D.F. CAMERON

CSIRO Tropical Agriculture, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia

Abstract

The contribution of breeding to cultivar development for northern Australia has increased since 1980 with 11 bred cultivars included among 47 released forage cultivars. Breeding has been successful in improving disease and pest resistance, yield and characters associated with production and persistence, seed production and frost tolerance. The continuing need for germplasm resources as a basis for future breeding is emphasised for those grass and legume species which are most critical for northern Australian sown pastures.