Preliminary studies on the establishment of Townsville lucerne (Stylosanthes humilis) in uncleared pasture at Katherine, N.T

Abstract

The effects of surface treatments, soil type and type of seed sown on the early establishment of Townsville lucerne (Stylosanthes humilis H.B.K.) in native pastures at Katherine, N.T., were studied on microplots in the 1965-66 wet season. In experiment 1, six soil surface treatments were compared in burnt and unburnt native perennial pastures on Tippera clay loam on three occasions. In experiment 2, seeds were compared with pods, cleared cultivated land with uncleared uncultivated land, and Tippera clay loam with Cockatoo sand on two occasions. The results indicate that, given favourable weather conditions, Townsville lucerne can be established on untreated soil surfaces in uncleared native pastures, either annual or perennial ; that weather conditions affect early establishment, presumably through the length of the period that the soil surface remains wet ; that seeds perform two to three times better than pods ; and that early establishment is approximately three times better in the presence of growing native pasture than in its absence, possibly because of the higher atmospheric humidity within the protective grass cover.