Insect Control

AR37 endophyte has been shown to provide superior resistance against a wider range of insects than ryegrass containing either standard endophyte (SE) or AR1 endophyte. It provides strong resistance to Argentine stem weevil, porina*, pasture mealy bug, root aphid, and black beetle.

Black beetle

Found in New Zealand - Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty.
Found in Australia - In all high rainfall ryegrass based farming systems.
Pastures with AR37 have much better resistance to black beetle relative to AR1.

Argentine stem weevil

Found New Zealand wide.
Found in Australia - In all high rainfall ryegrass based farming systems.
AR37 provides excellent resistance against the Argentine stem weevil larvae which is responsible for most of the damage caused by Argentine stem weevil.

Porina*

Found in New Zealand - South Island & Lower North Island.
Not a known pasture pest in Australia.
Almost all porina Caterpillars die when placed on AR37 ryegrass, whereas almost all survive on AR1 and half die on standard endophyte ryegrass*.

Root aphid

Found New Zealand wide.
Found in Australia - In all high rainfall ryegrass based farming systems.
Virtually all root aphids die when placed on ryegrass inoculated with AR37, whereas most survive when on pasture with standard endophyte or AR1.

Pasture mealy bug

Found New Zealand wide, especially areas with moist and cloudy summers.
Found in Australia - In all high rainfall ryegrass based farming systems.
Pastures with AR37 provide excellent resistance against pasture mealy bug.

In early field trials when an insecticide was applied to a cultivar in various endophyte strains, the insecticide did not increase above or below-ground growth of the plants with AR37. This indicates that AR37 appears to naturally give similar protection as chemical insecticides.

Because AR37 reduces insect damage, pasture is more persistent and in New Zealand was shown to produce an average 12% more drymatter nationally than the same cultivar containing standard endophyte. The better quantity and quality (as a result of the improved persistence) of pasture can have considerable benefits for your stock and overall production on your farm.

*Note: In pastures with AR37 ryegrass, porina can be present and feed on the other pasture mix components.

Endophyte Insect Control (Ryegrass, Festulolium, Continental Tall Fescue )

These ratings are indicative and may vary slightly between cultivars. If Argentine Stem Weevil or Black Beetle are present at sowing, an appropriate seed treatment is recommended to improve insect control during establishment. The ratings in this table are based in part on glasshouse studies where test plants are 100% infected with endophyte, whereas commercial seed is expected to meet minimum standards of 70% of seeds infected.

This table has been approved by the New Zealand Plant Breeding and Research Association (NZPBRA)