NyPa Forage

What is NyPa Forage?

NyPa Forage (Distichlis spicata var. yensen-4a) is a perennial salt loving forage grass that is the result of 20 years of selections from the native American grass. NyPa Forage has been granted provisional protection under the PBR system (Plant Breeders' Right Act 1994). It was selected for its forage like qualities of larger leaf size, softer growth, palatability and tolerance to high salt concentrations. Although it is been selected from the native American grass, NyPa Forage is a male clonal plant, and spreads only by vegetative means, which significantly reduces the chances of this grass becoming a weed by limiting its method of spread. Water logging is also not an issue with NyPa Forage due to specialised tissue running the length of the root system, which allows oxygen from the leaves to be transported down to the roots, allowing them to grow in waterlogged conditions, the same mechanism which allows rice to grow in waterlogged conditions. Being a C4 grass, it is most active during the warmer months of the year. It has a deep roots system, that has been traced down to 1.5m, which allows it to access the watertable. Currently NyPa Forage is being assessed across Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

 

What are the benefits of NyPa Forage?

  1. Produces palatable green forage on saline discharge sites throughout the summer months
  2. Helps stabilize the soil, helping to prevent further degradation such as erosion.
  3. Has been shown to improve the soil chemical and physical properties (see R&D page)

How do you plant it?

As NyPa Forage is a male plant, it can only be established vegetatively. Currently there are two techniques used, which are:

  • Harvesting bare rooted tillers from the field, and then directly planting these into your location. This is currently the cheapest method of planting, however also takes the longest for the plants to establish.
  • Tube stock can also be used to establish NyPa Forage. Tube stock are grown out at nurseries and contain an established root system, which enables faster and more reliable establishment. These are a similar size to trees that may also be planted from tubes.