Genetic resources in high‐rainfall hill pastures of New Zealand

Valuable genetic resources exist in established hill pastures which have undergone up to 100 years of natural selection for adaptation to the New Zealand climate, soils, and farm management. In this initial project perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne L.), browntop ( Agrostis tenuis Sibth.), and white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) were collected from 67 high‐rainfall, hill pasture sites for evaluation as potential breeding material. This paper describes the criteria adopted for these collections and the techniques used in the project.