Performance of native and introduced grasses for low-input pastures. 2. Herbage production

Abstract

A total of 62 perennial grasses were evaluated for herbage production under low-fertiliser conditions at eight sites in the temperate zone of southern Australia from 1999 to 2001. A brief assessment of relative preference ranking by sheep was also made at the end of the experimental period. Four sites were in the high rainfall areas of south-east Australia, two in the drier mixed farming areas of western NSW, and two sites in Mediterranean southern Australia. Seven standard cultivars were included in the comparisons. Plants were grown from seed in glasshouses and transplanted to the field as spaced plants at 6–8 weeks age. Plants were harvested at irregular intervals by clipping to determine herbage production. Relative preference was determined by enclosing sheep in the experimental area at high stocking rates and estimating the amount of herbage grazed after 1, 3 and 5 days. Herbage production data were analysed using a multi-environment trial approach in which the environments comprised all combinations of sites and sampling times over the 3-year period. Overall, 73.6% of the total genetic variation for herbage production was accounted for. Average seasonal comparisons revealed good herbage production from Eragrostis curvula cv. Consol in both winter and summer, but in spring, several Dactylis glomerata lines were the most productive. Consol was not generally preferred by sheep, while D. glomerata lines were. Apart from cv. Consol, C4 species, including Bothriochloa macra, Chloris truncata, Enteropogon acicularis and Dichanthium sericeum had low herbage production in winter and spring, and had low acceptability to grazing sheep. These particular grasses were also not highly ranked for production in summer, although other C4 lines, notably selections of Themeda australis, Paspalidium jubiflorum and P. constrictum were. Few native C3 grasses had superior herbage production, although selections of Elymus scaber, Austrodanthonia fulva and A. duttoniana showed good growth rates. When considering further evaluation, grasses with very high recruitment (e.g. A. caespitosa) may need to be included, and the acceptability of grasses to sheep should also be assessed.

Differential growth response of Rytidosperma species (wallaby grass) to phosphorus application and its implications for grassland management

“…However, R. fulvum was collected from Wyreela near Dalgety, NSW (36°28′S, 148°51′E), and R. richardsonii was obtained from a commercial source (NSW Department of Primary Industries). These two Rytidosperma species were included as there was some information regarding their growth responses to applied nutrients (Bolger and Garden, ; Garden et al ., ; Hill et al ., ; Waters et al ., ). Bromus hordeaceus L. (synon.…”

Field evaluation of perennial grasses and herbs in southern Australia. 1. Establishment and herbage production

“…Comparative studies of native and introduced grasses have sometimes been based on transplants rather than direct-sown seed (e.g. Mitchell et al 2001;Garden et al 2005). As long recognised (Breakwell 1915), considerable change to the quality of seed of some native grasses is needed to make them reliable for rapid establishment.…”

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

“…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). In addition, the survival and recruitment of an accession of Microlaena stipoides, collected in Tasmania, was outperformed at most sites, including one in Tasmania, by accessions collected on the northern and southern tablelands of New South Wales (Garden et al 2005;Waters 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). In addition, the survival and recruitment of an accession of Microlaena stipoides, collected in Tasmania, was outperformed at most sites, including one in Tasmania, by accessions collected on the northern and southern tablelands of New South Wales (Garden et al 2005;Waters et al 2005). In general terms, the performance of individual accessions at particular sites could be predicted by comparing the environments of the sites in which they were collected with those of the sites in which they were tested.…”