The objective of this study was to determine the effect of harvesting time of rice on growth characteristics and dry matter yields of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam., IRG) ‘Kowinearly’ after seeding them in paddy field. Experiments were performed in National Institute of Animal Science, RDA (Cheonan, Choongcheongnam-do province of Korea) for four years (2011~2014). Italian ryegrass variety ‘Kowinearly’ was seeded at experimental paddy fields before rice harvest in late September. Rice were harvested at 10, 20, and 30 days after seeding of IRG. As the harvest time of rice became later, the number of tillering before winter was reduced and IRG plant length before winter was shorter. The dry matter yield of IRG was also reduced. When rice were harvested at 20 days and 30 days after sowing of IRG compared to the rice harvested in autumn at 10 days after sowing of IRG, the number of tillering for IRG before winter was decreased by an average of 19% and 40%, respectively. The winter survival ratio of IRG was decreased by an average of 13% and 19%, respectively. Their dry matter yields were also reduced by an average of 8% and 19%, respectively. The heading date was different from each other in three years. The plant length at the time of IRG harvest in the spring was not significantly different among treatment groups. Taken together, our results suggest that when Italian ryegrass is grown in paddy fields by the method of ‘seeding of IRG before rice harvest’, rice should be harvested as soon as possible after sowing of IRG ‘Kowinearly’ in the autumn to increase forage productivity.