later its genetic potential has become outdated.
Abuzz however is a different beast. The product of the same plant breeding team that brought you Winter Star II, Abuzz is a step forward in annual ryegrass genetics. Characterised by its rapid establishment, quick regrowth and increased yield Abuzz offers a significant improvement in productivity over Tama across all farm systems.
For farmers looking to maximise their return between maize rotations, Abuzz offers great return on investment. Selected for larger, broader tillers Abuzz is able to establish rapidly and produce a large bulk of winter feed suitable for grazing or silage production. To demonstrate this a trial was sown in Pencarrow, Waikato last autumn. Sown on the 1st April and completed on the 8th September, Abuzz produced 668 kg more dry matter per hectare than Tama across a growing season of only 160 days. When valued conservatively at 25c/kgDM (and the cost of seed was considered), Abuzz delivered a $93/ha advantage over Tama.
As well as the suitability for short term silage systems, Abuzz’s strong spring production potential makes it a great option for all grazing systems looking to increase their early season pasture production.
Highlighted by a 2025 trial in Lincoln, Canterbury, Abuzz produced an extra 20% more early spring dry matter than Tama, leading to an increase of 1.8t DM/ha over the total trial period from sowing in late March through to completion at the start of December.
A long time fan of Winter Star II, agricultural contractor John Austin also sees the value of Abuzz.
Based out of the Waikato and Northern King Country, John and his team plant and harvest thousands of maize and grass paddocks each season. As both a contractor and grower it is important to them that they recommend and plant the best cultivars for their customers. In collaboration with PGG Wrightson Seeds and their local field rep, they have been running trials on their home block for several years comparing the different varieties of annual ryegrass. After Abuzz excelled in trials he was interested to see how it would perform on a larger scale, “We’ve done a lot of trial work particularly on our home block comparing the different varieties of grass and we’ve been getting great performance out of Winter Star and Winter Star II, so it was really a no brainer to have a look at Abuzz.”
A long term supporter of Winter Star II, it didn’t take much to convince John of the potential of Abuzz. “So far the performance in trials has been exciting and from what we’ve got in the field it looks like a great product.”
With its proven performance across New Zealand, Abuzz suits all farm systems looking to provide valuable feed from late autumn through to late spring. With its strong initial vigour and exceptional cool season activity it is a perfect choice between maize crops, as a stand-alone short-term pasture or within high quality annual pasture mixes.
Abuzz is available this autumn from your local seed merchant.