An agronomic evaluation of Medicago tornata cv. Tornafield, a new medic cultivar

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to compare Tornafield, the first commercial cultivar of M. tornata, with other annual medics in terms of top growth, burr and seed production, times of flowering and burr formation, and seed coat impermeability. Medicago tornata CV. Tornafield, M. littoralis CV. Harbinger, and M. truncatula CV. Jemalong were sown at two seeding rates, 6 and 60 lb per acre, and three times of planting, May, June, and July, into a sandy surfaced slightly acid soil in a winter rainfall environment of Western Australia. There were no significant differences in total top growth. In several other characteristics Torafield appeared to be superior. It set more seed than the other medics although it flowered a week late than Harbinger medic, and its seed coat impermeability declined more rapidly in the following summer. This suggests that it may regenerate better than medics available at present. It is concluded that M. tornata is a promising pasture species worthy of further testing.