Identification of superior native and introduced grasses for low-input pastures in temperate Australia

Sanford, P.; Whalley, R. D. B.; Garden, D. L.; Norton, Melinda; Waters, Cathy; Smith, A. B.; Mitchell, Meredith; Kobelt, E.; Friend, D. A.; Hall, E.; Auricht, G. C.

doi:10.1071/rj05005

Cited by 18 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…A broad-scale evaluation trial was conducted for 3 years during the 1990s comparing the survival, recruitment and herbage mass production of 31 accessions of a range of species of native grasses at eight sites spread across temperate Australia (Garden et al 2005;Norton et al 2005;Sanford et al 2005;Waters et al 2005;Whalley et al 2005). Where multiple accessions of one species were compared, selected varieties of Rytidosperma caespitosum (Austrodanthonia caespitosa) and R. bipartitum (A. bipartita) sometimes outperformed their locally sourced progenitors in terms of herbage mass produced (Garden et al 2005;Waters et al 2005).…”

Section: Self-fertilisation and The Genesis Of Locally Adapted Genotypesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revegetation with Australian native grasses – a reassessment of the importance of using local provenances

Whalley¹,

Waters

2013

Rangel. J.

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Many restoration guidelines strongly recommend the use of local sources of seed in native plant revegetation projects. These recommendations are based on assumptions that the species used for revegetation are cross-pollinated and woody, as they were developed for overstorey vegetation from the northern hemisphere. Their validity is challenged with respect to replacing or enhancing the native Australian grass component of degraded ecosystems. First, far from being the dominant pollination mechanism, obligatory cross-pollination has not been recorded in any Australian native grasses except for a few dioecious species. Indeed, the common Australian native grasses so far studied have revealed complicated breeding systems that provide the evolutionary resilience necessary for coping with the variable Australian climate as well as with future climate change. It is suggested that a key feature of this flexibility is polyploidy and its implications for sourcing seed are discussed. Second, it is argued that the genetic dissimilarity among populations of a species is not proportional to the distance between them but is more related to the environmental stresses that have been placed on those populations in the past. This is illustrated by different scales of ecotypic variation that are often trait-dependent. Evidence for this can be found in several translocation experiments, where populations of native grasses from a great distance away survive and often perform better than local populations. It is concluded that there is little justification for the recommendation that only local sources of seed of Australian native grasses should be used for revegetation projects, and particularly in large-scale programs. Instead, it is argued that studies on Australian native grasses provide clear evidence that distinct adaptive advantages may be gained by sourcing non-local provenance seed, which is matched to the environment of the revegetation site, and which contains appropriate stress tolerance genes, or by mixing populations from several locations to increase the genetic diversity of seed sources. Some general guidelines are provided for deciding whether or not to use local provenances depending on the purpose of the revegetation, the degree of environmental modification of the site and the characteristics of the species of choice.

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Section: Self-fertilisation and The Genesis Of Locally Adapted Genotypesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revegetation with Australian native grasses – a reassessment of the importance of using local provenances

Whalley¹,

Waters

2013

Rangel. J.

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“…Across the globe, management practices that use species that are characterized by plasticity and low nutrient requirements are currently being evaluated for the restoration of prairies, and many aspects of the ecophysiology of T. triandra indicate that this may be a useful species for this purpose. In Australia in particular, T. triandra is receiving considerable interest from agronomists and breeders who are seeking germplasm that will retain the evolutionarily acquired ability to withstand occasional droughts and to grow in poor soils, and some promising accessions have been identified and tested for different environments to date (Lodge, ; Mitchell et al ., ; Sanford et al ., ).…”

Section: Role In Agronomy and Landscapingmentioning

confidence: 97%

A tropical grass resource for pasture improvement and landscape management: Themeda triandra Forssk

Dell’Acqua

Gomarasca

Porro

et al. 2012

Grass and Forage Science

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Themeda triandra Forssk. is one of the most widespread grasses in the dry to mesic prairie ecosystems of Africa, Asia and Australia. It is of particular interest due to its high value as a forage species for wildlife and livestock, and its potential use in landscaping practices. In this review we have collated information from the many studies that have been devoted to this species since the 1960s to provide information about the species' distribution, taxonomy, morphology, ploidy and reproduction, and to describe its vegetation and germination and their relationship with the most important ecological aspects of its preferred habitats. Agronomic aspects are considered in detail, with particular focus on the role of T. triandra as a forage species and the relative importance of grazing, fire and rainfall regimes for its management. We also explore how this species can help with the rehabilitation of degraded areas, soil and water conservation, countering exotic species invasion and landscaping in general. We conclude with a brief discussion of the as yet unresolved taxonomic relationship between the African species T. triandra and the Australian species Themeda australis.

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“…For Series 2, 3 and 4, relationships between seedling density, plant frequency and pasture DM were examined using x-y plots (Sanford et al 2005) with predicted means derived from the analysis of multiple experiments using the method of residual maximum likelihood (REML) in Genstat 20th Edition. Entries ranked in the top 10 are shown on the x-y plots as being to the right of, or above, the dotted lines.…”

Section: Statistical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Legume persistence for grasslands in tableland environments of south-eastern Australia

Hayes

Newell

Haling

et al. 2023

Crop & Pasture Science

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Context Improving the stability of legumes in grasslands in the face of variable seasonal conditions is key to mitigating risks posed by drought. Aims We assessed the persistence of a range of legume species and cultivars in order to inform legume choice for pasture improvement and identify priority species for further development. Methods Twenty field experiments in four series were conducted at sites with contrasting seasonal and soil characteristics in the ‘high-rainfall’ (560–920 mm long-term average) Tablelands and Monaro regions of New South Wales, Australia. Legumes were grown as pure swards and assessed periodically for seedling density, plant frequency and dry matter for up to 5 years. Key results Legume dry matter production was positively correlated with plant frequency. However, most legumes persisted poorly at most sites, particularly on soils of lower fertility. Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) cv. Goulburn was the best performing cultivar of that species across sites on the Southern Tablelands and Monaro. Yellow serradella (Ornithopus compressus) cvv. Avila and Yellotas showed promising persistence, particularly under drought conditions. White clover (T. repens) was the most broadly adapted of the perennial legumes across a range of soils, but persistence was still inadequate at many sites. Lucerne (Medicago sativa) was approximately twice as productive as the next-most productive species when soil conditions suited its growth, but it failed to persist on acidic, low-fertility soils. Conclusions Serradella species (yellow and French, O. sativus) and white clover, in conjunction with subterranean clover, offer the best near-term prospects for diversifying legume productivity and resilience under variable seasonal conditions in tableland environments. Implications An increased focus on phenology and seed characteristics is suggested to improve the persistence of annual and facultative perennial legume species in grasslands. Serradella and white clover are identified as the highest priorities for cultivar development for tableland environments of south-eastern Australia.

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Identification of superior native and introduced grasses for low-input pastures in temperate Australia

Cited by 18 publications

References 27 publications

Revegetation with Australian native grasses – a reassessment of the importance of using local provenances

Revegetation with Australian native grasses – a reassessment of the importance of using local provenances

A tropical grass resource for pasture improvement and landscape management: Themeda triandra Forssk

Legume persistence for grasslands in tableland environments of south-eastern Australia

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