Breeding programmes

Our plant breeding programme is one of the most extensive, innovative and professional breeding programmes in the world.

What we breed:

  • Perennial and Hybrid Ryegrass
  • Italian and Annual Ryegrass
  • Festuloliums (inter-species crosses)
  • Cocksfoot
  • Tall Fescue
  • Meadow fescue
  • Clovers
  • Forage brassicas
  • Forage herbs

The programme emphasis is on delivering forage cultivars that deliver improved performance, fit and ROI for your farm.

Cropmark’s unique varieties are bred with the emphasis on delivering improved yield, higher nutritional values and disease resistance, coupled with the ability to provide more quality forage when most needed.

Choose our forage seed varieties and you get us too.

Perennial Ryegrass

Quick to establish and with strong persistence, perennial ryegrass is the most widely sown grass on New Zealand farms.

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Hybrid Ryegrass

Derived from crossing perennial and Italian cultivars, hybrids typically have higher annual yields and depending on their parentage and climate factors will persist for 2-4+ years.

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Italian Ryegrass

A large leaved high-quality, short term pasture that will persist for 12 – 18 months.

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Annual Ryegrass

Persisting for only 6-10 months and producing high volumes of quality feed. Annual ryegrass is an ideal winter feed crop and can typically be grazed within 4-6 weeks of sowing.

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Cocksfoot

A productive, drought tolerant grass suited to drier conditions, and with strong summer growth. Once established it has strong resistance to pest attack due to its dense root system.

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Festulolium

With a deep root structure, Festulolium is a versatile species, combining the stress resistance genes of fescue with the yield persistence of ryegrass.

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Clover

Commonly used in New Zealand pastures, clover stimulates grass growth through nitrogen fixation and is a high-quality feed that can enhance livestock performance.

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Brassicas

With the potential to produce high volumes of high-quality feed at times of the year when ryegrass growth is limiting, forage brassicas are a great farm-grown supplementary feed.

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Forage Herbs

High in trace elements, heat tolerant and extremely palatable, chicory and plantain are forage herbs which can be used as specialist forage crops or as an addition to pasture mixes.

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Fodder Beet

Typically grown for its impressive yield potential, fodder beet is a great winter feed.

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Our story

Growing closer

We walk alongside you every step of the way to deliver on your production and profitability goals.

Our story
Knowledge Hub

Industry insights

We work closely with industry partners to ensure we’re always at the forefront of pasture innovation.

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Industry insights

Sowing guides

Identifying the local climate and soil type is your best chance of sowing a pasture that goes the distance.

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Sowing guides

Tech sheets

Healthy pasture comes from better understanding the challenges that prevent you from getting the best out of your farm.

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Tech sheets

Trial information

Our ryegrass forage varieties are extensively trialled and tested via PBRA.

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Trial information
Get in touch

For forage seed advice call 0800 427 676 or enquire here.

Forage seed selector

Need help selecting the right seed?

Use our forage seed selector to find the best Cropmark seed for your farm.

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