Adaptability and agronomic characteristics of a worldwide collection of 800 entries of rye (Secal cereale L.) have been tested to screen out the most promising cultivars of forage rye for Korea during the 1977-80 season. In the test, productivity, winter-hardiness, earliness, plant height and disease reaction were investigated. Preliminary test was initiated on the forage field and interim and final tests were carried out ron the paddy field after harvesting rice plant at the College of Agriculture, Seoul National University. (1) At the final test in 1980, Athens Abruzzi rye gave the highest dry matter yield, followed by MI-72-73-224, 231, 257 and Vita-Graze ryes. I-22-144, Ward D.J. 51, Centeno 52 and Korean native ryes showed the lowest forage yield. (2) No diseases were found in all rye cultivars throughout the growing season. teal rye cultivars used were the best for winter-hardiness except I-22-142, 144, Ward D.J. 39, 44, 46, 48, 49, 51 and Centeno 52 ryes. (3) On the basis of the final evaluation scores, promising cultivars of forage rye for more advanced testing are V/7, V/23, V/24, V/25, Vita-Graze, Athens Abruzzi, MI-72-73-224, 231, 240 and 257 ryes. (4) Most of promising rye cultivars chosen at the final test were earlier in maturity with tall plant height.