Irene is an extremely drought tolerant sweet grass with a wide range of adaptability to climate and soil. Singularly its most valuable attribute is that it can be fogged so successfully with even the frosted material being palatable and nutritious.

All genotypes of D. eriantha are tolerant of heavy grazing. Regular grazing is necessary to maintain quality and to minimize disease incidence. Probably best if the grass is maintained between 10-15 and 30-40 cm, although this may not be feasible under sheep grazing. Ideally, it should be grazed every 2-3 weeks.