In the past century, all the grass seed required for the Netherlands was imported. About 1900, however, the seed production of the annual Westerwolths ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum westerwoldicum) was introduced. The local variety was probably obtained by harvesting seed producing plants from Italian ryegrass, sown in spring and sowing again in the next year in spring. In this way a local variety of the “seed type” originated.