Conference 2003
Greening the City:
Bringing Biodiversity Back
into the Urban Environment
Abstract:
The
Potential for Domestication and Seed Propagation of Native New Zealand
Grasses for Turf
Alan Stewart (PGG Seeds, Christchurch)
Although native grasses
are now used widely in landscaping and gardens these are all vegetatively
propagated and no native species are available as seed in anything
more than a few grams. Yet each year in New Zealand over 10,000
tonne of grass seed is sown of species originating elsewhere. Few
countries in the world have such an overwhelming imbalance of introduced
species versus natives.
This raises the question
as to why don't we use seed of native grass species? Surely some
of our native grass species have potential to be harvested and used
outside gardens. If we could domesticate seed of even one species
for revegetation, turf or pasture use it could be a breakthrough.
This paper discusses
the issues and difficulties involved in domesticating our native
grass species as well as progress towards that goal.
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