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| AR37 is a novel endophyte found by AgResearch in France that became commercially available in autumn 2007 in the perennial ryegrass cultivars Commando, Extreme, Kamo and Samson. It is now available in Arrow and Alto and the tetraploids Halo and Ohau. |
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AR37 produces none of the chemicals other endophyte strains do - it produces epoxy- janthitrems. This endophyte increases grass persistence relative to other endophyte strains by deterring a broad range of insect pests as described above. DairyNZ work on ryegrass/white clover pastures shows AR37 ryegrass is more persistent, expressed as increased tiller density, than is AR1 ryegrass. The lower tiller density in AR1 pastures was associated with higher clover content and possibly increased tiller size compared with AR37.
These interactions may have contributed to the lack of treatment differences in pasture yield over the last three years. Higher dry matter yields of AR37 ryegrass in some AgResearch trials are not inconsistent with this result, as these trials used pure ryegrass, with no possibility for compensation from clover or other species to balance lower ryegrass yields in AR1 or Standard endophyte ryegrass. There have been no signs of ryegrass staggers or any other animal health issues in cows grazing AR37 pastures.
