Larger tuber size improves Microseris walteri (Murnong; Yam Daisy) transplant success

• Main Author: Roberts, Eilish
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Microseris walteri; murnong; yam daisy; translocation; First Nations
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11343/291498

© 2021 Eilish Roberts Since European settlement, the vast majority of Natural Temperate Grassland in south-eastern Australia has been destroyed or drastically altered. Microseris walteri, also known as Yam Daisy or Murnong, is one of many grassland species that has experienced considerable losses. M. walteri is known for its small, sweet-tasting tubers that were once a staple food source for many First Nations people. Successfully reintroducing Murnong populations into grasslands has proven very difficult. Here we investigated whether tuber size impacts translocation success. Microseris walteri plants with larger tubers (4.5 - 14.2 g) had significantly higher survival rates relative to medium (2.1 - 3.4 g) and small tubers (0.4 - 1.6 g). Additionally, tuber size was found to be positively correlated with the plants’ total leaf number, as well as the length of the longest leaf. Reintroduction by sowing seed was found to be ineffective. Together these results indicate that future Yam Daisy reintroductions should focus on transplanting plants with a greater tuber mass for a better chance of reintroduction success. Future research is required to better understand how to influence plants to grow larger Murnong tubers in a production system.