Research 437: PHENOGRASS – The Phenology of Perennial Ryegrass and its Potential Contribution to Grassland Carbon Sequestration

Improved agricultural grasslands are an important part of Ireland’s agroeconomy. Within these grasslands, perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is the dominant species and underpins much of the performance of agricultural grasslands. An important aspect of grassland performance is the timing of the growth (i.e. the phenology of grasslands). For example, a late start or an early end to the growing season requires grazing livestock to be housed for longer, which in turn requires farmers to have additional reserves of forage. Forage reserves also depend upon the length of the grass growing season. Years with exceptionally late starts to the growing season and years which have given poor forage harvests have been major contributory factors to past fodder crises (e.g. the 2013 fodder crisis, Green 2013), with broad consequences for the economy, animal welfare and human well-being. In the context of future climate change it seems imperative to ask: how will future climate conditions impact the performance of perennial ryegrass? Which mitigation approaches might best safeguard grassland performance? and how can the functioning of our grassland ecosystems be consistently monitored at an All-Ireland scale?

Author note: This is a draft EPA report that is awaiting feedback from the EPA steering committee