A REVIEW OF THE INTRODUCTION AND USE OF WHITE CLOVER (TRIFOLIUM-REPENS L.) IN AUSTRALIA - SIGNIFICANCE FOR BREEDING OBJECTIVES

White clover was introduced to Australia with the early European settl ers in the late 18th century and is now the most valuable pasture legu me in high rainfall temperate regions of Australia. Through a process of ingress and naturalising in conjunction with pastoral expansion dur ing the 19th century and widespread pasture improvement in the 20th ce ntury, white clover now occupies 6 million hectares in Australia and i s of major significance for the sheep, cattle and dairy industries. Th is paper describes these historical influences on formation of the whi te clover zone in Australia and the continuing requirement for better adapted cultivars in key agro-geographic regions, with particular clos e reference to the northern tablelands of New South Wales-the most ext ensive dryland region. These considerations provide a basis for defini ng breeding objectives for white clover improvement in Australia.