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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 44(9)

Performance of annual pasture legumes in cropping rotations in the cool temperate zone of south-eastern Australia

X. Zhang A B C , P. M. Evans A and P. A. Riffkin A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Primary Industries Research Victoria, Department of Primary Industries, Private Bag 105, Hamilton, Vic. 3300, Australia.

B Present address: South Australian Research and Development Institute, Primary Industries and Resources South Australia, GPO Box 397, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: zhang.xianguang@saugov.sa.gov.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 44(9) 863-871 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA03093
Submitted: 4 May 2003  Accepted: 31 October 2003   Published: 22 October 2004

Abstract

The relative performance of 3 alternative pasture legumes, in comparison with subterranean clover, grown in a 1:1 pasture:crop rotation was investigated during 1997–2001, at 2 sites in the high rainfall (>500 mm/year) zone of southern Australia. Seedling densities of the pasture legumes (before and after crop) were examined, along with herbage dry matter production, growth pattern and seed production. After 2 cycles of a 1:1 pasture:crop rotation, average seedling densities of balansa (Trifolium michelianum Savi var. michelianum), Persian (T. resupinatum L. var. resupinatum Gib. and Belli), arrowleaf (T. vesiculosum Savi.) and subterranean (T. subterraneum L.) clovers at the 2 sites were 6810, 2910, 680 and 630 plants/m2, respectively. Average cumulative herbage mass in 2001 was 7.49, 5.21, 8.53 and 7.76 t DM/ha.year, respectively. All clovers produced a large seed pool: balansa, 71.8 g/m2; subterranean, 38.9 g/m2; Persian, 35.5 g/m2; and arrowleaf, 35.4 g/m2. The results suggest that a 1:1 pasture:crop rotation is sustainable, in terms of pasture seed–seedling dynamics for each of the legumes, and that under this system the pasture legumes need to be sown only once.

Additional keywords: hard seed, persistence, plant density, seed yield, self-regeneration.


Acknowledgments

The authors thank Anthony Wright, Peter Keily and Wes Arnott for technical assistance. Jerry Chin participated in some field work at the earlier stage of the project; Ken Cunliffe was involved in collating some experimental data. Una Allender and Renick Peries provided climatic data for the Streatham and Gnarwarre sites, respectively. We also thank Stuart Wills for having kindly allowed us to conduct the experiments on his property at Streatham. The project was funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Department of Primary Industries, Victoria.


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