Morphological and agronomic attributes of Cassia rotundifolia Pers., C. pilosa L., and C. trichopoda Benth., potential forage legumes for northern Australia

Abstract

This paper reports variation in phenology, morphology, feeding value and environmental adaptation of 18 accessions of Cassia rotundifolia and one each of C. pilosa and C. trichopoda. There were three major maturity groups within C. rotundifolia and a very large variation in seed size. Dry matter and seed yields were measured at four sites in south-eastern Queensland (Beerwah, Gatton, Gympie and Narayen) and at Grafton in New South Wales. There was significant variation in these attributes between accessions, sites and harvest times. All accessions were adapted to light-textured surface soils but did not tolerate waterlogging, particularly on the clay soil at Gatton. One early-flowering accession (34721) of C. rotundifolia has been released for commercial use because of its general performance over the range of seasons and sites that were sampled in this investigation, and prior experience of its persistence and spread under intermittent grazing at a number of sites in Queensland and the Northern Territory. C. rotundifolia and C. pilosa were acceptable animal feeds, but C. trichopoda had deleterious effects on laboratory rats.