Trial | Contributor Funding sources |
Year | Trial site |
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Nutrition of livestockTo know more about nutrition of stock. |
Central West Farming Systems
AWI GRDC MLA |
2006 | Condobolin NSW |
Research organisaton
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Kikuyu makes for greener Kangaroo Island farmers
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Agriculture Kangaroo Island Incorporated
AWI MLA NLP |
2008 | Menzies SA |
Research organisaton
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Comparison of seeding machines for sowing sub-tropical grassesTo determine whether successful establishment of sub-tropical grasses is affected by seeding machine configuration |
West Midlands Group
AWI MLA |
2009 | Gillingarra WA |
Research organisaton
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Knockdown herbicide treatments for sub-tropical grass establishmentTo determine whether a single knockdown herbicide can be used for successful establishment of sub-tropical grasses to reduce the wind erosion risk from double knockdown applications. |
West Midlands Group
AWI MLA |
2009 | Gillingarra WA |
Research organisaton
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Use furrows for sowing sub-tropical grassesTo determine whether successful establishment of sub-tropical grasses requires sowing into furrows. |
West Midlands Group
AWI MLA |
2009 | Gillingarra WA |
Research organisaton
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Watch your speed when sowing sub-tropical grassesTo determine whether successful establishment of sub-tropical grasses is affected by sowing speed |
West Midlands Group
AWI MLA |
2009 | Gillingarra WA |
Research organisaton
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Critical external phosphorus requirements of pasture legumesThis research aimed to determine the external critical phosphorus (P) requirement (i.e. the soil extractable-P concentration required to achieve 90% of maximum yield) of a range of pasture legume species under field conditions. This information can be used as a benchmark for soil testing and soil P fertility management on farms. |
Department of Primary Industries NSW
AWI CSIRO DPI NSW MLA |
2015 | Burrinjuck NSW |
Research organisaton
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The value of hardseeded legume for forage and for competition with annual ryegrassThe study has been designed to examine the use of mixed legume swards which incorporate a mix of hardseeded legumes or hardseeded legumes sown with traditional legumes. Our aim over the lifetime of the study is to quantify the effect of mixed legume swards on livestock productivity and health as well as the balance between sown species and weeds. |
FarmLink Research
AWI LLS MLA |
2015 | Temora NSW |
Research organisaton
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Understanding differences in critical external phosphorus requirements of pasture legumesThis research identified the plant traits most likely to determine differences in external critical phosphorus (P) requirements (i.e. the soil extractable-P concentration required to achieve 90% of maximum yield) of pasture legume species. Understanding trait differences that affect critical P requirements of pasture legumes is important in providing confidence around field differences in external critical P requirement. |
Department of Primary Industries NSW
AWI CSIRO DPI NSW MLA |
2015 | Wagga Wagga ACT |
Research organisaton
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Dryland legume pasture systems: improving nitrogen fixationLegume pastures have been pivotal to sustainable agricultural development in southern Australia. They provide highly nutritious feed for livestock, act as a disease break for many cereal root pathogens, and improve soil fertility through nitrogen (N) fixation. Despite these benefits, pasture renovation rates remain low and there are opportunities to improve the pasture base on many low to medium rainfall mixed farms across southern Australia. There are also reports of poor protein levels in wheat following medic pastures and many reports of poor medic nodulation. Previous work has shown that substantial responses to inoculation are possible in the Victorian Mallee, which is possibly linked to the poor N fixation capacity of some populations of soil rhizobia. The extent to which inoculation can still improve medic nodulation on Eyre Peninsula requires clarification. The Dryland Legume Pasture Systems (DLPS) project aims to develop recently discovered pasture legumes together with innovative management techniques that benefit animal and crop production and promote their adoption on mixed farms in the low and medium rainfall areas of WA, SA, Vic and southern NSW. One objective within this work program is to increase the amount of fixed N provided by the pasture.
This is a component of a new five year Rural Research and Development for Profit funded project supported by GRDC, MLA and AWI; and involving Murdoch University, CSIRO, SARDI, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development; Charles Sturt University and grower groups. |
SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre
AGRR&D AWI GRDC MLA |
2018 | Minnipa Agricultural Centre SA |
Research organisaton
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Dryland legume pasture systems: legume adaptationLegume pastures have been pivotal to sustainable agricultural development in southern Australia. They provide highly nutritious feed for livestock, act as a disease break for many cereal root pathogens, and improve fertility through nitrogen (N) fixation. Despite these benefits pasture renovation rates remain low and there is opportunity to improve the quality of the pasture base on many low to medium rainfall mixed farms across southern Australia. A diverse range of pasture legume cultivars are currently available to growers and new material is being developed. Some of these legumes, such as the annual medics, are well adapted to alkaline soils and have high levels of hard seed, which allow them to self-regenerate from soil seed reserves after cropping (ley farming system). Other legume cultivars and species are available and being developed that offer improved seed harvestability, are claimed to be better suited to establishment when dry sown and/or provide better nutrition for livestock. Regional evaluation is needed to determine if they are productive and able to persist in drier areas (<400 mm annual rainfall) and on Mallee soil types common to the mixed farming zone of southern Australia.
The Dryland Legume Pasture Systems project will both develop and evaluate a range of pasture legumes together with innovative establishment techniques, measure their downstream benefits to animal and crop production and promote their adoption on mixed farms. |
SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre
AGRR&D AWI GRDC MLA |
2018 | Minnipa Agricultural Centre SA |
Research organisaton
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Dryland legume pasture systems: quantifying benefits of novel legume pastures to livestock production systemsIn southern Australian mixed farming systems, there are many opportunities for pasture improvement, providing positive impacts to both cropping and livestock systems. Dryland legume pastures are necessary in low to medium rainfall zones to support productive and healthy livestock, along with optimal production in crops following these pastures. The majority of pasture species used in these mixed farming systems are short-lived annuals that complete their lifecycle from winter to early summer, with dry seasonal conditions resulting in a shorter growth window between germination and senescence. This is a major issue for livestock producers in these regions due to unreliable rainfall patterns leading to fluctuating legume growth, and the subsequent impact on feed supply and quality for grazing animals. Innovative and improved legume species and pasture systems have the potential to fill existing nutrient gaps, thus reducing supplementary feed required for optimum ruminant performance, and maintain or improve livestock productivity through growth rates, fertility or product quality.
The Dryland Legume Pasture Systems (DLPS) project aims to boost profit and reduce risk in medium and low rainfall areas by developing recently discovered pasture legumes together with innovative management techniques that benefit animal and crop production and farm logistics. A theme of the DLPS project involves ‘Quantifying the benefits of novel legume pastures to livestock production systems’ and aims to maximise the advantages that pastures provide to livestock through increased animal growth and reproduction by extending the period of quality feed and reduced supplementary feeding. The animal systems research within the project will also assess areas of understanding anti-nutritional factors and ‘duty of care’ for new pasture species, providing opportunities for improved weed management and evaluate the main benefits of novel self-regenerating pasture legumes in crop rotations on animal production, health and welfare.
This theme is a component of a five year Rural R&D for Profit funded project supported by GRDC, MLA and AWI; and involving Murdoch University, CSIRO, SARDI, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development; Charles Sturt University and grower groups.
A five-year grazing system trial was established at the Minnipa Agricultural Centre (MAC) in 2018 to examine this theme and is the main livestock field site for the DLPS trial in the southern region of Australia. |
SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre
AGRR&D AWI GRDC MLA |
2018 | Minnipa Agricultural Centre SA |
Research organisaton
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Dryland Legume Pasture Systems: Boron tolerant annual medicsPart 1: Medic cultivars were grown in soil with high boron levels in a glasshouse, leaf damage symptoms recorded and cultivars allocated to different tolerance groups (Howie 2012). Part 2: The above identified that all spineless burr medic cultivars are susceptible to high boron levels. Screening wild accessions (supplied by the Australian Pasture Genebank) identified a burr medic accession with boron tolerance and vigorous growth. The boron tolerant accession was crossed with current spineless burr medic cultivars Scimitar and Cavalier. F2 plants with high early vigour were selected and a molecular marker used to identify homozygous boron tolerant plants. A single seed descent breeding method using speed breeding was used to obtain uniform lines. Lines were seed increased at Waite in 2018 and lines with the highest agronomic performance selected for 2019 field evaluation trials. A cohort of 16 boron tolerant lines along with their parents and barrel medic cultivars that differ in boron tolerance, were sown at Roseworthy and Minnipa. The trials were managed as best practice first year annual medics to maximise dry matter and seed production. Best practice consists of a high sowing rate (10 kg/ha), controlling broadleaf and grass weeds, monitoring and controlling insects and no grazing. Dry matter production was assessed and pods collected. Seed yield will be determined by April 2020. |
SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre
AWI GRDC MLA |
2019 | Minnipa Agricultural Centre SA |
Research organisaton
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Dryland Legume Pasture Systems: Grazing trialIn southern Australian mixed farming systems, there are many opportunities for pasture improvement. The Dryland Legume Pasture Systems (DLPS) project aims to boost profit and reduce risk in medium and low rainfall areas by developing pasture legumes that benefit animal and crop production systems. A component of the DLPS project aims to quantify the impacts of different pasture |
SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre
AGRR&D AWI GRDC MLA |
2019 | Minnipa Agricultural Centre SA |
Research organisaton
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Dryland Legume Pasture Systems: Legume adaptation trial 2019 regenerationLegume pastures have been pivotal to sustainable agricultural development in southern Australia. They provide highly nutritious feed for livestock, act as a disease break for many cereal root pathogens, and improve fertility through nitrogen (N) fixation. Despite these benefits pasture renovation rates remain low and there is opportunity to improve the quality of the pasture base on many low to medium rainfall mixed farms across southern Australia. A diverse range of pasture legume cultivars are currently available to growers and new material is being developed. Some of these legumes, such as the annual medics, are well adapted to alkaline soils and have high levels of hard seed, which allow them to self-regenerate from soil seed reserves after cropping (ley farming system). Other legume cultivars and species are available and being developed that offer improved seed harvestability, are claimed to be better suited to establishment when dry sown and/or provide better nutrition for livestock. Regional evaluation is needed to determine if they are productive and able to persist in drier areas (<400 mm annual rainfall) and on Mallee soil types common to the mixed farming zone of southern Australia. The Dryland Legume Pasture Systems project will both develop and evaluate a range of pasture legumes together with innovative establishment techniques, measure their downstream benefits to animal and crop production and promote their adoption on mixed farms. This trial was established in 2018 to assess a diverse range of annual pasture legumes in order to determine whether there are more productive and persistent options for the drier areas (< 400 mm) of the mixed farming zone of southern Australia. In 2019 the trial was allowed to regenerate to determine which legumes regenerated and how their performance differed from the establishment year. The Dryland Legume Pasture Systems project will both develop and evaluate a range of pasture legumes together with innovative establishment techniques, measure their downstream benefits to animal and crop production and promote their adoption on mixed farms. |
SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre
AGRR&D AWI GRDC MLA |
2019 | Minnipa Agricultural Centre SA |
Research organisaton
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Dryland Legume Pasture Systems: Medic nodulation and nitrogen fixationThere are reports of low grain protein levels in wheat following medic pastures and many observations of poor medic nodulation. Previous work has shown that rhizobial inoculation can improve the nodulation of medics in the SA and Victorian Mallee, and that more generally about 50% of the populations of medic rhizobia in soils are suboptimal in their nitrogen (N) fixation |
SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre
AGRR&D AWI GRDC MLA |
2019 | Minnipa Agricultural Centre SA |
Research organisaton
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Dryland Legume Pasture Systems: pasture demonstration sitesOver the past three decades there has been a shift from integrated crop-livestock production to intensive cropping in dry areas, which has significantly reduced the resilience of farms in low to medium rainfall areas. Intensive cropping is prone to herbicide resistant weeds, large nitrogen fertiliser requirements, and major financial shocks due to frost, drought or low grain prices. |
Agricultural Innovation & Research Eyre Peninsula
AGRR&D AWI GRDC MLA |
2019 | Multiple Site, Eyre Peninsula, SA SA |
Research organisaton
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Dryland Legume Pasture Systems: Small plot species adaptation trialLegume pastures have been pivotal to sustainable agricultural development in southern Australia. They provide highly nutritious feed for livestock, act as a disease break for many cereal root pathogens, improve fertility through nitrogen (N) fixation and mixed farming reduces economic risk. Despite these benefits, pasture renovation rates remain low and there is opportunity to improve the quality of the pasture base on many low to medium rainfall mixed farms across southern Australia. A diverse range of pasture legume cultivars are currently available to growers and new material is being developed. Some of these legumes, such as the annual medics, are well adapted to alkaline soils and have high levels of hard seed, which allow them to self-regenerate from |
SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre
AWI GRDC MLA |
2019 | Minnipa Agricultural Centre SA |
Research organisaton
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