Seed production projects aim to develop and improve pasture species for the northern grazing industry.
A selection of three seed production research projects conducted between 2007 and 2019 are summarised below:
- Australian Pastures Genebank Germplasm Restoration
- Evaluating promising stylo lines for southern Queensland
- Seed production R&D
Australian Pastures Genebank Germplasm Restoration
The Australian Pastures Genebank Germplasm Restoration project aims to grow out and characterise material in the Australian Tropical Forages Collection to support the development of new pasture varieties. The Australian Tropical Forages Collection is the key resource for the development of new tropical beef and dairy forages. Regeneration and description (characterisation) of the collection material is required to develop new varieties to improve the feedbase for beef and dairy systems in Queensland and to honour Australia’s commitments under international genetics treaties. Growout and characterisation of priority (beef and dairy feedbase) material will be conducted at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Walkamin Research Station over four years and the material and information made publicly available to support cultivar development.
When: 1 October 2014 to 30 June 2018
Where: Walkamin, Queensland
Contact: Kendrick Cox E: kendrick.cox@dpi.qld.gov.au
Evaluating promising stylo lines for southern Queensland
Evaluating promising stylo lines for southern Queensland aims to assess whether promising stylo lines found persisting on old trials sites are worth commercialising, and involves characterising material collected from old plant evaluation sites and generating seed for plant evaluation over the next few years.
When: 1 September 2012 to 31 March 2019
Where: Toowoomba, Queensland
Contact: Gavin Peck E: gavin.peck@dpi.qld.gov.au
Seed production R&D
Seed production R&D is developing foundation seed of new and elite grasses and legumes and seed crop agronomy techniques to facilitate pasture plant evaluation and the commercial adoption of new varieties of pasture plants by the grazing and seed-cropping industries. This project also ensures continued availability of older, high performing varieties (public and PBR) through maintaining foundation seed stocks and regenerating compromised varieties.
When: 30 November 2007 to 30 June 2019
Where: Mareeba, Queensland
Contact: Kendrick Cox E: kendrick.cox@dpi.qld.gov.au
Collaborators
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, James Cook University, CSIRO, Native Seeds Pty Ltd and Queensland seed companies
RD&E objectives
Enterprise viability: Increasing cost efficiency and productivity and profitability; Enterprise sustainability: Increasing natural resource use efficiency and managed environmental impacts; Enhancing product quality and acceptability
Industry priorities
Grazing land management; Nutrition and growth
