The effect of soil pitting on establishment and growth of annual Medicago spp. on degraded rangeland in Western Australia.

Abstract

This study is aimed at assessing the benefits of specialised reseeding techniques for establishment of annual Medicago spp., or for regeneration projects, in degraded Mediterranean arid zones rangelands. Two seeding techniques were compared near Kalgoorlie and Carnarvon in Western Australia: 'pit' seeding versus 'flat' seeding, the latter simulating conventional farm seeding. Results indicate that pit seeding is more effective than flat seeding in these environments during the critical establishment phase of annual Medicam SDD. seeding establishment was increasehby 9 to 60 per cent; plant vigour by 20 to 130 per cent; regrowth after late rain by 67 per cent;@ number per seedling by 65 to 140 per cent; pod weight per seedling by 108 to 255 per cent; and the number of days to flowering was reduced by up to 8 per cent.