This study evaluated the growth characteristics, forage productivity, and feed value of three Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) cultivars ‘Earlybird’, ‘Green call’, and ‘Greenfarm2ho’ over two consecutive growing seasons. Growth traits such as cold tolerance, lodging resistance, disease resistance, and insect resistance were assessed, along with plant height. Forage yield was measured as both fresh and dry matter yields, and feed value was analyzed in terms of CP, NDF, ADF, DMI, DDM, RFV and CA content. Among the tested cultivars, ‘Earlybird’ demonstrated superior performance in several key traits. It showed the greatest lodging resistance and plant height, along with the highest fresh and dry matter yields, although differences in yield were not statistically significant. In terms of feed quality, ‘Earlybird’ had the highest CP (10.8%), lowest NDF (54.7%), and highest RFV (109), indicating excellent palatability and digestibility. ‘Greenfarm2ho’ showed intermediate values across all parameters, suggesting balanced productivity and quality. In contrast, ‘Green call’ showed relatively lower lodging resistance and feed value. Overall, ‘Earlybird’ was identified as a promising cultivar for forage production in temperate climates, combining stable yield performance with high nutritional value. These findings offer valuable guidance for cultivar selection in livestock forage systems aiming to improve both productivity and feed efficiency.

ABSTRACT
Ⅰ. INTRODUCTION
Ⅱ. MATERIALS AND METHODS
    1. Measurement of growth characteristics and productivity
    2. Feed value and soil chemical properties
    3. Statistical analysis
Ⅲ. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
    1. Weather conditions and soil characteristics
    2. Growth characteristics
    3. Forage productivity
    4. Feed value
Ⅳ. CONCLUSIONS
Ⅴ. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Ⅵ. REFERENCES

• Yowook Song(Forages Production Systems Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, Cheonan 31000, Republic of Korea)
• Chang-Woo Min(Forages Production Systems Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, Cheonan 31000, Republic of Korea)
• Jae Hoon Woo(Forages Production Systems Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, Cheonan 31000, Republic of Korea)
• Bo Ram Choi(Forages Production Systems Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, Cheonan 31000, Republic of Korea)
• Sang-Hoon Lee(Forages Production Systems Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, Cheonan 31000, Republic of Korea)
• Ki-Won Lee(Forages Production Systems Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA, Cheonan 31000, Republic of Korea) Corresponding author