Improving the adaptation of perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, phalaris, and cocksfoot for Australia

Abstract

The main perennial pasture grasses sown in Australia are perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), phalaris {Phalaris aquatica L), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.), and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.). The area of adaptation, and the longevity and yield of these species are likely to improve considerably over the next decade as a result of the activities within the Australian Grass Improvement Program. Recent use of summer-dormant cultivars of phalaris has proved successful and novel summer-dormant cultivars of perennial ryegrass and tall fescue will soon be released to commerce. Of these four naturalised species, all but tall fescue have been commonly sown by farmers in Australia for 60-130 years. However, only phalaris has been subjected to detailed and sustained research. Breeders have provided a range of phalaris cultivars for early to late-season environments with improved seedling vigour, winter growth, and reduced anti-quality factors. They have also addressed edaphic limitations. Programmes are now in place to improve the other species. This review outlines the aspects of that work directed at improved adaptation to the Australian environment. A limited range of genetic resources has entered evaluation-for all four species. For perennial ryegrass, the collection of local ecotypes is well advanced. Breeding is in progress for all except cocksfoot, and is coordinated within national programmes characterised by A96003 Received 15 January 1996; accepted 25 June 1996 nationwide progeny tests, and strategic support research. Significant efforts are being takenparticularly with perennial ryegrass-to strengthen new cultivars via selection for resistance to common pathogens. Progress in the development of biotechnological procedures is expected to facilitate further improvements to the adaptation of perennial grasses to adverse climates.

Use of Perennial Grass in Grazing Systems of Southern Australia to Adapt to a Changing Climate

“…Improved pastures were mainly sown in medium to high rainfall (>550 mm AAR) environments with high fertiliser and management inputs due to their lack of persistence in harsher environments. Among the four major improved temperate perennial grasses in Australia, perennial ryegrass is most widely sown in high rainfall (>650 mm AAR) and high fertility zones (Reed, 1996). Most Australian dairy farmers operate in more heavily (compared with sheep and beef) fertilised, high rainfall or irrigated areas and rely almost exclusively on perennial ryegrass.…”

“…While perennial ryegrass is highly valuable in establishment, production and feed quality for livestock, it is not generally considered a suitable plant for low rainfall environments in southern Australia. Indeed there are few cultivars of any temperate perennial grasses commercially available for farmers in temperate regions that receive <500 mm annual rainfall (Harris et al, 2008;Reed, 1996). Therefore, attempts have been made to introduce and incorporate genes from plants of low rainfall origin, such as the Mediterranean and North Africa.…”

“…The main perennial pasture grasses sown in southern Australia are perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), phalaris (Phalaris aquatica), tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceum syn. Lolium arundinaceum), and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) (Reed, 1996). These grasses differ in their requirements of rainfall, temperature and soil type and fertility for growth, therefore have a varying degree of adaptation in different regions.…”

Establecimiento y producción de raigrás y tréboles en dos regiones del trópico alto colombiano

“…Algunos autores mencionan que los raigrás se establecen en regiones con precipitación anual mayor a 550 mm (Cunningham et al, 1994), sin embargo, otros consideran que en localidades con precipitación menor a 650 mm, este forraje no presenta una buena respuesta productiva (Reed, 1996;Bernal, 1998). Además de requerimientos hídricos, la respuesta de los forrajes depende de las condiciones edáficas y la distribución de lluvias (Turner et al, 2012), por lo que, es de esperar que se deba evaluar la respuesta de estos en distintas condiciones agroecológicas, para poder generar recomendaciones apropiadas destinadas a los sistemas de producción bovina (DairyNZ, 2010).…”

Advances in the molecular breeding of forage crops for abiotic stress tolerance

“…By contrast, transgenic research in forages has been lagging behind that of major cash crops. Forage breeders have succeeded to some extent in producing stress-tolerant lines/cultivars of certain crops through conventional breeding (Ashraf 1990;Ashraf et al 1986;Carrow and Duncan 2003;Cattivelli et al 2008;Reed 1996;Zhou et al 2009). However, the magnitude of genetic variation in the gene pools of many important forage crops is low.…”