Gardiner, C., Kempe, N., and O'Reagain, J. (2025) Multipurpose shrub and tree legumes for Northern Australian rangelands. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Rangeland Congress. pp. 1758-1762. From: XII International Rangeland Congress, 2-6 June 2025, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

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Abstract

The vast open rangelands of Australia’s Mitchell Grass Downs Bioregion are a significant producer of livestock. With changing climate and social licence regarding animal production, health and welfare, multipurpose shrub and tree legumes may play a role in providing many ecosystem services such as: drought fodder, shade, shelter, N fixation, Carbon sequestration, biodiversity and novel compounds that may have useful phenolic and or antioxidant properties. As part of CRC P 58599 project “Legumes for the north” the seeds of a range of native and exotic shrub and tree legumes where sourced from across North Queensland, grown as tube stock and then transplanted at sites across the region to evaluate the adaptability of the species to the region. The mix of species included fast and slow growing, long lived and short-lived perennials including Acacia auriculiformis, A.holosericea, Adenanthera pavonina, Albizia lebbeck, Bauhinia hookeri Cajanus cajun, Gliricidia sepium, Peltophorum pterocarpum, Pongama pinnata, Sesbania sesban, Vachellia sutherlandii. Most of these species were planted at each site in the region on vertosol soils in semiarid locations with AAR from 400mm to 580mm and at least initially watered by artisan bore water until well established. After three years of growth, our initial observation on the trees establishment phase and persistence indicates that several species across the sites show agronomic promise including but not only: the Acacia species, Albizia lebbeck, Bauhinia hookeri, Gliricidia sepium, Peltophorum pterocarpum and Pongamia pinnata. Several species failed to persist or have had poor growth at least at some sites including Cajanus cajun, Sesbania sesban and Adenanthera pavonina. It is envisaged that the successful species could be planted as mixed species plantings on the open treeless grasslands radiating out along fence lines from existing bores/turkey nests with simple trickle irrigation and once established provide many of the ecosystem services outlined above.

Item ID:	85874
Item Type:	Conference Item (Research - E1)
ISBN:	978-0-646-72121-7
Copyright Information:	© 2025 PROCEEDINGS OF THE XII INTERNATIONAL RANGELAND CONGRESS.
Date Deposited:	02 Sep 2025 00:25
FoR Codes:	30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3003 Animal production > 300306 Animal welfare @ 50% 30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3003 Animal production > 300302 Animal management @ 50%
SEO Codes:	10 ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 1005 Pasture, browse and fodder crops > 100501 Browse crops @ 100%
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