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Transition (Breakout II) is a turf-type annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) developed for professional turf applications. Combining rapid establishment with fine leaf texture, improved shoot density, and mowing quality, it is particularly suited to winter overseeding of dormant warm-season turf.
Transition provides temporary green cover and helps maintain playing quality through cooler months. Its annual growth cycle also supports the return to warm-season grasses in spring, making it a practical choice for golf courses and sports turf managers.
Unlike conventional annual ryegrasses, Transition has been selected for its finer appearance, darker green color, and improved mowing performance, delivering the turf characteristics required for intensively managed playing surfaces.
Transition at a glance
| Species | Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) |
| Alternative name | Breakout II |
| A-LIST cultivar | No |
| Breeding | US genetics |
| Growth habit | Bunch-type, densely tillered |
| Leaf texture | Fine |
| Color | Dark green |
| Key strengths | Rapid establishment, fine leaf texture, and mowing quality |
| Primary application | Winter overseeding of dormant warm-season turf |
| Additional applications | Temporary turf cover and rapid renovation |
| Typical uses | Golf fairways, sports fields, and other managed turf |
| Recommended mowing height | 25 mm and above |
What makes Transition different?
Transition combines the rapid establishment associated with annual ryegrass with the improved turf characteristics required for professional playing surfaces.
Its finer leaves, compact growth habit, and increased shoot density contribute to a uniform appearance and consistent playing surface. Improved mowing quality also makes it suitable for intensively managed turf, particularly golf fairways.
Transition can be used alongside perennial and intermediate ryegrasses, offering additional flexibility when selecting cultivars for seasonal overseeding and renovation programs.
Key characteristics
Rapid establishment
Transition germinates quickly under suitable conditions, helping turf managers establish cover within relatively short renovation or overseeding windows.
Fine leaf texture and turf density
Its fine leaves and dense tillering produce a more refined turf appearance than many conventional annual ryegrasses.
Improved mowing quality
Transition has been selected for mowing performance, making it suitable for professionally maintained playing surfaces.
Seasonal persistence
Its annual growth cycle provides temporary turf coverage without the longer-term persistence of perennial ryegrass, an important consideration when overseeding warm-season turf
Winter overseeding of warm-season turf
Winter overseeding is one of Transition’s principal applications, particularly on golf courses and sports facilities established with Bermudagrass.
As warm-season grasses enter dormancy, Transition can be overseeded to establish green cover and help maintain playing quality through cooler months.
Its rapid establishment and fine leaf texture make it particularly relevant for golf fairways, where surface uniformity, appearance, and mowing quality are important.
Supporting the spring transition
An important consideration when selecting a ryegrass for winter overseeding is how readily the underlying warm-season turf can resume growth in spring.
Transition’s annual growth cycle means it generally becomes less competitive as temperatures rise, allowing the warm-season grass to recover and resume growth.
This characteristic can support a more natural transition back to Bermudagrass and may reduce the need for chemical removal of overseeded ryegrass.
However, the success of spring transition depends on local climate, turf conditions, and management practices.
Research into overseeding performance
Australian research evaluating Breakout II alongside perennial ryegrass and turf pigment treatments on Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass identified its potential to support non-chemical spring transition.
The findings provide useful evidence for Transition’s role in winter overseeding programs where seasonal turf coverage and the subsequent return to Bermudagrass are important management objectives.
Read the Australian overseeding research.
Rapid establishment and renovation
In addition to warm-season overseeding, Transition can be used for the rapid renovation of worn or damaged cool-season turf.
Its quick germination helps establish temporary ground cover where playing surfaces have experienced heavy use or where renovation opportunities are limited.
This makes it an option for sports fields, training grounds, and other managed turf areas requiring relatively rapid establishment.
Transition has also been reported to germinate at soil temperatures of approximately 7 °C. However, germination and subsequent establishment remain dependent on suitable moisture, temperature, and seedbed conditions.
For applications requiring permanent turf cover, perennial ryegrass or other longer-lived turfgrass species may be more appropriate.
Sowing and establishment
Transition can be established on prepared bare soil or overseeded into existing turf.
Successful establishment depends on good seed-to-soil contact, adequate moisture, and suitable growing conditions.
When overseeding existing turf, verticutting or other appropriate surface preparation can help improve seed-to-soil contact.
For winter overseeding of warm-season turf, sowing should be timed according to local soil temperatures, the onset of dormancy, and the intended playing requirements.
Mowing and maintenance
Transition produces a compact, densely tillered turf suitable for regular mowing.
The recommended mowing height is 25 mm and above. Its improved shoot density and mowing characteristics also support use on golf fairways when maintained under an appropriate nutrition and mowing program.
Adequate nutrition and irrigation are important during establishment and throughout the period of active growth.
Transition can be used across a range of soil types and growing conditions, including full sun and moderate shade.
As an annual ryegrass, it is intended primarily for temporary and seasonal turf coverage rather than permanent establishment.
Where does Transition fit in a turf management program?
Transition is a practical choice where rapid establishment, playing quality, and seasonal turf coverage are priorities.
On warm-season golf courses, it provides winter cover while supporting the return to Bermudagrass as temperatures rise.
On cool-season sports fields, it can provide temporary coverage during renovation or following periods of heavy use.
Its combination of establishment speed, fine leaf texture, and seasonal growth characteristics makes Transition a useful option for turf managers planning overseeding and renovation programs.
Transition in the ProSelect range
Transition is used in selected ProSelect range. Product availability and blend compositions vary by country, so please check your local ProSelect range for details.
