The challenges of developing resilient perennial pastures for a Mediterranean environment – a review for Western Australia
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-7-2021
Journal Title
Crop and Pasture Science
ISSN
Print: 1836-0947 Electronic: 1836-5795
Keywords
temperate grasses, subtropical grasses, saltland pastures, native pastures, tagasaste, kikuyu, lucerne, tedera, Western Australia, perennial pastures, farming systems
Disciplines
Agronomy and Crop Sciences
Abstract
Perennial pastures are the dominant feedbase in many regions of the world, and offer several advantages when compared with an annual pasture system. In Western Australia (WA) there has been a concerted effort over seven decades to develop new perennial pasture options and expand the adoption of suitable species. The agricultural region of WA (i.e. south-western Australia) is characterised by a Mediterranean climate where the 5–7 month summer drought has proved a considerable challenge with only a small number of the many promising species being adopted commercially. Research, development, and extension have covered a wide range of herbaceous perennial legumes, leguminous and native shrubs, herbs, and temperate and warm season grasses. This paper reviews the literature to determine whether a perennial pasture must satisfy the following criteria to be successful and widely adopted in south-western Australia: (i) sourced from a similar Mediterranean environment and adapted to the target soils; (ii) have a relative advantage over the annual-based system it replaces; (iii) a robust management package; and (iv) a viable seed supply. The findings of this review highlight that perennial pastures must indeed satisfy multiple criteria to be commercially successful. Notably, the requirement for the source of the germplasm to have a good match between climate and soils is less clear because some of the commercially successful species come from diverse environments. We conclude with some key learnings for future perennial pasture development as climate change intensifies the research challenge and the drive for producers to adapt.
Recommended Citation
Moore G. A., Sanford P., Dolling P. J., Real D. (2021) The challenges of developing resilient perennial pastures for a Mediterranean environment – a review for Western Australia. Crop and Pasture Science 72, 613-633. https://doi.org/10.1071/CP20304