Soil acidity and nutrient deficiency cause poor legume nodulation in the permanent pasture and mixed farming zones of south-eastern Australia
B. F. Hackney
A B G , J. Jenkins A , J. Powells C , C. E. Edwards D , S. De Meyer E , J. G. Howieson E , R. J. Yates E F and S. E. Orgill A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A NSW Department of Primary Industries, PMB, Pine Gully Road, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia.
B Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Albert Pugsley Place, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia.
C South East Local Land Services, 26 Soho Street, Cooma, NSW 2630, Australia.
D Central Tablelands Local Land Services, 112 Market Street, Mudgee, NSW 2850, Australia.
E Centre for Rhizobium Studies, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
F Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia.
G Corresponding author. Email: belinda.hackney@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Crop and Pasture Science 70(12) 1128-1140 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP19039
Submitted: 24 January 2019 Accepted: 11 July 2019 Published: 26 October 2019
Abstract
Pasture legumes must be adequately and effectively nodulated in order to reach nitrogen-fixation targets. Of 225 pasture paddocks sampled across the Central Tablelands, Central West, Monaro and Riverina regions of New South Wales, 93% had inadequate legume nodulation. Legume content was significantly higher in the mixed faming zone (>50%, Central West and Riverina) than the permanent pasture zone (26%, Central Tablelands; 28% Monaro). Available phosphorus (P) was below critical levels in 40% of paddocks sampled and sulfur (S) in 73% of paddocks; >35% of all paddocks had soil pHCa <5.0. Deficiency of P was more prevalent in the Central Tablelands (63% of paddocks), whereas S deficiency occurred more frequently in the Central West (95% of paddocks). Legume nodule scores were associated with host legume species, soil pH, available P and/or S, and cation exchange capacity, which collectively accounted for 73% of variation. For Trifolium spp., at soil pHCa >5.55, nodulation was predicted to be near adequate (score 3.95, where adequate = 4). At pHCa <5.55, higher available S resulted in a higher nodulation score (2.42) than in paddocks where S was deficient (score 0–1.97). These results suggest that improving the capacity of legumes to supply nitrogen should focus on addressing soil acidity and plant nutrition, specifically P and S.
Additional keywords: CEC, field survey, inoculant, N2 fixation, rhizobia, soil constraints.
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