Trangie wallaby grass [Austrodanthonia caespitosa (Gaudich.) H.P. Linder]
C. Waters A E , B. Dear B D , B. Hackney B D , P. Jessop C D and G. Melville AA Agricultural Research Centre, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Trangie, NSW 2823, Australia.
B EH Graham Centre (NSW Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University), Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, PMB, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia.
C NSW Department of Primary Industries, Dareton, NSW 2717, Australia.
D Cooperative Research Centre for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: cathy.waters@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48(4) 575-577 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA07151
Submitted: 27 May 2007 Accepted: 12 October 2007 Published: 7 March 2008
Abstract
Trangie wallaby grass, Austrodanthonia caespitosa (Dc1), is a composite of wild ecotypes collected from western New South Wales. A. caespitosa is a widespread native grass adapted to a broad range of environmental conditions but is particularly suited to low rainfall (300–450 mm) areas of south-eastern Australia. In this region, this cultivar has a demonstrated superior persistence to its close relative A. richardsonii (Cashmore) H.P. Linder cv. Taranna and the widely used pasture species, phalaris (Phalaris aquatica cv. Sirolan) and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata cv. Currie). This superior persistence was apparent in its ability to recruit new seedlings, even under summer drought conditions. Trangie wallaby grass was maintained under seed increase for 5 years at Trangie Agricultural Research Centre and subsequently at Dareton Agricultural and Advisory Station for 3 years.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity. The authors thank Mr R. Hayes for assistance with sowing and maintaining the Barmedman, NSW field site.
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1 Based on one plant/m2.
