Climatic range and condition of pasture grasses and legumes world-wide – IGC 2013 survey

Summary

Grassland and agricultural ecosystems cover large areas of Australia and the globe, providing livelihoods and food for millions of people world-wide. It is anticipated that the world population will continue to increase. This increase and the shift in diet to more animal derived foods will increase the pressure on our pasture/grassland systems. The 22nd International Grasslands Congress was held in Sydney in 2013.
 
This meeting of the world's grassland and pasture scientists provided an opportunity to survey delegates to determine the current productivity of the world's largest and most productive pastures/grasslands. The objective of this MLA funded project was to develop the survey. In September 2013 a link to the survey in SurveyMonkey, consisting of five questions, was distributed to congress delegates by email. Two hundred and sixty responses were received, and data checking and validation have commenced. The information in this survey will be useful for scientists to identify species successes and failures, foreshadow adaptation issues and establish international partnerships, which in turn will benefit Australian red meat producers.