XXI International Grassland Congress and VIII International Rangeland Congress

Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China

29th June – 5th July, 2008

Summary

This joint International Grassland and International Rangeland Congress was seen as a way of strengthening the ties between the two congress organisations through their common interests in the many production, management, environmental and social issues affecting grasslands and rangelands. The title of the congress, Multifunctional Grasslands in a Changing World, emphasised the diversity of roles grasslands play, including food and fibre production, natural resource protection and people's livelihood, in a world facing climate change and increasing demands for food, energy and other resources. The location of the congress in Hohhot, in the province of Inner Mongolia in north-western China, recognised the importance of grasslands to the social, cultural and economic development of this part of China.

The congress brought together over 1,200 delegates from over 70 countries, and over the seven days of the congress, over 1,700 papers were presented either orally or as posters on topics ranging from the bio-physical sciences and the environmental sciences, to the social sciences and policy development. Tours associated with the congress gave delegates the opportunity to see grasslands and other agricultural regions of China and Mongolia, and to discuss management practices and other issues associated with their management. A third of the congress sessions were devoted to the social sciences, which acknowledged the fact that people are integral to any consideration of the future of grasslands, and that scientists and policy makers need to consider the social, economic and political implications of recommendations and decisions concerning the management of grasslands.

For me, the congress provided a unique opportunity to see and learn about the vast grasslands of China and Mongolia: in particular, the problems associated with their over-exploitation and the needs of the herders for economic development. Papers on plant improvement, and on grazing systems were particularly relevant to my research interests.

Collection missions are still an important means of sourcing new plant material for pastures, and germplasm collections around the world now contain an enormous amount of material which is available for exchange internationally. Domestication of native plants continues to be important in many countries, including USA, Canada, Russia, China and Mongolia. The greatest need is for plants adapted to drought and saline and acid soils, which are increasing problems not only in Australia, but elsewhere in the world. Physiological and molecular genetic studies are now being used in plant improvement programs around the world, and could aid plant breeders in Australia. My poster on domestication of native grasses in Tasmania was viewed by many delegates attending the sessions on plant improvement and generated useful discussions.

New developments in grazing systems that I found most interesting included: the role that secondary plant products play in regulating diet selection, feed intake and gut health of grazing animals, and the potential of plants with these bioactiveeport compounds for use in grazing systems; the importance of mycorrhizal associations of plants in their adaptations to adverse soil conditions, and the need for research to look at ways these associations could be manipulated; increasing the productivity and sustainability of degraded native grassland containing summer-growing (C4) grasses by intercropping with winter cereals; and the application of new technologies in extensive pastoral systems to better manage rangeland resources by monitoring animal performance and matching forage growth with demand. I am grateful to the Grassland Society of Southern Australia for financial support to attend the congress.