Temperate native Australian grass improvement by selection

Abstract

Abstract This review examines the history of native grass domestication in Australia, the features of the major genera being studied, selection procedures and criteria used, and the current status of native grass improvement programmes. Although domestication of native Australian grasses has been proposed since the early 1920s, it is only in recent times that selection programmes have led to the registration of six cultivars within the genera Danthonia and Microlaena under Plant Breeders Rights legislation. Advanced selections have also been made in Themeda, Astrebla, Bothriochloa, and additional genotypes of Microlaena; a further 18 native grass species are being evaluated in different improvement programmes. All of these grasses have been selected for agricultural, land reclamation, revegetation, amenity, or turfgrass applications. Many of the selection programmes also involve associated research into aspects such as establishment, management, and herbicide sensitivity. Both commercialisation and large‐scale seed production of native grasses are in their initial phases and their success will determine the availability of seed in marketable quantities at competitive prices.