Future focused forage: Germinal Horizon showcases innovation to the European Grassland Federation

What does the future of sustainable grassland farming look like? This question was at the centre of discussions when Germinal Horizon Wiltshire welcomed European Grassland Federation (EGF) delegates as part of the 23rd EGF Symposium in September.

A group of specialist plant researchers from EGF toured Germinal Horizon’s trial plots, reviewing the latest findings in multi-species research and learning about some of the material coming through our plant breeding programmes.

The visit offered an in-depth look at how science is driving practical, on-farm solutions to climate challenges and reflected on the legacy of Germinal’s investment in breeding novel grass and forage varieties with the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) – firmly focused on bringing science to the farm gate.

Here, we look at the heritage and future of Germinal Horizon’s grass and forage breeding before we focus on our biggest multi-species findings in a second article in November.

Delivering on-farm impact

Reflecting on Germinal Horizon’s continuing progress after more than three decades, Dr Joanna Matthews, Technical Trials Manager, highlighted a commitment to real-world impact:

“Alongside our core Aber High Sugar Grasses, we are actively developing clovers and other species that boost climate resilience and help bridge the forage gap during dry spells.”

Image: Dr Joanna Matthews, Germinal Horizon Wiltshire

“Agriculture will always face challenges, but through targeted forage research and innovation, we can help grassland farmers stay both economically and environmentally resilient,” Dr Matthews said.

In 2025, Germinal celebrates 200 years as part of a family-run business. A landmark event in this special year was the launch of Germinal’s innovative Climate Smart mixture ranges, designed to help farmers balance productivity with sustainability, a theme that resonated strongly with EGF delegates.

A foundation of winning varieties

During the visit, delegates had the chance to see some of the key varieties that have defined the contribution Germinal and IBERS have made to forage science and grassland performance, particularly in the Aber High Sugar Grass (Aber HSG) range and clover breeding.

Image: Aber High Sugar Grass growing in a field

AberDart

A breakthrough variety for Germinal’s Aber HSG range, which went on to win seven national and international awards, including the NIAB Variety Cup.

Since joining the Recommended Grass and Clover List (RGCL) in 1999, AberDart has remained a trusted performer, achieving 120GJ/ha in metabolisable energy (ME) yield (RGCL, 2020/21). This intermediate heading diploid was the first true Aber HSG variety to be commercially sold.

AberGreen

Building on AberDart’s success, AberGreen raised standards further when it was listed in 2011, achieving 125GJ /ha in ME yield (RGCL, 2020/21) and earning another NIAB Variety Cup.

AberGain

Listed in 2012, AberGain is still the best-selling tetraploid ryegrass in the UK and Ireland. AberGain combines late heading with exceptional early-season growth – six percentage points higher than the mean of late tetraploids (RGCL, 2025/2026), helping it compete with earlier heading varieties.

AberSevern

A trailblazing, late-heading diploid that can produce 129GJ/ha in ME yield, AberSevern reached the RGCL in 2023/2024. It also delivers an excellent 112% grazing yield with a 79.3 D-value.

Across all Aber HSG plots, delegates were interested to learn about the strict requirements on what is considered a true high sugar grass, since it is the high water-soluble carbohydrate content that is vital for achieving the emissions reductions Aber HSG is known for. Delegates were also impressed to see a low weed burden in the Aber HSG plots, years into trials.

Exploring next-generation clovers

The visit also spotlighted Germinal Horizon’s pioneering clover breeding work, including the world-first DoubleRoot hybrid clover.

Image: A DoubleRoot hybrid clover plant

The first-ever successful cross of white clover, which grows via stolons, and Caucasian clover, which produces underground rhizomes, DoubleRoot offers a unique dual growth habit. This delivers superior persistence and resilience to drought, temperature extremes, and grazing damage. DoubleRoot can survive and thrive for up to four weeks without water and can endure temperatures ranging from +30^oC to -30^oC.

Also highlighted on the tour was AberClaret, a red clover bred for improved persistence using multiple selections of compact crowns, which can last up to five years in silage swards. This standout clover variety impressed the visitors due to its durability in simulated grazing trials.

Using legumes to cut fertiliser use

Delegates also learned how we’re working to amplify clover’s natural power to fix atmospheric nitrogen in NUE-Leg, a £4.7m project featuring leading players from the UK agribusiness and food sectors. NUE-Leg’s goal is to optimise nitrogen from legumes to reduce emissions in grassland farming.

Visitors enjoyed a closer look at the novel species central to the project. In NUE-Leg, Germinal Horizon is currently trialling DoubleRoot and RedRunner, a groundbreaking stoloniferous red clover, with the aim of doubling nitrogen fixation from 150kg N/ha each year to 300kg.

Some delegates closely inspected the RedRunner plants and were amazed to see how they grow, with one saying, “I’ve never seen a clover like it!”

The project also features our lotus variety with high rumen nitrogen use efficiency and methane-reducing potential with the ability to withstand grazing that existing varieties cannot.

Looking to the future, the group also saw a new clover that goes beyond nitrogen fixation to also support phosphorus use efficiency. With phosphorus fertilisers increasingly restricted due to legislative, environmental and economic factors, this has transformative potential for sustainable grassland farming.

Stay informed

As Germinal Horizon continues its plant breeding progress, upcoming varieties will further enhance the productivity and resilience of grassland systems. Stay updated with the latest news, variety releases, and more on multi-species research by joining our mailing list.