Pasture Seeds

While more than 55% of Australia’s land is used for agriculture, much of it is fragile, low-rainfall country that requires careful management to remain productive and resilient.

High-quality pasture seeds—especially for certified temperate species—are crucial for improving forage nutritional value, which directly boosts livestock growth, reproductive performance, wool and milk production, and overall farm profitability.

Beyond livestock productivity, quality pasture species support soil health, ground cover and erosion control, helping manage climate variability and land degradation.

AgriFutures focuses on pasture seeds because they underpin the productivity and sustainability of Australia’s agricultural landscape. The AgriFutures Pasture Seeds Program actively invests in research, development and extension (RD&E) to improve pasture seed production efficiencies and long-term sustainability in the face of environmental and economic pressures.

The AgriFutures Pasture Seeds Program concentrates on certified temperate pasture seed species that are vital to livestock and fodder systems in Australia. These include lucerne (Medicago sativa), sub-clover (Trifolium subterraneum) and various other clover, medic and serradella species.

The AgriFutures Pasture Seeds Program RD&E Plan (2023-2028) also lists the leviable certified species (i.e., pasture seed species covered by the levy which funds RD&E), including:

• Lucerne (Medicago sativa)
• Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum)
• White, red, strawberry, balansa, berseem, Persian, arrowleaf and rose clovers
• Barrel, burr, disc, gama, murex, snail, sphere and strand medics
• Yellow serradella (Ornithopus compressus).

Collaboration is built into how the Program sets priorities, invests levy funds and shares outcomes. The RD&E priorities outlined in the AgriFutures Pasture Seeds Program RD&E Plan 2023-2028 are shaped through extensive consultation with pasture seed stakeholders, using surveys, scenario planning and draft reviews.

AgriFutures collaborates with other rural RDCs (such as the Grains Research and Development Corporation and Meat & Livestock Australia) seed processing/distribution companies, researchers, growers, agronomy advisors, state and national industry representative groups, and the AgriFutures Pasture Seeds Advisory Panel.

The Pasture Seeds Advisory Panel is composed of industry experts, growers and scientists, and helps identify research needs, inform investment decisions and guide RD&E activities to ensure research is practical, industry-relevant and adopted on-farm.

A great starting point is to read the AgriFutures Pasture Seeds Program RD&E Plan 2023-2028 to understand the Program goal, priorities and what kinds of RD&E activities are funded. We also recommend learning about the AgriFutures Pasture Seeds Advisory Panel.

For ongoing updates, Program updates and project outcomes are shared on the AgriFutures website, social media platforms and other official communications channels, with regular industry updates also sent via an opt-in AgriFutures Pasture Seeds Program email subscription list.