AUSTRALIAN NATIVE GRASSES – WHY? HOW?
Having been adapted to life under Australian conditions with shallow, acidic and infertile soils together with surviving low rainfall and frequent droughts makes Australian native grasses valuable under a range of applications. Applications include revegetation on degraded sites, amenity and passive recreation areas with low maintenance requirements, horticultural applications under vines and for grazing under low fertility conditions.
Seed production has been limited by the ‘wild’ nature of the seedhead and seed of many grasses that make harvesting difficult and low yielding, as well as by the paucity of good quality remnants from which seed can be harvested. Production efforts are now being based around cropping of these grasses using adaptations of normal commercial seed production procedures. The seed industry is still in its infant stages and faces numerous technical challenges, but is developing steadily.