Genetic resources of temperate native and low‐input grasses in New Zealand and Australian collections

Abstract

Genebank holdings of seed of the temperate native grasses of New Zealand and Australia are very small. For example, seed of only 10 of the 160 grass species native to New Zealand is held in the Margot Forde Forage Germplasm Centre. The Australian situation is only slightly better. Introductions of temperate grasses other than Lolium perenne, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca arundinacea, and Phalaris aquatica into Australia and New Zealand have included over 400 species but, on average, fewer than 10 samples per species. Very few introduced grass species have therefore been adequately sampled for the full range of genetic diversity within the species. This paper lists the accessions of grasses into genebanks in Australia and New Zealand and discusses the strengths and limitations of the collections.

Key words:

• plant genetic resources
• germplasm
• native grasses
• low‐input grasses
• grasses