News release               
April 29, 2008 Tim Buckley – 503-371-9092

The American Soybean Association awarded a Pierceton, Indiana family farm its “Conservationist of the Year” honors at the Commodity Classic in March. Oregon-grown annual ryegrass seed was part of the reason for that award.

The Scott family began reduced-tillage on their 2,000-acre farm in the 1970s. Last year, more than 1,200 acres were covered all winter with annual ryegrass. Erosion control is a primary conservation benefit. But owner Jim Scott said annual ryegrass also “improves the soil structure, oxygen content and water infiltration. Plus, it looks to me like there are more earth worms present,” he added.

Ten years ago, annual ryegrass was an unknown cover crop in corn and soybean country. While used extensively in forage and lawn applications, the cool-season grass had never been tested as a cover crop in the Midwest. “In the past five years, the market for annual ryegrass has grown to an estimated 600,000 acres,” said Dan Towery, project manager for the Oregon Ryegrass Commission’s Midwest overseeding project. “The results have been rewarding for farmers both in the Midwest and in Oregon.”

Bryan Ostlund, administrator for the Ryegrass Commission, credits Oregon grass seed growers and Oregon State University’s Extension Service for helping to develop the new market. The Commission board is made up of volunteer members, most of whom also raise grass seed.

“We went after the cover crop market because we knew annual ryegrass had good restorative qualities as well as being a great forage crop,” said Mike Hayes, Commission chairman. “Initially, back in the early 1990s, we understood from our own experience how the crop reduces erosion during the winter. But,” he added, “we learned quickly about its root penetration, how it captures nitrogen and how it improves crop productivity only after experimenting with it for a couple of years.”

“It was gratifying to see how annual ryegrass improved productivity, especially on marginal lands and in drought conditions,” said Mark Mellbye, OSU’s extension agent working for the past 10 years with the project. “Because of its rooting depth, it offers corn and soybean crops access to deeper nutrients and moisture, and that’s made a ton of difference in yields in dry years.” Mellbye mentioned that annual ryegrass is among the cover crops being used these days in water quality efforts, used both in fields and along buffer strips to keep field nutrients from leaching into adjacent bodies of water.

Both Hayes and Mellbye said that the Commission’s work for the past decade or more has been crucial for developing a new domestic market for annual ryegrass.

The Commission began with small research grants to Midwest universities to grow annual ryegrass. Then, they used university extension agents to identify farmers who might be willing to try small plots of annual ryegrass, comparing it to doing conventional tillage as well as no-till without a cover crop. Finally, the Commission funded public education via trade shows, conferences and use of media.

“The Ryegrass Commission isn’t the only Oregon commodity group to do market development,” said Mellbye, “but their effort has been broader, more unique and more aggressive than elsewhere. Hiring Dan Towery as a project manager in the Midwest was one major difference and that’s made a big difference. He has 25 years of experience as an agronomist with the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) and an immense network of contacts,” Mellbye said.

“Secondly, the Commission has been methodical about involvement of university researchers and extension service people like me and like Mike Plumer with the University of Indiana,” Mellbye added.

“Likewise, the involvement of grass seed industry people and the Commission members themselves has been of tremendous help. And finally, the use of various means of communication to educate and market annual ryegrass has also been a key element... Over all, I’d say that the Commission has done a great job of integrating and coordinating the research, field trials, project management and public education,” Mellbye continued.

“It’s gratifying to see the American Soybean Association award going to a grower using annual ryegrass,” added Hayes. “It’s a huge validation for our program. And, for those Commission members who’ve devoted many 100s of hours each to this project, there’s no better recognition than to see this kind of award.”