Gardiner, Chris, and Fleury, Heitor (2025) Desmanthus, waterlogging and lenticels – some serendipitous observations. In: [Presented at TropAg 2025]. 65. p. 218. From: ropAg 2025: Addressing Global Challenges, 11-13 November 2025, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

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Abstract

Progardes Desmanthus (a blend of several Desmanthus species) is increasingly being utilized as a valuable pasture legume for semiarid tropical/subtropical clay soils with some (based on seed sales) >100,000ha sown mainly across Queensland. Typically, Desmanthus is recommended to be grown on neutral to alkaline clay soils in a 450mm-1000mm per annum rainfall environment. The monsoonal rains across northern Australia in February 2019 caused extensive flooding of the region and is reported to have been a 1 in 500-year event. Serendipitously this flood event gave us the opportunity to observe the survival of two Desmanthus species each with 2 cultivars after deep flooding and waterlogging of a cultivated fully grown mature 12ha site just south of Townsville which had some 1,393mm in 14 days. The paddock was completely and deeply submerged for some 10 days and waterlogged for some 4 weeks. Desmanthus leptophyllus cultivars JCU 1 and JCU 7 survived and recovered whilst Desmanthus bicornutus cultivars JCU 4 and JCU 6 suffered badly with most of the plant population dying. Simple observations of uprooting numerous plants to inspect their tap roots found an abundance of lenticels on the tap roots and crowns of D.leptophyllus and very few to none on the D.bicornutus. Lenticels are raised pores on the roots and stems of plants that allow gaseous exchange to occur between the atmosphere and the internal organs. It is thus postulated that in this case the presence of the lenticels aided in the survival of D. leptophyllus whilst growing in prolonged waterlogged conditions. D.bicornutus originates mainly from regions with intense prolonged dry seasons and may not have had the evolutionary pressure to develop lenticels as did D.leptophyllus which is more equatorial in origin. As a component of Progardes, D.bicornutus thrives in semiarid areas. Further studies are required to verify these observations.

Item ID:	85932
Item Type:	Conference Item (Abstract / Summary)
Related URLs:	https://tropag.com.au/
Date Deposited:	24 Feb 2026 01:06
FoR Codes:	30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3004 Crop and pasture production > 300403 Agronomy @ 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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