SucraSEED

SucraSEED is a mix of High Sugar Grass seeds. This blend is designed to increase dairy milk yield and livestock growth while reducing environmental pollution. The seed mixtures produce a progressive variety of forage grass that is already in wide use in Europe and New Zealand with profitable results.

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Plant Breeders at the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research recognized the benefits of increasing the levels of water soluble carbohydrates (wsc) and spent many years identifying plant material that featured elevated levels of wsc. The fruit of their labors is now available in the United States.

Since its development 20 years ago by the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER), High Sugar Grass (HSG) has been shown to provide a number of benefits (study)(study) to dairy, beef and lamb producers. Multiple trial studies have demonstrated measurable increases in livestock performance, including milk yield in dairy cows (up to 6 percent more milk for the grazing season), increased live weight gains in lambs and beef cattle (up to 20 percent) and higher dry-matter intakes (up to 4.41 lbs/head per day).

These very high levels of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) present in the specially bred grass can increase the digestibility and utilization of plant material. The increased sugars, by providing extra energy to microbes in the animals’ rumen, allow the animals to digest more of the protein that they take in. As a result, more grass protein is converted to milk and meat, and less is excreted as unused nitrogen into the land.

Environmental benefits

The decrease in waste nitrogen is a significant environmental benefit. HSG studies in Europe and New Zealand, for example, reported a reduction in nitrogen pollution by as much as 24 percent. SucraSEED offers an additional advantage in the context of future farming practices, as well: the grasses were developed through traditional breeding methods, and therefore are not genetically modified organisms (GMO). This is of considerable market value since, according to the International Food Information Council (IFIC), consumers are increasingly reluctant to buy meat and milk from animals grazed on GMO grasses.

Grassland Oregon’s SucraSEED product line includes mixtures specially formulated for specific livestock: Beef Bank (for cattle) Cash Cow (for dairy) and Great Gains (for sheep and goats).

Articles, studies & University papers

Feeding dairy cattle to reduce excess nitrogen output - Ontario – Ministry of Agriculture

Sugar levels in forage grasses - Oregon State University

High Sugar Grass varieties for milk production from dairy cows - IGER study

Dairy farming and the environment - Virginia Tech

Environmental issues facing dairy farmers - Virginia Tech

High Sugar Grass offers many benefits for cattle grazing - Western Livestock Journal

Survey results of forage nutrient management on Minnesota dairy farms - University of Minnesota

Sheep production from Higher Sugar Grass - IGER study

Sucrose metabolism of perennial ryegrass in relation to cold acclimation- Hokkaido University, Sapporo Japan

See also

• University of Wales, Aberystwyth
• Good Agricultural Practices
• seed company

Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER) website