Evaluation of native and introduced grasses for low-input pastures in temperate Australia: rationale and scope

The historical approach to pasture improvement in the high rainfall zone of temperate Australia has been to add introduced herbaceous legumes and to replace perennial native grasses with introduced species requiring high inputs of fertiliser for maintenance. The application of this high-input approach on land with low capability has lead to the loss of perennial grasses, erosion, soil acidification and increasing salinity on the lower slopes. This model of pasture improvement has not been successful on the margins of the wheat belt and in semi-arid regions. The Native and Low-input Grasses Network (NLIGN) was established in 1996 to coordinate research on grasses suitable for land with low capability and for semi-arid regions. The NLIGN multi-site evaluation project was initiated to test promising lines (accessions) of native and introduced grasses for low-input pastures at eight sites across southern Australia. The broad objective of the project was to identify native and/or introduced perennial grass lines that had possible commercial potential for low-input pastures. This objective was achieved in an initial 3-year evaluation phase, which began in 1998 and tested lines for persistence, production and palatability.