Gardiner, Chris, Stewart-Moore, Jack, and Steward-Moore, Kylie (2025) The search for resilient sown pasture legumes for the Mitchell Grass Downs of NW Queensland. In: [Presented at TropAg 2025]. 38. p. 221. From: TropAg 2025: Addressing Global Challenges, 11-13 November 2025, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

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Abstract

The Mitchell Grass Downs Bioregion is a significant producer of livestock in the semi-arid rangelands of Northwestern Queensland. The grasses are predominantly the native Astrebla and Iseilema species which are C4 plants superbly adapted to the region but decline in quality and quantity with the onset of the annual long dry season. An option to ameliorate this and to potentially increase productivity is to select and incorporate well adapted legumes into these pastures. However, unlike many other regions there are few sown legumes with proven success in this region. The region is harsh with high temperatures, vertosol soils, low rainfall and long dry seasons. At Dunluce (40km west of Hughenden) in January 2019 seed of 17 accession of Desmanthus and a Clitoria were sown in short rows 2m apart to evaluate their adaptability to the region. The long term mean rainfall at Hughenden is 452mm. The Desmanthus accessions selected for the trial included ones that had been previously collected as survivors in long abandoned trial plots elsewhere. Since planting, the trial site has endured the test of time with floods, grazing, long dry seasons and above and below average annual rainfall. As of March 2025 (6 years post planting) several accessions show a great deal of potential with good growth, palatability and persistence which are deemed as suitable traits of sown legumes. The successful Desmanthus accessions all originated from old, abandoned sites being: Desmanthus bicornutus cv JCU 4, Desmanthus virgatus R5, Desmanthus sp 90882, Desmanthus sp M7 and Clitoria ternatea cv JCU BP has also thrived. An adapted sown legume would complement the native grasses and help sustain the grasslands via nitrogen fixation, improving diet quality thus improving livestock productivity. Additional benefits may include reduced methane outputs, improved pasture diversity and extending pasture quality further into the dry season.

Item ID:	85931
Item Type:	Conference Item (Abstract / Summary)
Related URLs:	https://tropag.com.au/
Date Deposited:	24 Feb 2026 01:01
FoR Codes:	30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3004 Crop and pasture production > 300406 Crop and pasture improvement (incl. selection and breeding) @ 100%
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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