Improved pasture performance

The goal of this project is to provide farmers and the plant breeding community with:

Improved knowledge of the level of persistency of both sown species and traits, and management practices to maximise persistency
Data that explain the link between plant characteristics and persistency in different physical and management environments
Methods to assess sown species and trait persistency. Seed companies and plant breeders will be able to adopt these methods in their own screening programmes to: identify existing and pipeline cultivars with superior persistency; and screen their plant genetic resources, either physically or through gene marker / genomic approaches, to identify germplasm with superior persistence.

Ultimately this will lead to selection and breeding of more persistent pasture plants and greater capture on-farm of the benefits of plant breeding for productivity traits. Achieving a minimum of 10 years persistency of perennial species is the aspirational target.

Expected outcomes of this project

Benefit

Farmers and their advisors will have a clearer understanding of the scientific basis of pasture persistence, placing them in a better position to make decisions about cultivar selection and pasture management.

By adapting their pasture and grazing management on the basis of this knowledge, farmers will be better able to extend the life of newly-sown pastures, realise a greater return on their investment in pasture renovation, and improve their profitability.

Through incorporation of this knowledge in plant breeding programmes, new pasture cultivars will remain productive for longer periods than is currently the case, lifting farm productivity.

Through the application of these tools in plant breeding and pasture renovation programmes, farmers will have greater confidence to invest in pasture renovation and will see pasture improvement as a key path to higher profitability.