The role of native grasses and legumes for land revegetation in central and eastern Australia with particular reference to low rainfall areas

Abstract

There is increasing interest in using native grasses and legumes in revegetation programs directed at pastoral, amenity and mining use. However, few native grasses and essentially no native legumes are available commercially. The developing Native Seed Industry is based largely on the use of locally harvested seed from wild stands, a situation likely to continue at least in the short to medium term, although improved cultivars being developed in a number of domestication programs are now reaching the early stage of commercialisation. The major factor limiting further expansion in the area sown to native grasses in Australia is the current fragmented state of the industry which is characterised by fickle demand for the often low and irregular supplies of seed of variable quality. Until stronger, more reliable markets develop, native species will continue to play a minor role in revegetation programs.