ACCURATE identification is the first step towards improving native grass populations in pastures, according to native grass expert Millie Nicholls, Brinkworth.
Ms Nicholls helped Barossa graziers develop their identification skills at a field day in Keyneton last month, visiting properties affected by the damaging Eden Valley fires.
She said the field day was timed to make it easy to spot the often elusive native grass species.
"It's easy to tell the native grasses in those areas from the non-natives in that most of the non-natives are annual grasses, and most of the natives are perennials," Ms Nicholls said.
"Most of the year, to the average person, the native grasses probably look fairly similar. Now is the best time because grasses are out in head and easy to identify.
"Improving pastures is a matter of farmers learning which native grasses they've got - because some grow in summer and some grow in winter - and then monitoring those plants and then giving them the best chance to do their thing and grow."
The 26 graziers, stakeholders and natural resource officers attending the field day visited two local grazing properties.
Ms Nicholls was pleased to find wallaby and spear grass species in good numbers.
"There was good grass diversity, but the things that are missing are the herbs and the forbs - the small native broadleaf plants," she said.
"In a good-quality native grassland there're lots of native broadleaf plants as well as grasses, but they're mostly missing from those areas. There're some there but not a lot."
Diversity in pastures meant sheep and cattle could consume a more complete diet, often resulting in improved growth rates.
"The more diversity you have, the better your animals will do," she said.
* Full report in Stock Journal, November 20, 2014 issue.