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Molecular Breeding of Forage Crops pp 303–316Cite as

Progress and Challenges: Forage Breeding in Temperate Australia

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Part of the book series: Developments in Plant Breeding ((DIPB,volume 10))

Abstract

Australia has approximately 2.5 M ha of high quality perennial pasture. Agriculture has however, also developed in many relatively dry regions characterised by a short growing season, and infertile, acid soil. Australia’s improved pasture includes introduced species not previously cultivated elsewhere (e.g. phalaris (Phalaris aquatica), tall wheatgrass (Thinopyron ponticum), barrel medic (Medicago truncatula), strand medic (M. littoralis), subterranean/sub clover (Trifolium subterraneum), michel ‘s/balansa clover (T. michelianum) and yellow Serradella (Ornithopus compressus). Common varieties selected from naturalised species, or developed from accessions collected from the Mediterranean basin, have gradually been replaced by cultivars representing a range of maturity times, bred in the target environment using phenotypic selection and multi-site progeny testing. Over the last forty years the zone of adaptation of pasture species has greatly expanded.

Achievements include expanding the zone of adaptation by providing a range of maturity — e.g. some subterranean clover cultivars flower up to two months later than the earliest cultivar; barrel medic cultivars vary by 3 weeks. Further achievements include seedling vigour, cool season vigour, drought tolerance and yield. In addition, the domestication of annual legumes has involved selection for hard seededness for regions with short growing seasons where cropping phases rotate with pasture. The successful domestication of phalaris involved a mutation for complete seed retention and reduction of alkaloid concentrations. Selection for low oestrogenicity has been important in sub and red clover (Trifolium pratense). Disease screening has made legumes resistant to root pathogens and foliar diseases including viruses. Modern lucerne and medic cultivars are resistant to several aphid species; some resist stem nematode. Edaphic limitations have been overcome by selecting for waterlogging resistance and tolerance to high levels of exchangeable aluminium in acid soils.

Challenges yet to be overcome include resistance to many grassland pests including molluscs, mites, Collembola and other insects including Coleoptera, Orthoptera and Lepidoptera. Root rot and virus diseases remain serious problems with legumes. With several important forage species, elimination of toxins, persistence on acid and infertile soils — e.g. low Mo/high Mn; ability to absorb Zn at high pH — are required. We need to slow the rate of breakdown of hardseededness in some annual legumes. Susceptibility to herbicide residues and leaching of nutrients from mature herbage represent serious economic losses. Molecular markers are needed for seed retention, root architecture and Al tolerance. Possibilities for molecular breeding include the introduction of genes for drought tolerance, disease resistance, Al tolerance, increased acquisition of P from less soluble sources, increased soluble carbohydrate content and bloat-safe legumes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agriculture Victoria, Pastoral and Veterinary Institute, Cooperative Research Centre Molecular Plant Breeding, PB 105, Hamilton, Victoria, Australia

    K. F. M. Reed, Z. Jahufer & K. Smith

  2. Plant Industry Division, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT, Australia

    R. Culvenor

  3. Agriculture Western Australia, South Perth, Western Australia

    P. Nichols

  4. New South Wales Agriculture, Tamworth Centre for Crop Improvement, Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia

    R. Williams

Authors
  1. K. F. M. Reed
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  2. R. Culvenor
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  3. Z. Jahufer
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  4. P. Nichols
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  5. K. Smith
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  6. R. Williams
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Biotechnology Centre, Agriculture Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

    German Spangenberg

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© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Reed, K.F.M., Culvenor, R., Jahufer, Z., Nichols, P., Smith, K., Williams, R. (2001). Progress and Challenges: Forage Breeding in Temperate Australia . In: Spangenberg, G. (eds) Molecular Breeding of Forage Crops. Developments in Plant Breeding, vol 10. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9700-5_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9700-5_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5676-4

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