An evaluation of lucerne lines at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute, South Australia

Abstract

One hundred and ten lines of lucerne from regions with Mediterranean and temperate climates have been grown in three spaced-plant trials. The collection represented a wide range of morphological variation from erect to prostrate types, and included wild creeping lucernes. Seasonal growth was compared with or without summer irrigation. Plants were cut or grazed at the frequency usually recommended for lucerne or twice as often. No line consistently yielded more total dry matter than the Australian cultivar, Hunter River, but some from the Mediterranean region yielded more in winter. Persistence was poor in the winter active Mediterranean lines, but good in Hunter River. Frequent cutting decreased persistence, and a six-month period of heavy and continuous grazing eliminated nearly all plants from most lines. Wild, spreading plants from the Mediterranean region showed the best persistence, and persisted well even under the continuous grazing, but their yields were very low. Lines from Spain and Portugal showed sufficient promise to become new cultivars, and they are under further test. Other lines have potential value when breeding for improved seasonal yield or persistence.