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4 Better drought recovery with lucerne
6 Innovative short course reveals grazing secrets
Boosting biodiversity
12 Locally-adapted varieties yield pioneer suite
Grazing pressure and soil fertility prove the key to healthy species mix
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The lure of Lotus
t is hard to believe we are already up to our fifth edition of Focus on Perennials.
By Catriona Nicholls
A
s the development of locallyadapted birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) varieties reaches the commerc ialisation stage, NSW Department of Primary Industries plant breeder Dr John Ayres reflects on the journey so far.
Since the inaugural edition during October 2007, Focus on Perennials has published 42 stories that have profiled a variety of research and education initiatives underway at the FFI CRC. The past four issues have also featured successful adoption stories, all of which have been sent to more than 7000 readers. As a result, the magazine has positioned itself as the definitive magazine in Australia that profiles research that is applying perennialbased farming systems to broadacre agriculture in a short space of time.
“The potential use of birdsfoot trefoil in Australian pastures could be far reaching,” Dr Ayres explained. “With the of locally-adapted varieties, development we now have the beginnings of a new and valuable pasture plant with major potential impacts for highrainfall, permanent pasture applications.” “Birdsfoot trefoil is suitable for infertile acidic soils and is highly persistent, productive, drought tolerant and bloat-safe. In line with its extensive tap root birdsfoot trefoil can effectively system, mitigate dryland salinity through improving soil water use in recharge environmen ts.” “Our research in NSW tablelands and slopes environments, from the Queensland border to the Victorian border, shows that birdsfoot trefoil has qualities that will see it become a mainstream perennial legume in many areas where we currently lack an adapted pasture legume.” Originally a white clover breeder, the lure of birdsfoot trefoil has come somewhat out of left-field for John. However, his experience with Lotus species from trials on farm sites across NSW, and progress with his breeding work (developing locally adapted birdsfoot trefoil varieties) has convinced him of its potential. He has been strongly supported in this work with the genetics expertise and prior breeding work of Dr Walter Kelman CSIRO, Plant Industry.
ABOVE: Plant breeder Dr John Ayres believes new birdsfoot trefoil varieties have significant potential for permanent pasture applications in eastern Australia. (Photos: B White)
casts the net species
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10 to greater Workshops lead technologies confidence in
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Now 12 months into our new publication we have an opportunity to take stock and consider if the magazine has been living up to expectations. From the feedback we have been getting, we can safely say Focus on Perennials is making a difference and our readers are expressing a continued interest in the research profiled by the magazine. However, rather than continuing to give broad self-congratulatory statements, it would be more worthwhile to provide some examples of this interest.
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A point of contact NSW DPI plant breeder Dr John Ayres, who was originally featured in the December 2007 edition regarding his locally-adapted birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) varieties, has continued down the path of commercialisation for the high-rainfall regions of south-eastern Australia (see update story on page 12). After being featured in Focus on Perennials last December, John received numerous calls from farmers across the country keen to share their own experiences with birdsfoot trefoil with the passionate pasture breeder.
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Meeting the challenge s
On the world stage, there is nothing new about birdsfoot trefoil according to Dr Ayres. The prominence of this perennial legume in many other countries is well established, and its usage surpasses that of countries that are ill-equippe lucerne in d to manage bloat — a serious hazard with lucerne. But until now, the availability of birdsfoot trefoil varieties suited to Australian conditions has proven to be elusive. “Birdsfoot trefoil is typically a long-day plant,” Dr Ayres explained, “it requires more than 14 hours of daylength leading up to flowering to set large amounts of seed, which is an essential pre-requisi te of regeneration and hence persistence . However, daylength on the summer solstice in northern NSW is a little less than 14 hours.
FIGURE 1. The potential area of
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By Greg Lawrence FFI CRC
Another example of interest shown in CRC research came about in response to an article that featured CRC-sponsored UWA PhD student Richard Bennett’s research into assessing the potential of a group of native legumes (Cullen species) in becoming drought-tolerant fodder plants. Following publicity generated from the research described in the article, Richard received phone calls from farmers keen to get
“This article began the rush of publicity when it prompted an editorial column in a SA publication, the Stock Journal which discussed some of the research and ended with the sentence ‘There should be more government funding for this kind of research.’… an excellent sentiment in my mind!”
“Each had a positive story to share about their experiences with Lotus.”
“Talking with a farmer at Bencubbin really drove home to me how the research I am doing has the potential to impact on people’s lives.....He and his wife were so keen to see a good outcome that they suggested that I come and put a trial on their property… they even offered me some funding out of their own pockets to cover any expenses of such a trial.”
Dr John Ayres, NSW DPI
Richard Bennett, UWA
“The most exciting thing was that I usually only get calls from local NSW farmers, but after the story in Focus on Perennials, I had numerous phone calls from farmers as widespread as Bruny Island and Western Australia.
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Birdsfoot trefoil shows significant potential as a perennial legume for permanent pastures in high rainfall regions Breeding has focussed on short daylength varieties that flower prolifcally for persistanc e New varieties are ready for commercialisation.
ABOVE: Birdsfo
The challenge of the breeding under a mixed s program has been to develop low latitude/sh a potential feed ort daylength varieties. Dr Ayres believes this will allow RIGHT: Seedling growers in the potential areas suitable for of existing varie birdsfoot trefoil to rapidly adopt birdsfoot breeding progra trefoil-based pastures following release of locally-adapted varieties. From CSIRO climatic modelling work, the target area for “During this sec birdsfoot trefoil was suggested although there to be a large potential adaptation zone — comparable but to low latitude larger than the white clover zone, which is did identify a sm some 8 million hectares in eastern Australia. a breeding line Kelman) with str The journey suitable for furt “During the 1990s, a state-wide Since the late 19 project in NSW, funded by MLA, refined our from GRDC and C understanding of the zone of adaptation focused on the b of birdsfoot trefoil in NSW, and developed varieties of birds objectives for breeding,” brink of commerc Dr Ayres said. A subsequent project (1999–2002) funded “We are currently by the NSW governmen multiplication, m t Acid Soil Action Program evaluated and through PBR. characterised world-sourced birdsfoot trefoil germplasm to “The next step is identify lines that flower prolifically under partner to work o short daylength conditions. soon as possible,”
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— it’s only just begun Also featured in the December 2007 edition was work by CRC researcher Sarita Bennett in helping to put together a publication that assists land-users in productively managing their salt-affected land. This publication, Saltland Prospects, was released during early 2008. Since then, the CRC has received positive feedback regarding its practicality.
oot trefoil is suitable for grazing sward culture, is bloat-safe and has d value comparable with lucerne. g recruitment is the limitation eties and has been a focus of the am.
cond phase, we found that were no varieties suited regions in Australia, we mall set of accessions (and developed by Dr Walter rong flowering capability ther breeding,” Dr Ayres said. 990s, with funding support CRC Salinity, Dr Ayres has breeding program, and three sfoot trefoil are now on the cialisation.
More information
John Ayres, NSW DPI T: (02) 6730 1930 E: john.ayres@dpi.nsw .gov.au
y in the process of seed merit testing and working
to select a commercia l on commercial release as ” Dr Ayres said.
Snapshot Birdsfoot trefoil is a small seeded, perennial pasture legume suitable for over-sowi ng into native grasses or planting with introduced pasture species.
.
Brisbane Lismore
dney ra
Rainfall requirements:
650 — 1000 mm average annual rainfall.
Soil requirements:
Broadly adapted to acidic low fertility soils.
Benefits:
Persistent under grazing, suitable for problem soils and mitigating groundwa ter recharge, high feed value, bloat-safe, drought tolerant.
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involved with his project by having some Cullen planted on their property.
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Some of the comments received regarding the CRC’s Saltland Prospects publication are below.
“I found your publication excellent and it has inspired me to keep going with our restoration work.”
Ever keen on EverGrazeTM
Capturing innovation
A series of articles that has resonated especially well with Focus on Perennials readers has been those dealing with the research advances made through the EverGrazeTM project.
After four editions, Focus on Perennials has matured to become an informative source of information that captures the latest innovations in profitable perennial farming systems, and it is particularly encouraging to note that many of the stories are gaining traction with some readers who were even motivated enough to contact us.
The level of farmer involvement in EverGrazeTM trial sites has allowed for farmer case studies showing how research is rapidly being adapted on-farm in our Future Farm magazine.
Funding opportunities An article featured in Focus on Perennials has created a new opportunity for the CRC itself. The first edition of Focus on Perennials featured an article during October 2007 that highlighted the need to design a harvester to make the oil mallee industry commercially viable. In response to reading about the situation outlined in the article, the WA Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) approached FFI CRC and encouraged them to apply for a research grant through their Low Emissions Energy Development Fund (LEED). An application was submitted in June this year and the CRC was awarded $1.5 million by the WA State Government to assist in the cost of designing the harvester.
Farmer, Bruce Rock, WA.
“I found the publication to be useful as a technical reference which provides an overview of what’s happening across southern Australia with saltland. I would view this publication as being a key resource in a farm/ agribusiness library collection.”
Casting wide to capitalise on Cullen
While we are making some headway in getting the stories out there, the reality is that the magazine has really just begun. With that in mind, all of us here at Focus on Perennials look forward to continuing to provide informative stories from the CRC, receive feedback from interested readers and play a part in creating new opportunities that arise from sharing knowledge and innovation. Focus on Perennials is keen to continue receiving feedback from its readers. So if you would like to provide some general comments, or find out more about a research project featured in the magazine, email Greg Lawrence, the FFI CRC Communication Manager.
More information Greg Lawrence, FFI CRC T: (08) 6488 7353 E: greg.lawrence@futurefarmcrc.com.au
Measurements of the Shenton Park trial site experiment have shown a large amount of diversity in growth habit among the collection and there is sufficient variation in this character to select lines with a desirable habit (see Figure 2). “Research from Queenslan d in the 1980s has shown that more prostrate types tolerate grazing better while erect types can be more productive,” Richard said. The phenology of the collection of Cullen australasicum has also been measured and there appears to be two main groups. “In the first group, 33 accessions took less than 122 days (after sowing) to Twenty four of these actually flower. took less than 91 days to flower.”
FIGURE 1. A scatterplo t of productivity rating Cullen species and accessions in April and two lucerne cultivar vs. survival in June of selected over the most productive lucerne cultivar. NB. Lower controls. Dotted lines are centred portion of axes have been truncated. 6
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current University of Western Australia (UWA) PhD project has identified accession s and Cullen species that can survive and produce valuable green fodder during the summer drought period on deep sandy soils.
“It was easy to read and provided area-specific information. On a personal note, I will be implementing some of the recommendations on my own property.” Engineer, Onslow Salt Pty Ltd.
A group of Australian native legumes from the Cullen genus already have demonstrated their potential as useful perennial pastures in difficult climates and soils in Australia’s wheatbelt areas. Some work is currently underway to select lines suitable for use on
i key points
• • •
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Native Cullen species could provide new drought-to lerant perennial pastures for areas where lucerne is not adapted Germplasm from collected species has diversity in agronomic traits, offering opportuni ties for selection and breeding
Trials in WA’s wheatbelt found two species to be more productive and persistent than lucerne during summer drought.
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alkaline loams in eastern Australia, but the focus is on one species, Cullen australasicum. UWA PhD student Richard Bennett plans to cast the net a little wider and select lines from a number of species that will provide perennial legume options for sandy acid soils in low rainfall areas of Western Australia’s wheatbelt, an area where existing perennial legumes are not suited.
will select a core collection and carry out glasshouse studies to identify tolerance to acid soils and waterloggi ng.”
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Richard Bennett, UWA T: (08) 6488 1936 E: bennettr@cyllene.uwa.edu
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> This research is supporte d by a UWA Australian Postgraduate Award, an MLA Postgradu ate Award and The AW Howard Memorial Trust Research Fellowship. <
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FIGURE 2. The growth habit C. australasicum accessions (height to width ratio) of growing under irrigation Shenton Park trial site. at 3.0 Height to width ratio classification
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Richard reveals that the two trial sites at Several collection trips Shenton Park and Buntine funded by the (north-east WA CRC Salinity Using native wheatbelt) are progressin Perennials in g well. Agriculture project during the past few years “There has been a high have built up a pool of enough level of germplasm from drought stress during summer promising Cullen species. Richard is working and autumn to to characterise the variation enable a clear ranking of accessions in morphological which and agronomic traits within are well suited and those this collection that are not well and other collections suited to growth and survival from Genetic Resource in the target centres in Adelaide (AMGRC) environment,” Richard and Queensland said. (AusTrCFGRC). He will also test their Figure 1 shows the most potential to provide a recent survival profitable perennial data plotted against the pasture system on acidic productivity ratings or waterlogged soils during April (toward the of low rainfall areas in end of the 2007 WA’s wheatbelt. dry-season) of selected accessions of several “Our research consists Cullen species, along of five stages,” with the two lucerne explained Richard. cultivars as controls. “We have carried out Five species of Cullen an ecogeographic study survive better to predict which species (C. australasic will be naturally um, C. cinereum, C. discolor, adapted to the target C. pallidum) or are more environment and have productive a number of wheatbelt (C. australasicum, C. field trials testing the cinereum, adaptation to the target C. patens) than the best environment.” performing lucerne cultivar. In addition, 13 “A common garden experimen accessions from t will allow C. australasicum, and us to measure the amount 3 accessions of of diversity in C. cinereum both displayed the existing germplasm collection and we better survival and productivity over summer than lucerne.
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ABOVE: Richard Bennett posing with Cullen australasicum at the Shenton Park trial site.
C. pallidum C. patens Sceptre lucerne
Further results will be collected during the next two years and two glasshouse trials to test the ability of the collection to survive in acid soils and waterlogge d conditions will provide information. further
By Richard Bennett
C. discolor
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“The second group is made up of seven accessions which all took more than 216 days to flower, and three of these took more than 256 days.”
Agronomist, DPI, Vic.
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Duty of care in biodiv ersity conservation
W
hen Gillian Earl moved to Albury, NSW, she realised a new approach was needed to biodiversity conserva tion on private land; it seemed to her that previous approaches had achieved some successes, but all had limitations. FFI CRC plant breeder, Dr Daniel Real, searching for a different approach asked the question “Can we apply a duty of care to improve biodiversity outcomes at a regional scale?” In response, Gillian responded by deciding to make it the subject of her PhD at Charles Sturt University. “What is needed is an approach that encourages ongoing desirable management, and discourages undesirabl e management,
in ways that are fair and reasonable, both in social and environmental,” Gillian said.
“A statutory duty-of-ca re was suggested some years ago, but little progress has been made in developing an operationa l system.” Gillian said that duty-of-ca re is currently a “bit of a ‘dirty word’.” “Although frequently mentioned in relation to natural resource manageme nt, it is viewed with suspicion by many, means different things to different people, and is often relegated to the ‘too hard basket’. There are currently some major constraints to overcome.”
that could be used at a regional catchment scale. “Social acceptability will be a key element in the successful implement ation of any duty of care. I will be conducting focus groups and in-depth interviews with a range of stakeholders to identify the critical components of the duty of care framework that could make it socially acceptable.”
More information
Gillian Earl, CSU E: giearl@csu.edu.au
Gillian’s research is attemptin g to address these constraints and develop an operationa l framework for a duty of care for biodiversit y
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LEFT: Forage shrubs can boost bottom lines and benefit livestock production while providing environmental benefits. (Photo: Marta Monjardino)
Shrubs also deliver increased water-use efficiency and a decreased risk of wind erosion and soil acidity. The modelling found forage shrubs provide a win/win situation when planted on marginal and poor soils (see Figure 1).
Forage shrubs benefit more than the bottom line
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Mixed enterprise producers can increase their annual net profits, in some instances by up to $100,000, as a result of planting between 10–20 per cent of their land to forage shrubs such as saltbush. These exciting results have come from economic modelling of the findings from the Enrich project, carried out by consultant, Dr Marta Monjardino.
However, Dr Monjardino warned, farmers needed to devote the correct percentage of land to shrubs to reap the rewards of the non-traditional farming system.
The shrubs are being evaluated for a range of traits such as biomass, bioactive effect on rumen microorganisms and gastrointestinal parasites (see Focus on Perennials, Issue 4). “Across a broad range of scenarios there was a consistent message that by planting forage shrubs on between 10-20% of their farm, mixed enterprise producers could boost their profits,” Dr Monjardino said (see Figure 1). “The increase in net profit flows from a reduced need for supplementary feeding during summer and autumn and the deferring of grazing of annual pastures. This allows them to properly establish and, as a result, maintain higher stocking rates.”
• Planting forage shrubs to 10-20%
of a typical mixed farming system can produce annual net profit gains of $50,000–$100,000
• Shrubs provide livestock
forage during summer and autumn reducing the need for supplementary feed
• Grazing pressure is released
allowing annual pastures to establish and higher stocking rates to be maintained.
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“On the other hand, by planting a farm area of less than 10% the establishment cost of the shrubs was likely to outweigh the returns.”
The modelling process Dr Monjardino performed the modelling using the whole-farm Model of an Integrated Dryland Agricultural System (MIDAS). MIDAS was chosen because of its complex framework, which allowed for the integration of biological, physical and financial information relevant to farm-level economics. Using the MIDAS model, the benefits of incorporating forage shrubs into a ‘typical farm’ situation were assessed.
FIGURE 1. I mpact of changing the relative proportions of Land Management Units (LMUs) on whole-farm profit across a range of shrub areas 200,000 Low % poor soils Medium % poor soils High % poor soils
180,00 Farm profit ($/year)
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“The model found that by planting more than 20% of a property to shrubs farmers risked cheating themselves of the returns from the current record grain prices.
Kondinin Group
Enrich researchers screened about 60 species of Australian native shrubs of which 15 were shortlisted and are to be further examined at nine regional sites across southern Australia.
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“In 60% of the scenarios investigated, the net value was greater than $50,000 and in 20%, more than $100,000 per year.”
By Laureta Wallace
recent economic evaluation of the benefits of forage shrubs, carried out by the Enrich project, has revealed producers’ bottom lines have a lot to gain from the introduction of the alternate farming plants. However, dollars are not the only rewards on offer. Reduced soil erosion and acidity, carbon sequestration and improved animal health and performance are among the other benefits making a strong case for the inclusion of forage shrubs into Australian mixed farming systems.
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“The net value of shrubs turned out to be positive in 80% of the scenarios modelled,” Dr Monjardino said.
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The farm The typical farm used in the model is a 2000 hectare cropping and livestock enterprise located in Western Australia’s central wheatbelt. The property has an annual rainfall of 350 mm. The maximum average daily temperature is above 30 degrees C. The farm has a range of soil types and, as a result, was divided into eight main land management units. The average crop area is between 50–60% with crops grown including wheat, barley, lupins, canola, and pulses. Sheep are the dominant livestock and are grazed mainly on annual pasture, although a small area of perennial species (lucerne) is also grown. Wool production makes up most of the sheep enterprise, by value of production, although prime lamb production has increased during recent years as a result of improved prices.
The shrub The characteristics of a typical shrub were used in the model and it was assumed they were grown with a pasture understorey. “Only on poor soils were shrubs found to be profitable without a pasture understorey,” Dr Monjardino said. “We only dealt with shrubs in general, we did not model for the variety of species, this will most likely be carried out in Enrich II. “However, if one shrub had to be identified as the shrub the modelling relied on then it would be oldman saltbush.”
The commodity prices used were about $200 per tonne of grain and 800 cents/kilogram for wool, however, since the modelling was carried out, prices have risen to about $400/t and 1000 c/kg — effectively bringing down the profitability of shrubs when compared with crops (see Figure 2). “Since these results were revealed, inputs cost have also increased, so it really is a dynamic process,” Dr Monjardino said.
Calculating carbon Dr Monjardino also carried out preliminary modelling based on the new frontier of carbon sequestration and emissions and the role shrubs could play. It was found that for the typical farm used in the model to be carbon neutral 13% of the property would need to boast shrubs. “This was based on an assumption that shrubs sequested an average of five tonnes of carbon per hectare per year,” Dr Monjardino said. Greenhouse gas emissions for the farm were broken into six categories:
1. Methane from the rumen of livestock (42%)
2. Livestock excretions in the field in
the form of nitrous oxide (included in the above percentage for all livestock emissions)
3. Fertiliser application in the form of N2O (7%)
Livestock benefits Another interesting area of analysis was the possible animal health and performance benefits of particular shrubs. “Because of the shelter and shade shrubs provide, they can potentially improve lamb survival rates,” Dr Monjardino explained. “The research project also has been screening shrub species for anthelmintic effects — a capacity to reduce gut parasites — so we are keen to incorporate the benefits of a reduced need for drenching animals. “In reality, the entirety of what shrubs can offer farmers is far from being completely realised. “For the moment, the key to success is to get the balance of shrubs compared with pasture and cropping land right. “From these preliminary results, shrubs seem very positive — they are a low risk way of making the most of marginal and poor land. “In addition to the environmental and economic benefits there are also the aesthetic improvements to the farm landscape. “Farmers have more to gain than to lose by investing in these plants.”
More information Dr Marta Monjardino T: (08) 8331 3984 E: marta.monjardino@ozemail.com.au
4. Nitrogen-fixing legume crops and
The scenarios
pastures (28%)
Results were calculated for the profitability of forage shrubs under a variety of scenarios, which included altering factors such as land class, commodity prices and shrub characteristics including biomass production and nutritive value.
5. Crop residues (17%) 6. Fuel use (5%) 7. On-farm electricity use (1%).
FIGURE 2. Whole-farm profit against shrub area for a range of wheat prices (ASW 10%) for 2002 and 2008 (dashed line) 450,000
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Locallyadapted Lotus varieties look promising
T
he FFI CRC-funded birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) breeding program has successfully developed locally-adapted varieties, which look set to provide a pioneer suite of options for grazing in high-rainfall areas. Dr John Ayres (NSW DPI) explains the potential of the promising varieties. “In response to the limitations of existing birdsfoot trefoil varieties, such as the only commerically available cultivar Grasslands
i key points •
Locally-adapted birdsfoot trefoil varieties provide an alternative perennial legume option in highrainfall grazing areas
• Improved flowering and seed
production provide for greater regeneration and persistence
• The new varieties could see the
significant expansion of grazing lands based on deep-rooted perennial legume-based pastures.
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ABOVE: Breeding efforts have focussed on developing locally-adapted varieties of birdsfoot trefoil. (Photo: Leah Lane, NSW DPI)
By Catriona Nicholls
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Goldie to persist under dryland pasture conditions, the breeding program has yielded three varieties with promising potential for the high-rainfall permanent pasture zone,” explained Dr Ayres.
“Following the recent grant of plant breeders rights on all three varieties, and with release, we expect they will provide an alternative perennial legume for a diverse range of grazing applications,” Dr Ayres said.
The varieties — Phoenix, Venture and Matador — are adapted to the short day-length of dryland pastures, especially in the northern sector of the Murray-Darling Basin. Dr Ayres believes these new varieties have the potential to significantly increase the area sown to deep-rooted pastures.
Taking a closer look
“Phoenix and Venture were bred at Glen Innes, NSW focusing on seed yield characteristics under low latitude/short day-length conditions of northern NSW,” Dr Ayres said. “The cultivar Matador was bred at Canberra, ACT for dense and prostrate growth habit.” The three varieties strongly contrast in vegetative appearance and growth habit, and they express high seed-yield components and favourable agronomic performance when grown under low latitude/short day-length conditions.
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Relative to Goldie, Phoenix is mediumleafed, fine-stemmed and high yielding in both warm-season and cool-season growth. Venture is large-leafed, medium in stem thickness, vigorous in warm-season growth and intermediate in cool-season growth. Matador is small-leafed, thick-stemmed (with short internodes) and has relatively lower cool-season growth, comparable to Goldie. Matador has greater leaf density than Phoenix, Venture and Goldie and is more prostrate in growth habit at the pre-flowering stage (see Table 1).
Flowering potential Phoenix, Venture and Matador flower earlier and far more prolifically than Goldie when grown under the short day-length conditions of northern NSW (see Table 2).
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Table 1. Vegetative and growth characteristics of Phoenix, Venture and Matador birdsfoot trefoil varieties in comparison with Grasslands Goldie Leaf area (mm2)
Stem thickness (mm)
Internode length (mm)
Leaf:stem ratio
Summer growth
Winter growth
Goldie
97
1.06
17.2
1.57
9.5
8.8
Phoenix
88
1.12
20.5
1.47
14.9
20.0
Venture
111
1.22
22.5
1.58
14.7
14.0
Matador
68
1.35
13.1
1.68
14.4
6.6
Table 2. Seed yield of Phoenix, Venture and Matador birdsfoot trefoil compared with Grasslands Goldie at two sites (Glen Innes and Inverell) Glen Innes Stems
1
Flowering stems
Inverell Umbels1/ stem
Stems
Flowering stems
Umbels1/ stem
Goldie
19.0
0.6
0.6
18.6
3.5
1.9
Phoenix
11.3
5.5
3.0
13.1
6.7
3.1
Venture
12.1
2.9
2.0
16.4
10.2
4.3
Matador
10.1
3.5
1.1
21.0
9.0
3.0
Cluster of pods
Phoenix flowers up to seven days earlier than Goldie, while Venture and Matador flower intermediate between the two. At both sites, Goldie produced a large number of stems, but few of these were flowering stems. Phoenix and Venture, in comparison, produced a far greater number of flowering stems. For example, at Glen Innes, (Northern Tablelands, NSW) while only three per cent of Goldie stems were flowering stems, flowering stems as a proportion of total stems for Phoenix, Venture and Matador were 49%, 24% and 35%, respectively. At Inverell (North-West Slopes, NSW) while Goldie produced more flowering stems than at Glen Innes (19% compared with 3%), because of less cloud cover and correspondingly higher photoperiod, Phoenix, Venture and Matador produced 51%, 62% and 43% flowering stems, respectively. “The greater the number of flowering stems, the better the ability of the variety to regenerate each year and produce new plant populations, allowing it to persist within the pasture base over the long term,” Dr Ayres explained. Pollination tunnel trials at Glen Innes examining seed production in three consecutive years 2005, 2006 and 2007 yielded 622, 430 and 625 kilograms per hectare for Phoenix; 525, 198 and 448 kg/ha for Venture; and 102, 165 and 113 kg/ha for Matador.
Promising potential “These varieties uniquely possess strong regeneration mechanisms for local conditions,” Dr Ayres said. “No other birdsfoot trefoil cultivar developed internationally for low latitude applications has this capability.”
These attributes extend the northern limit of this valuable temperate perennial legume to at least 28°S — the NSW/Queensland border. In addition, this species has been rated as having ‘low-to-negligible’ environmental weed risk. Together with cultivars being developed for lower rainfall Mediterranean environments in southern Australia, birdsfoot trefoil offers potential to greatly expand the area of grazing lands based on deep-rooted perennials. For a comprehensive discussion of the characteristics of birdsfoot trefoil see Focus on Perennials Issue 2.
More information Dr John Ayres, NSW DPI T: (02) 6730 1900 E: john.ayres@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Renowned legume breeder goes out to pasture
D
r John Ayres has been searching for better legume pasture options for dryland environments across Australia for more than 20 years. This search has seen him not only become a national authority on plant improvement of perennial pasture legumes, specialising in breeding white clover (Trifolium repens) and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus); but has brought international recognition. “My work has developed pasture legumes for dryland environments in the Australian Temperate Perennial Pasture Zone,” Dr Ayres explains. “In broad terms, I have focused on increasing the persistence of pasture legumes to improve the pasture-base for sheep and cattle in temperate grazing systems and to provide enhancements to the pastoral landscape.” After 20 years of dedicated research, John is now looking forward to putting himself out to pasture. “I’m hanging up my lab coat, but I look forward with keen interest to following future developments, especially from the work of the FFI CRC,” Dr Ayres said.
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Grazing native pastures — what boosts biodiversity? By John Powell
T
here is no evidence that rotational grazing is better for biodiversity than continuous grazing, at equivalent stocking rates according to the results of a recently completed CRC Salinity project Biodiversity in native pastures that surveyed 24 properties with native pastures in the high rainfall zone of south eastern Australia. “Grazing pressure and soil fertility are the main determinants of biodiversity,” said Dr Josh Dorrough, of the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, and a visiting scientist at CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems in Canberra.
i key points
• Rotational grazing is no better for biodiversity in native pastures than continuous grazing, at equivalent stocking rates
• Grazing pressure and soil fertility are the main determinants of native pasture biodiversity
• Maintaining biodiversity in native
pastures doesn’t necessarily mean low profitability.
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focus
ABOVE: Direct sowings of old man saltbush at the Meckering site. (Photo: Brad Wintle, DAFWA)
FFI CRC
on peren N ials
“Irrespective of whether rotational or continuous grazing is used, biodiversity is maximised with light grazing pressure (<4 DSE/ha) and low soil fertility (<20 mg/kg Colwell),” Josh added.
Josh’s CSIRO colleagues on the project, Jacqui Stol and Sue McIntyre, report there has been strong interest by land managers across the study area with high demand for the booklet.
Although Josh reveals that no clear positive or negative effects of rotational grazing were observed, he suggests rotational grazing has benefits for livestock producers including being better at predicting feed supply.
“While not providing a hard and fast recipe for managing native pastures,” Josh said “Biodiversity in the paddock contains key principles for livestock producers who have different objectives for their native pasture and livestock systems.”
“Although it will depend on management skills, potentially rotational grazing can help producers to manage their pasture for better ‘functional outcomes’ such as less bare ground and erosion,” Josh explained.
Biodiversity can benefit profit The project also found that maintaining biodiversity doesn’t necessarily mean low profitability — due to lower input and management costs, livestock producers are achieving gross margins up to $150/ha while maintaining plant diversity of about 20 species/ha. The project’s findings, together with other information to assist livestock producers assess alternative approaches to managing biodiversity in native pastures, have been published in the booklet Biodiversity in the paddock, available from the FFI CRC.
i n n o vat i o n
in
pr o f i t a b l e
pere n n i a l
f a rm i n g
s y stems
Putting policy into context “At one end of the scale, producers may want to maximise biodiversity, while at the other end, they may want to maximise livestock productivity. “Many producers want a balance between these two extremes.”
Making the most of it Assuming native pastures are currently in sound condition, Josh offered the following suggestions:
• To maximise biodiversity: choose
paddocks with high structural diversity (trees, shrubs, tussock grasses, fallen timber, rocks) and with little or no fertiliser history; apply little or no fertiliser to maintain Colwell P at <10mg/kg; and maintain low grazing pressure (<4 DSE/ha)
• To maximise productivity: choose
paddocks with deeper, better structured soils with a strong fertiliser histories and dominated by the more productive native grasses (for example Microlaena and Danthonia); apply fertiliser to maintain Colwell P at roughly 20 mg/kg; maintain high grazing pressure (up to 12 DSE/ha in good seasons).
To achieve more balance between biodiversity and productivity, paddock selection, fertiliser histories, fertiliser application rates and grazing pressures can range between the two examples above.
More information Josh Dorrough, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems T: (02) 6494 2744 E: josh.dorrough@csiro.au
P
olicy is implemented in a social context. And the context counts. A UWA PhD student, Helena Clayton’s thesis An investigation of farmer responses to economic incentives for landscape recovery, investigates the ways in which this social context affects how receptive people are to policy — and how these lessons can be mapped onto the process of policy choice, development and design. Studying at the UWA School of Agricultural and Resource Economics Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Helena investigaed the role of environmental markets in addressing Australia’s natural resource management issues for her thesis. Her PhD explores theoretical insights into behavioural economics, to better understand how farming communities might respond to the market-based policies that support their environmental recovery efforts through the provision of economic incentives. “It provides focus on the social dimensions of market-based environmental policy, providing recommendations for socially appropriate policy design — and choice — for farming communities engaged in efforts to achieve biodiversity conservation and salinity mitigation,” Helena said.
“I draw upon ‘crowding-out theory’ to investigate the interactions between socially-based motivations and economic incentives. To better help me understand these reactions, I am using the Auction for Landscape Recovery (ALR) as a case study. The ALR trials an auction mechanism that provides economic incentives designed to sway farmers towards undertaking on-farm projects to achieve specific environmental outcomes.” The auction is funded through the National Action Plan for Salinity and is managed by WWF Australia.
More information Helena Clayton, DEC T: (08) 6488 4633 E: clayth01@student.uwa.edu.au
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About Focus on Perennials
FFI CRC Contacts: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Kevin Goss T: (08) 6488 2555 E: kevin.goss@futurefarmcrc.com.au
Focus on Perennials is a quarterly research-in-progress newsletter published by the Future Farm Industries CRC Ltd (FFI CRC) ACN 125 594 765. FFI CRC was established in 2007 under the Commonwealth Government’s CRC Programme and builds on the research of the CRC for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity. FFI CRC is a unique co-investment between meat, grains and wool industry research corporations, the Landmark agribusiness company, and the combined research power of CSIRO, six State agencies and four universities. For further information about FFI CRC visit www.futurefarmcrc.com.au Focus on Perennials draws on the work of both CRCs, to describe the potential application of Profitable Perennials™ to innovative farming systems and new regional industries better adapted to southern Australian dryland–farming conditions. The information contained in this newsletter has been published in good faith by FFI CRC to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve profitability of farming and sustainable management of natural resources and biodiversity. Neither FFI CRC nor the Participants in the CRC endorse or recommend any products identified by trade name, nor is any warranty implied by the CRC and its participants about information presented in Focus on Perennials. Readers should contact the authors or contacts provided and conduct their own enquiries before making use of the information in Focus on Perennials.
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