Peck, Gavin, Hall, Trevor, Johnson, Brian, Buck, Stuart, O'Reagain, Joe, Whish, Giselle, Kedzlie, Graham, Newman, Louise, O'Connor, Rod, and Taylor, Bradley (2017) Improving productivity of rundown sown grass pastures. Volume 3: Persistence and comparative productivity of legumes in sown grass pastures. Report. Meat and Livestock Australia Limited, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

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Abstract

Pasture legumes have been identified as the best long-term option to increase the productivity and returns from both rundown sown grass pastures and native pastures through their ability to biologically fix atmospheric nitrogen (Peck et al., 2011; Ash et al., 2015). Nitrogen fixation by legumes results in a higher quality diet for livestock for a longer period of the year than grass-only pastures; and additional nitrogen cycling to companion grasses leads to better grass growth and quality. Despite legumes being identified as the best long term option to improve productivity of sown grass pastures, they are not commonly used successfully by industry in the Brigalow Belt bio-region.

Desmanthus and Caatinga stylo are species of legumes that performed well in evaluation trials on clay soils and were released to industry in 1995 and 1997 respectively. These two newer legumes offer potential to extend the range of land types and climates that it is possible to establish productive legume infused sown pastures. Despite their good results in evaluation trials, commercial results for desmanthus and Caatinga stylo have been mixed with a few notable successes but mainly failures. Graziers and seed companies have questioned whether desmanthus and Caatinga stylo are well enough adapted to be persistent and productive. If these two legumes are not good enough to be commercially successful, there is a large area of productive grazing lands that does not have a well-adapted range of legume varieties.

This component of the overall project aimed to determine whether desmanthus and Caatinga stylo can be persistent and productive enough with sown grass pastures under grazing in the Brigalow Belt bio-region to warrant further research, development and extension (R, D&E) investment to address technical issues on how to more reliably and productively grow them. Alternatively, if they are not adequately productive, industry may be better served by R&D focusing on releasing better varieties or investing in other aspects of animal nutrition.

The activities included in this component of the project were: - Legume persistence at old trial sites. Forty four old pasture trials (>10 years since sowing) were inspected to see which legumes were persisting.

- New legume persistence trials. Four new trial sites were established.

- Four legume productivity trials. Legume dry matter production was measured at four sites from the 44 sites inspected for legume persistence.

- Two old grazing trials were re-measured for legume and cattle productivity. Co-located with these trials were trials on grazing management for persistence.

- Two phosphorus fertiliser trials to test Caatinga stylo and desmanthus response to applied phosphorus (P).

Item ID:	82848
Item Type:	Report (Report)
Keywords:	Sown pastures, rundown, brigalow belt, buffel grass, legumes, productivity decline, legume pastures
Copyright Information:	Reproduction in whole or in part of this publication is prohibited without prior written consent of MLA.
Funders:	Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA)
Date Deposited:	17 Jul 2024 23:36
FoR Codes:	30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3004 Crop and pasture production > 300403 Agronomy @ 50% 30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3004 Crop and pasture production > 300405 Crop and pasture biomass and bioproducts @ 50%
SEO Codes:	10 ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 1005 Pasture, browse and fodder crops > 100505 Sown pastures (excl. lucerne) @ 100%
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