Assessment of promising pasture legumes and grasses

Summary

​Sown tropical grasses and legumes can significantly increase the productivity of beef growing and breeding enterprises in moderate rainfall areas of northern Australia.  However, many areas have few or no well-adapted pasture plants. 

Moreover, recently developed cultivars and promising lines had not been comparatively assessed across a range of landtypes.  Targeting improved nutrition of younger livestock, new pasture plants were compared with older cultivars under grazing on a range of soil types in seasonally dry areas of north and central Queensland. 

Key genera included: 

• (legumes) Centrosema, Clitoria, Desmanthus, Macroptilium and Stylosanthes;
• (grasses) Bothriochloa, Brachiaria, Chloris, Dichanthium, Digitaria, Heteropogon, Panicum and Urochloa. 

Up to 29 legumes and 30 grasses were assessed for up to 5 years at 12 experimental sites.  Key measures included plant persistence, productivity, plant development, feed quality and acceptance to cattle.  The assessments were conducted over dry years which impeded plant establishment in some environments.  High-performing grasses (Brachiaria, Digitaria, Panicum, Urochloa) and legumes (Desmanthus, Macroptilium, Stylosanthes) were identified for basalt, duplex and red earth land types in north Queensland and brown clay, brown duplex and alluvial soils in central Queensland.  Most were new types with some yet to be commercialised.  Recommendations to progress the superior lines are presented.