Glasser, Abby, Gardiner, Chris, and Gardiner, Sam (2025) Faecal seeding Desmanthus seed, hard versus scarified seed. In: [Presented at TropAg 2025]. 66. p. 219. From: TropAg 2025: Addressing Global Challenges, 11-13 November 2026, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

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Abstract

Faecal seeding is a natural process whereby seeds are ingested by animals and dispersed in their dung in a viable state and becomes established. Faecal seeding is seen as a low-cost method of introducing and establishing legumes into Northern Australian rangelands which are often lacking in sown legumes.

To successfully establish legumes across a paddock using faecal seeding, the seeds first need to survive the passage through the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants. In the case of Desmanthus there are both hard seed and scarified seed options available to be fed to the animals, but no evidence regarding their viability following digestion.

Three steers were each fed a quantity of either hard (unscarified) or scarified Desmanthus cv JCU 2 seed. To scarify the seed, they were placed in hot water (80oC) and soaked for 1 minute, and then rinsed in tap water, sieved and air dried. Before being fed the hard seed had a germination rate of 11% and the scarified seed 82%. Both types of seed were then fed to the steers, each dung was collected over three days, the seed sieved out and counted, and germination tests carried out on the recovered seed with the hard seed having 80% and scarified seed 2% germination.

Results to date also found a greater recovery rate for the hard seeds compared to the scarified seeds following digestion and extraction from the dung.

It is thus recommended that when using Desmanthus cv JCU 2 seed for faecal seeding to use hard seed, as a large proportion of the seed passes intact and in a very viable state. Desmanthus is adapted to semiarid clay soils and thus well suited to include in supplements in such Northern Australian environments.

Item ID:	85934
Item Type:	Conference Item (Abstract / Summary)
Related URLs:	https://tropag.com.au/
Date Deposited:	24 Feb 2026 00:22
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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