In recent years, the number of pasture species and cultivars commercially available to farmers in New Zealand has increased significantly. Reasons for this include increased commercial activity in the development and supply of proprietary cultivars, and more specialisation in New Zealand's pastoral agriculture. In particular, pasture cultivars are increasingly marketed as proprietary products with associated technical support. This year there are 109 certified cultivars available, belonging to 23 grass, legume and herb species. As a result, farmers are now able to develop improved pasture feed supply, but they are somewhat confused about pasture species and cultivars, and this frustrates their aims to produce high quality animal products from productive pastures. Accordingly, the herbage seeds industry needs to work from a clear reference list, to avoid any confusion when supplying farmers and overseas clients with their seed requirements. Our list of pasture species, types and cultivars available within New Zealand aims to be that reference. Keywords: birdsfoot trefoil, brome grass, caucasian clover, chicory, clover, cocksfoot, cultivars, herbs, lotus, lucerne, pasture, phalaris, plantain, prairie grass, red clover, ryegrass, seeds, species, strawberry clover, sub clover, tall fescue, timothy, types, white clover, Yorkshire fog

Populations of white clover were collectedfrom north-facing and south-facing aspects of dry and wet hill country farms and compared in a uniform, spaced plant environment. Root systems were compared in another study where plants were grown in field tiles. These populations were also compared with the cultivars Grasslands Huia, Grasslands Tahora, and WhatawhataEarlyFlowering in both studies. The dry hill country populations as a group were more cyanogenic, larger-leaved, taller, and had larger tap-root diameters and different leaf mark characteristics, than the wet hill country populations. Tahora and Whatawhata Early Flowering both resembled the "dry" populations more than the "wet" populations, except that WhatawhataEarly Flowering hadahigherpercentage of plants flowering early than either collected population group. Huia was larger-leaved, more erect, and had thicker taproots than all other lines in the study. Within dry farms, populations from northfacing aspects had a higher percentage of full V leaf mark but a lower percentage of V point leaf mark than populations from south-facing aspects. Within wet farms, populations from south-facing aspects were more susceptible to stem nematode than populations from north-facing aspects. This study did not support the premise that early and profuse flowering is a feature of naturalised white clover populations in dryland areas. Populations from dry A90002Received 24 January 1990; accepted22 June 1990 farms were more upright and tap-rooted than populations from wet farms.

Percentage germination and germination rate (days to 75% germination) of 14 herbage cultivars from 5 legume species were assessed at constant temperatures of 5°, 10°, 15°, 20° and a fluctuating temperature of 5/1O°C. The percentage germination of white clover, red clover and lucerne was not affected by temperature. Germination of Woogenellup subterranean clover was reduced at 5"C, the germination of Mt Barker subterranean clover was reduced at 2O°C, and the germination of Maku lotus was reduced at 5°C and 5/10°C. Germination rates for all species slowed as temperatures moved away from the optimum, as did the number of days to the start of growth. The species order for germination rate was lucerne, white clover >subterranean clover > red clover >lotus at 10° and 5/1O°C, and subterranean clover (except cv. Woogenellup), white clover, lucerne>red clover>lotus at 5°C. Germination rates differed between subterranean clover cultivars, and also between individual seedlots of subterranean clover, red and white clover and lotus, particularly at 5°C. The implications of these results for pasture establishment are discussed. Keywords: germination rate, pasture establishment

Preliminary studies on the survival of legume seedlings exposed to slug attack were conducted in two box experiments. The first experiment investigated the effect of slugs and their control by molluscicide seedcoating on seedling survival in turf, and the second the survival of legume seedlings at several stages of growth when subjected to grazing by slugs. When slugs were present, less than 10% of oversown legumes survived at six weeks. Coating of seed with the molluscicide methiocarb greatly increased seedling survival. Seedlings in the early stages of development (germinating seed to cotyledon stage) were severely depleted. Once seedlings reached the 1-5 true-leaf stage there was little seedling mortality.

Seeds mixtures for New Zealand pastures developed from British practices with sowing of multi-species seeds mixtures during early years of settlement. Breeding and seed production of ryegrasses and clovers in the 1930s led to use of simple mixtures, still the most commonly used. Since the mid 197Os, new species have been released, and are now becoming more popular. Advantages and some potential problems of species mixtures are outlined, and simple concepts of compiling seeds mixtures are explained, with particular reference to seeding rate and sowing time. Keywords species, seeds mixtures, pasture renewal, sowing rates, seedling establishment, competition