Tall fescue improvement for winter growth, seedling vigour, and productivity 1996-1999

Summary

Limitations such as poor seedling vigour, poor winter production, and low palatability impede the use of tall fescue in Australia. Demeter and AY Triumph are presently the only two generally approved tall fescue cultivars in Australia. These two cultivars are both summer active grow in areas where the rainfall exceeds 600mm. although there are a number of other cultivars commercially available, they lack adaptation to Australian environments.

Australia's National Tall Fescue Breeding Program was initiated in 1989 and based at the Agriculture Victoria, pastoral and Veterinary Institute (PVI), Hamilton. This final report documents the successful achievement of the key milestone of the project all Fescue improvement for winter growth, seedling vigour and productivity (DAV.095) for the period, July 1996 to June 1999.