Novel Festuca arundinacea Shreb. and Dactylis glomerata L. germplasm to improve adaptation for marginal environments
C. A. Harris A D E , S. G. Clark B D , K. F. M. Reed B C D , Z. N. Nie B D and K. F. Smith B DA NSW Department of Primary Industries, Centre for Perennial Grazing Systems, PMB, Glen Innes, NSW 2370, Australia.
B Department of Primary Industries Victoria, Mt Napier Road, Hamilton, Vic. 3300, Australia.
C Present address: Reed Pasture Science, 430 Beveridge Road, Hamilton, Vic. 3300, Australia.
D Cooperative Research Centre for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: carol.harris@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48(4) 436-448 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA07107
Submitted: 23 April 2007 Accepted: 15 October 2007 Published: 7 March 2008
Abstract
Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Lolium arundinceum Schreb., S.J. Darbyshire) and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) were identified for improvement for low to medium rainfall (400–700 mm) environments where persistence of common cultivars has been unreliable. Over 200 accessions and experimental varieties of tall fescue and cocksfoot sourced from the Mediterranean basin were screened over 2 years at sites on the North-West Slopes of NSW and on the Central Highlands of Victoria, respectively. These were compared with some locally naturalised plants and most of the cultivars available in Australasia as well as cultivars developed for warm temperate and Mediterranean climates in Italy, France, Uruguay and the USA. To date, the screened accessions and experimental varieties have exhibited varying degrees of summer activity and other attributes of commercial value.
Six tall fescue accessions were selected for development of synthetic varieties. These included three Sardinian accessions that after 2 years had superior persistence to cv. Demeter and recorded the highest yield scores, the mean of which exceeded that of the best performing cultivars by 34% and that of Demeter by 64%. A further three select North African accessions of tall fescue had similar yield ratings to Demeter and that of the best performing winter-active, summer-dormant cultivars.
After 2 years, four Mediterranean accessions of cocksfoot were selected. These had recorded the highest yield scores, the mean of which was 34% greater than that recorded for the highest yielding cultivars and 40% greater than cv. Currie, compared with which these accessions were densely tillered and fine-leafed. The four select Mediterranean cocksfoot accessions exhibited 100% persistence; the persistence of the cultivars ranged from 31–97%.
Select plants of the best performing accessions were subsequently removed from the field sites and transferred to pollen-proof glasshouse chambers for synthesis of experimental varieties. The endophyte-free tall fescue synthetics were based on Sardinian accessions selected for year round production and persistence or North African accessions that had similar yield to Demeter but with improved winter production and some summer activity. The cocksfoot synthetics were based on select plants of accessions from North Africa and included both D. glomerata and D. glomerata ssp. glomerata × spp. hispanica hybrids exhibiting persistence, dense tillering and seasonal productivity.
Acknowledgements
Financial support was provided by Meat & Livestock Australia. The skilful technical assistance of John Delaney and Len Doust at Glen Innes and, Bronwen Clark, Jamie Smith, Heather Ryan, Fiona Cameron, and Bryce Eagleson at Hamilton is acknowledged. The authors appreciate the assistance of Gavin Kearney with trial design and data analysis, Doug Crawford, Austin Brown (DPI Victoria, Weribee), Bob McGufficke and Lester McCormick (NSW DPI) with site selection, and Richard Culvenor, Rex Oram and Mark Norton for technical guidance.
We thank Eric Hall of the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research, Drs E. Piano and L. Pecceti of the Institute for the Experimental Culture of Forages Italy, Dr Florence Volaire, the French INRA Institute, and Dr Jamie Garcia, Institute for National Agricultural Research in Uruguay, for contributing tall fescue and cocksfoot cultivars/experimental varieties and accessions. Lastly, the authors acknowledge the landholders and managers who provided access to their land – thanks to Bruce McNeil (Barraba), Greg Stevens (Inverell), Alan Weir (Bealiba) and Mark McKew (Warrak).
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