Establishment, survival, and herbage production of novel, summer-active perennial pasture legumes in the low-rainfall cropping zone of Western Australia as affected by plant density and cutting frequency
Lalith D. B. Suriyagoda A B C , Daniel Real A B D , Michael Renton A B E , Hans Lambers A and Megan H. Ryan A B F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Plant Biology and Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009, Australia.
B Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Australia.
C Present address: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400, Sri Lanka.
D Department of Agriculture and Food, 3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia.
E CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Private Bag 5, Wembley, WA 6913, Australia.
F Corresponding author. Email: megan.ryan@uwa.edu.au
Crop and Pasture Science 64(1) 71-85 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP12398
Submitted: 26 November 2012 Accepted: 15 April 2013 Published: 3 May 2013
Abstract
Herbaceous perennial legumes that can provide forage in the summer–autumn dry period are urgently required in Mediterranean climates to complement annual pastures and the perennial legume lucerne (Medicago sativa). This study evaluated the establishment, survival, and herbage production of tedera (Bituminaria bituminosa var. albomarginata) and Cullen spp. native to Australia. Two experiments were replicated at Buntine (warmer site) and Newdegate (cooler site) in the low-rainfall cropping zone (<350 mm average annual rainfall) of Western Australia from June 2008 to September 2010. In the first experiment, established by transplanting seedlings, survival and herbage production of two accessions each of B. bituminosa and C. australasicum were studied under densities of 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 plants/m2 with 0, 1, 2, or 3 cuts in summer–autumn in addition to a winter–spring cut. In the second experiment, established from seed, emergence and survival of several accessions of B. bituminosa, C. australasicum, and M. sativa were studied, along with C. pallidum and C. cinereum.
In the first experiment, B. bituminosa survived better than C. australasicum (70–80% v. 18–45%), especially at Buntine, but there was little impact of density or cutting frequency on survival. Plant death was highest during summer. Shoot dry weight (DW) accumulation varied greatly with site, year, and plant density. When rainfall was close to average, shoot DW was greater at Newdegate (B. bituminosa ≤7.4 t/ha, C. australasicum ≤4.5 t/ha) than at Buntine (≤2.3 t/ha), and both species produced much of their shoot DW in summer–autumn (e.g. 6 t/ha for B. bituminosa and 3 t/ha for C. australasicum at Newdegate). An early-summer cut reduced the DW that could be harvested later in summer–autumn. In the second experiment, emergence of B. bituminosa was either similar to, or higher than, emergence of the other species, being 43% at Buntine and 44% at Newdegate. Survival of B. bituminosa, compared with M. sativa, was similar at Buntine (13%) and slightly lower at Newdegate (14%). Emergence and survival of Cullen spp. varied among species and accessions, with survival of the best performing accession of C. australasicum (SA4966) similar to that of B. bituminosa and M. sativa at both sites. We conclude that B. bituminosa shows promise as a perennial summer forage for low-rainfall zones, with a density of 8–16 plants/m2 and cutting frequency of 3 cuts/year (i.e. cut twice in summer–autumn), while C. australasicum and C. pallidum warrant further study.
Additional keywords: Australian native legumes, Bituminaria bituminosa var. albomarginata, Cullen spp., drought-tolerant perennial pastures, summer–autumn feed gap, survival, tedera.
References
Bathgate A, Pannell D (2002) Economics of deep-rooted perennials in Western Australia Agricultural Water Management 53, 117–132.| Economics of deep-rooted perennials in Western AustraliaCrossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bell LW, Moore GA, Ewing MA, Ryan MH (2006a) Production, survival and nutritive value of the perennial legumes Dorycnium hirsutum and D. rectum subjected to different cutting heights. Grass and Forage Science 61, 60–70.
| Production, survival and nutritive value of the perennial legumes Dorycnium hirsutum and D. rectum subjected to different cutting heights.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bell LW, Ryan MH, Moore GA, Ewing MA (2006b) Comparative water use of Dorycnium hirsutum-, M. sativa-, and annual legume-based pastures in the Western Australian wheatbelt. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 857–865.
| Comparative water use of Dorycnium hirsutum-, M. sativa-, and annual legume-based pastures in the Western Australian wheatbelt.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bennett RG, Ryan MH, Colmer TD, Real D (2011) Prioritisation of novel pasture species for use in water-limited agriculture: a case study of Cullen in the Western Australian wheatbelt. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 58, 83–100.
| Prioritisation of novel pasture species for use in water-limited agriculture: a case study of Cullen in the Western Australian wheatbelt.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bennett RG, Colmer TD, Real D, Renton M, Ryan MH (2012) Phenotypic variation for productivity and drought tolerance is widespread in germplasm collections of Australian Cullen species. Crop & Pasture Science 63, 656–671.
| Phenotypic variation for productivity and drought tolerance is widespread in germplasm collections of Australian Cullen species.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Black JN (1960) An assessment of the role of planting density in competition between red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) in the early vegetative stage. Oikos 11, 26–42.
| An assessment of the role of planting density in competition between red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) in the early vegetative stage.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Black CA (1968) ‘Soil–plant relationships.’ (Wiley Publishing & Sons: New York)
Blair GJ, Chinoim N, Lefroy RDB, Anderson GC, Crocker GJ (1991) A soil sulphur test for pastures and crops. Australian Journal of Soil Research 29, 619–626.
| A soil sulphur test for pastures and crops.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cocks PS (2001) Ecology of herbaceous perennial legumes: a review of characteristics that may provide management options for the control of salinity and waterlogging in dryland cropping systems. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 52, 137–151.
| Ecology of herbaceous perennial legumes: a review of characteristics that may provide management options for the control of salinity and waterlogging in dryland cropping systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Colwell JD (1965) An automatic procedure for the determination of phosphorus in sodium hydrogen carbonate extract of soil. Chemistry & Industry 10, 893–895.
Dear BS, Cocks PS, Wolfe EC, Collins DP (1998) Established perennial grasses reduce the growth of emerging subterranean clover seedlings through competition for water, light, and nutrients. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 49, 41–51.
| Established perennial grasses reduce the growth of emerging subterranean clover seedlings through competition for water, light, and nutrients.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dear BS, Li GD, Hayes RC, Hughes SJ, Charman N, Ballard RA (2007) Cullen australasicum (syn. Psoralea australasica): a review and some preliminary studies related to its potential as a low rainfall perennial pasture legume. The Rangeland Journal 29, 121–132.
| Cullen australasicum (syn. Psoralea australasica): a review and some preliminary studies related to its potential as a low rainfall perennial pasture legume.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dolling PJ, Lyons AM, Latta RA (2011) Optimal plant densities of lucerne (Medicago sativa) for pasture production and soil water extraction in mixed pastures in south-western Australia. Plant and Soil 348, 315–327.
| Optimal plant densities of lucerne (Medicago sativa) for pasture production and soil water extraction in mixed pastures in south-western Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Douglas GB, Bulloch BT, Foote AG (1996) Cutting management of willows (Salix spp.) and leguminous shrubs for forage during summer. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 39, 175–184.
| Cutting management of willows (Salix spp.) and leguminous shrubs for forage during summer.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Finlayson J, Real D, Nordblom T, Revell C, Ewing M, Kingwell R (2012) A farm level assessment of a novel drought tolerant forage: Tedera (Bituminaria bituminosa C.H.Stirt var. albomarginata). Agricultural Systems 112, 38–47.
| A farm level assessment of a novel drought tolerant forage: Tedera (Bituminaria bituminosa C.H.Stirt var. albomarginata).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gutman M, Perevolotsky A, Sternberg M (2000) Grazing effects on a perennial legume, Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) Stirton, in a Mediterranean rangeland. Cahiers Options Méditerranéennes 45, 299–303.
Gutteridge RC, Whiteman PC (1975) Effect of defoliation frequency on growth and survival of four accessions of Psoralea erantha. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 15, 493–497.
| Effect of defoliation frequency on growth and survival of four accessions of Psoralea erantha.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hayes RC, Li GD, Dear BS, Humphries AW, Tidd JR (2009) Persistence, productivity, nutrient composition, and aphid tolerance of Cullen spp. Crop & Pasture Science 60, 1184–1192.
| Persistence, productivity, nutrient composition, and aphid tolerance of Cullen spp.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Humphries AW, Auricht GC (2001) Breeding lucerne for Australia’s southern dryland cropping environments. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 52, 153–169.
| Breeding lucerne for Australia’s southern dryland cropping environments.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Humphries AW, Kobelt ET, Bellotti WD, Auricht GC (2006) Tolerance of Australian lucerne (Medicago sativa) germplasm to grazing by sheep. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46, 1263–1270.
| Tolerance of Australian lucerne (Medicago sativa) germplasm to grazing by sheep.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kerridge PC, Skerman PJ (1968) The distribution and growth characteristics of the native legume Psoralea eriantha in western Queensland. Tropical Grasslands 2, 41–50.
Li GD, Lodge GM, Moore GA, Craig AD, Dear BS, Boschma SP, Albertsen TO, Miller SM, Harden S, Hayes RC, Hughes SJ, Snowball R, Smith AB, Cullis BC (2008) Evaluation of perennial pasture legumes and herbs to identify species with high herbage mass and persistence in mixed farming zones in southern Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, 449–466.
| Evaluation of perennial pasture legumes and herbs to identify species with high herbage mass and persistence in mixed farming zones in southern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McGowan AA, Mathews GL (1992) Forage production from hedges of tagasaste in a high rainfall temperate environment, and the effects of plant spacing and frequency of harvesting. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 32, 633–640.
| Forage production from hedges of tagasaste in a high rainfall temperate environment, and the effects of plant spacing and frequency of harvesting.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Moore AD, Bell LW, Revell DK (2009) Feed gaps in mixed-farming systems: insights from the grain and graze program. Animal Production Science 49, 736–748.
| Feed gaps in mixed-farming systems: insights from the grain and graze program.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Muñoz A, Ortiz-Dorda AJ, Correal E (2000) Morphological and molecular characterization of Bituminaria bituminosa accessions from South-East Spain and the Canary Islands. Cahiers Options Méditerranéennes 45, 103–107.
Nichols PGH, Loi A, Nutt BJ, Evans PM, Craig AD, Pengelly BC, Dear BS, Lloyd DL, Revell CK, Nair RM, Ewing MA, Howieson JG, Auricht GA, Howie JH, Sandral GA, Carr SJ, de Koning CT, Hackney BF, Crocker GJ, Snowball R, Hughes EJ, Hall EJ, Foster KJ, Skinner PW, Barbetti MJ, You MP (2007) New annual and short-lived perennial pasture legumes for Australian agriculture — 15 years of revolution. Field Crops Research 104, 10–23.
| New annual and short-lived perennial pasture legumes for Australian agriculture — 15 years of revolution.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pang J, Yang J, Ward P, Siddique KHM, Lambers H, Tibbett M, Ryan M (2011) Contrasting responses to drought stress in herbaceous perennial legumes. Plant and Soil 348, 299–314.
| Contrasting responses to drought stress in herbaceous perennial legumes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rayment GE, Higginson FR (1992) ‘Australian laboratory handbook of soil and water chemical methods.’ (Inkata Press: Melbourne)
Real D, Li GD, Clark S, Albertsen TO, Hayes RC, Denton MD, D’Antuono MF, Dear BS (2011) Evaluation of perennial forage legumes and herbs in six Mediterranean environments. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research 71, 357–369.
| Evaluation of perennial forage legumes and herbs in six Mediterranean environments.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Robinson K, Bell LW, Bennett RG, Henry DA, Tibbett M, Ryan MH (2007) Perennial legumes native to Australia: a preliminary investigation of nutritive value and response to cutting. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 170–176.
| Perennial legumes native to Australia: a preliminary investigation of nutritive value and response to cutting.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
SAS (2003) ‘SAS/STAT User’s Guide, Version 9.1.’ (SAS Institute Inc.: Cary, NC)
Searle PL (1984) The berthelot or indophenol reaction and its use in the analytical chemistry of nitrogen. A review. Analyst 109, 549–568.
| The berthelot or indophenol reaction and its use in the analytical chemistry of nitrogen. A review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Springer TL, Gillen RL (2007) How does plant population density affect the yield, quality, and canopy of native bluestem (Andropogon spp.) forage? Crop Science 47, 77–82.
| How does plant population density affect the yield, quality, and canopy of native bluestem (Andropogon spp.) forage?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Striker GG, Manzur ME, Grimoldi AA (2011) Increasing defoliation frequency constrains regrowth of the forage legume Lotus tenuis under flooding. The role of crown reserves. Plant and Soil 343, 261–272.
| Increasing defoliation frequency constrains regrowth of the forage legume Lotus tenuis under flooding. The role of crown reserves.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Suriyagoda LDB, Ryan MH, Renton M, Lambers H (2010) Multiple adaptive responses of Australian native perennial legumes with pasture potential to grow in phosphorus- and moisture-limited environments. Annals of Botany 105, 755–767.
| Multiple adaptive responses of Australian native perennial legumes with pasture potential to grow in phosphorus- and moisture-limited environments.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Suriyagoda LDB, Ryan MH, Renton M, Lambers H (2011) Above- and below-ground interactions of grass and pasture legume species when grown together under drought and low phosphorus availability. Plant and Soil 348, 281–297.
| Above- and below-ground interactions of grass and pasture legume species when grown together under drought and low phosphorus availability.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Suriyagoda LDB, Ryan MH, Lambers H, Renton M (2012) Comparison of novel and standard methods for analysing patterns of plant death in designed field experiments. The Journal of Agricultural Science 150, 319–334.
| Comparison of novel and standard methods for analysing patterns of plant death in designed field experiments.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Villalba JJ, Provenza FD, Clemensen AK, Larsen R, Juhnke J (2011) Preference for diverse pastures by sheep in response to intraruminal administrations of tannins, saponins and alkaloids. Grass and Forage Science 66, 224–236.
| Preference for diverse pastures by sheep in response to intraruminal administrations of tannins, saponins and alkaloids.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Walkley A, Black IA (1934) Estimation of soil organic carbon by the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science 37, 29–38.
| Estimation of soil organic carbon by the chromic acid titration method.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ward PR (2006) Predicting the impact of perennial phases on average leakage from farming systems in south-western Australia. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 269–280.
| Predicting the impact of perennial phases on average leakage from farming systems in south-western Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ward PR, Micin SF, Dunin FX (2006) Using soil, climate, and agronomy to predict soil water use by lucerne compared with soil water use by annual crops or pastures. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 347–354.
| Using soil, climate, and agronomy to predict soil water use by lucerne compared with soil water use by annual crops or pastures.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
