New pasture legumes for the grainbelt Phil Nichols and Brad Wintle (DAFWA)

Transcription

1 New pasture legumes for the grainbelt Phil Nichols and Brad Wintle (DAFWA)

2 Five new pasture legumes Tammin and Forbes Early flowering, hardseeded sub clovers for low-medium rainfall crop rotations with RLEM cotyledon resistance Rouse and Yanco Highly productive white-seeded ssp. yanninicum sub clovers for high rainfall, waterlogged soils SA40002 messina, a new annual legume for saline soils prone to waterlogging

3 New sub clovers Tammin and Forbes Rouse and Yanco Announced at 2016 Dowerin Field Days Seed Force has marketing license Protected under Plant Breeders Rights Estimated to add $10-18/ha in livestock production and $12-18/ha in N inputs p.a.

4 Tammin and Forbes Derived from a complex cross Dalkeith 3 WA strains A RLEM cotyledon resistant line from Sicily Evaluated in 5 trials over 3 seasons ( ) 18 early flowering breeding lines and 6 cultivars Katanning (WA) 2 trials Trial A: Continuous pasture Trial B: Cropped in Year 2 Tammin (WA) Cropped in Year 2 Eurongilly (NSW) & Mitiamo (Vic) Katanning trial site cv. Tammin at Tammin Tammin trial site

5 Tammin Suited to mm annual average rainfall Where Dalkeith, Geraldton, Nungarin, Izmir have been sown Certified seed available in 2017 cv. Tammin at Tammin

6 Forbes Suited to mm annual average rainfall Where Dalkeith, Losa and Urana have been sown Certified seed available in 2019 cv. Forbes at Katanning

7 120 Days to flowering (Perth sown early May) Days to first flowering Nungarin Izmir Tammin Geraldton Losa Dalkeith Forbes Urana

8 Screening for RLEM resistance Screening conducted in the glasshouse Collect RLEM from the field Apply to seedlings at the cotyledon stage Score % cotyledon area with silvering damage after 7 days of feeding

9 Rate damage 7 days after RLEM application Susceptible

10 Rate damage 7 days after RLEM application Resistant

11 10 Cultivar RLEM cotyledon damage ratings Damage rating

12 Selection for hardseededness Freshly ripened seed placed on the ground in fly wire pockets Samples collected every 4 weeks Germination test in Petri dishes Determine hardseed %

13 100 Hard seed softening over 1 summer Hard seed (%) Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13 Tammin Forbes Dalkeith Nungarin Losa

14 100 Hard seed softening over 1 summer Hard seed (%) Dec-12 Jan-13 Feb-13 Mar-13 Apr-13 May-13 Tammin Forbes Dalkeith Nungarin Losa

15 100 Hard seed softening over 2 summers Hard seed (%) Tammin Forbes Dalkeith Nungarin Losa

16 100 Hard seed softening over 3 summers Hard seed (%) Tammin Forbes Dalkeith Nungarin Losa

17 100 Hard seed softening over 4 summers Hard seed (%) Tammin Forbes Dalkeith Nungarin Losa

18 Total biomass across 5 sites and 3 seasons (% of Dalkeith) Total biomass

19 Total biomass across 5 sites and 3 seasons 111% 112% (% of Dalkeith) Total biomass

20 Seedling density Seedling density after a year in crop at Tammin & Katanning (% of Dalkeith) 134% 127% 40

21 Spring biomass Spring biomass after a year in crop at Tammin & Katanning (% of Dalkeith) 156% 196%

22 Comments Tammin and Forbes considerably more hardseeded than existing varieties Much better suited to crop rotations RLEM cotyledon resistance effective at low-moderate RLEM densities Less advantage under high RLEM infestations Farmers should still control RLEM to protect new sowings and at times of high infestations

23 Rouse and Yanco Selected from 13 elite ssp. yanninicum breeding lines and 5 cultivars Evaluated in 4 trials over 3 seasons ( ) under grazing Mt Barker & Manjimup (WA) Warrnambool & Echuca (Vic) Manjimup trial Mt Barker trial

24 Rouse Suited to >550 mm annual average rainfall Where Gosse has been sown Certified seed available in 2017 cv. Rouse at Manjimup

25 Yanco Suited to the mm annual average rainfall Where Riverina, Trikkala, Yarloop have been sown Certified seed available in 2018 cv. Yanco at Mt Barker

26 150 Days to flowering (Perth sown early May) Days to first flowering Yanco Riverina Trikkala Monti Rouse Gosse Napier

27 10 Clover scorch (Kabatiella) resistance (Race 1) Damage rating (0-10) Resistant Rouse Yanco Gosse Riverina Napier Monti Trikkala Yarloop Data from M.J. Barbetti, UWA

28 150 Total biomass across 4 sites and 3 seasons (% of Riverina) Total biomass Yanco Rouse Riverina Gosse Monti Napier Trikkala

29 Total biomass Total biomass across 4 sites and 3 seasons (% of Riverina) % 127% Yanco Rouse Riverina Gosse Monti Napier Trikkala

30 Comments Rouse and Yanco are more productive and persistent replacements for Gosse and Riverina Suited to high rainfall soils prone to waterlogging Grazed by sheep or cattle Upright growth makes them suited to making hay or silage Should persist in high rainfall crop rotations, provided crop frequency is no more than 1 year in 3 Will not persist in 1 crop: 1 pasture rotations

31 Messina a new annual pasture legume with tolerance to salinity and waterlogging

32 Saline soils in southern Australia ~1.0 mill. ha in WA affected by salinity Often associated with winter waterlogging Combined stresses difficult for plant survival and growth These areas are unsuited to cropping Typically colonised by sea barley grass Lack of suitable salt tolerant legumes Sub clover highly susceptible to salinity Very N-deficient and unproductive

33 The search for legumes with salt tolerance National trial series from 2003 to identify legumes with salt tolerance Part of the Salinity (and later the Future Farm Industries) Cooperative Research Centre 33 species over 7 sites across southern Australia Commercial varieties and experimental species Messina only legume to perform on highly saline, waterlogged sites Nichols et al. (2008) Darkan Duranillin Yealering

34 Messina (Melilotus siculus) An upright, aerial-seeded annual legume A little-known wild species originating from the Mediterranean region Found in saline marshes and swamps

35 Germination in saline solution Messina Burr medic cv. Scimitar Balansa clover cv. Frontier Subterranean clover cv. Dalkeith NaCl concentrations mm* 550 mm NaCl = sea water concentration Nichols et al. (2009)

36 100 Germination in saline solution M.siculus % Germination M. polymorpha T. michelianum T. subterraneum Sea water NaCl Concentration (mm) Nichols et al. (2009)

37 100 Germination in saline solution M.siculus % Germination Balansa clover Sub clover M. polymorpha T. michelianum T. subterraneum Sea water NaCl Concentration (mm) Nichols et al. (2009)

38 % Germination Germination in saline solution Messina Burr medic M.siculus M. polymorpha T. michelianum T. subterraneum Sea water NaCl Concentration (mm) Nichols et al. (2009)

39 Adult plant tolerance to salinity & waterloggging Hydroponic study (UWA) Treatments imposed 3 weeks after germination Control (aerated, non-saline) = C Non-saline, stagnant (simulates waterlogging) = WL Aerated, saline (200 mm NaCl) = S Stagnant, saline = S x WL Measurements on 2-month old plants Teakle et al. (2012)

40 Shoot dry weight (% aerated, non-saline control) Shoot dry weight (% of control) Burr medic Balansa clover Melilotus 0 WL S SxWL Treatment Teakle et al. (2012)

41 Messina and other legumes in 400 mm NaCl Balansa clover cv. Frontier Messina Burr medic cv. Scimitar Melilotus alba cv. Jota Teakle et al. (2012)

42 Messina in 550 mm NaCl (= sea water) Teakle et al. (2012)

43 Messina variety trials Darkan and Tambellup (WA) and 3 sites in SA (SARDI) Winter waterlogged soils Measured biomass and persistence over 3 years Soil factors (upper 10 cm) Darkan Tambellup Texture Sandy loam Sandy loam ph (water) Mid-winter EC e (ds/m) Late summer EC e (ds/m)* *Classified as severe salinity (Barrett-Lennard et al. 2008)

44 SA40002 selected as a new cultivar Most productive and persistent of 21 messina varieties Out-performed control varieties Frontier balansa clover Scimitar burr medic Jota white melilot (Melilotus alba) Tambellup Year 1 Darkan Year 3

45 Annual biomass production at Darkan and Tambellup (% of SA40002 messina) 100 Biomass production Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 SA40002 Frontier Scimitar Jota

46 A salt-tolerant messina Rhizobium Messina needs a special salt-tolerant Rhizobium Annual medic Rhizobium is not able to survive salinity levels over summer Strain SRDI 554 selected for inoculating messina Inoculum: SRDI 554 Inoculum: WSM1115 (Commercial medic Rhizobium) Bonython et al. (2011) Uninoculated control

47 Grazing value Similar digestibility and protein levels to balansa and subterranean clovers Safe for grazing No known chemicals that pose a threat to livestock health Produces meat acceptable to consumers Babiszewski and Edwards (unpublished data)

48 Cultivar release Seed of SA40002 messina and the salttolerant messina Rhizobium available for 2017 sowing Seednet has marketing license New cultivar will be launched and named at Woolarama in March 2017 Seed crop in Naracoorte, SA (Photo Seednet)

49 Climatic & soil requirements Areas with 375 mm annual average rainfall Prefers winter-wet soils Moderate-severe salinity levels in the topsoil (0 10 cm) in late summer ds/m EC 1:5 (8 30 ds/m Ec e ) Grows on a wide range of soil textures Soil ph (CaCl) 5.5 or ph (water) 6.0 Important as the messina nodulation is sensitive to soil acidity Liming may be required

50 Role of messina For areas too saline for cropping High quality feed during winter-spring Provides N to salt-tolerant grasses Puccinellia and tall wheatgrass Understorey plant to saltbushes Mix with other annual legumes Estimated increases of up to 4 dse/ha Can increase stock numbers Crop additional paddocks while maintaining same stock numbers Future saltland pastures?

51 Key messages Tammin and Forbes are new early flowering sub clovers for low-medium rainfall crop rotations Greater hardseededness than older cultivars Cotyledon resistance to redlegged earth mites Tammin is suited to areas with mm annual average rainfall (AAR) Available for sowing in 2017 Forbes is suited to areas with mm AAR Available in 2019 Seed Force has marketing licence

52 Key messages Rouse and Yanco are new highly productive subspecies yanninicum varieties for high rainfall areas prone to waterlogging Should persist in high rainfall crop rotations Provided crop frequency is no more than 1 year in 3 Rouse is suited to 550 mm rainfall areas Seed is available in 2017 Yanco is suited to mm rainfall areas Seed available in 2018 Seed Force has marketing licence

53 Key messages Messina is a new annual pasture legume for winter-wet areas too saline for cropping Requires inoculation with a specially developed salt-tolerant Rhizobium strain The selected variety (SA40002) will be launched at Woolarama in March 2017 Suited to areas with 375 mm annual average rainfall Soil ph (CaCl) 5.5 or ph (water) 6.0 Seed and the salt tolerant Rhizobium available for 2017 Seednet has marketing licence

54 Funding for sub clover trials was provided by Seed Force, as part of a Joint Venture with DAFWA ( ) Funding for messina research was provided by the Future Farm Industries CRC Technical support from Brad Wintle and Darryl McClements (DAFWA) SARDI conducted messina research in SA Acknowledgements Andy Craig, Amanda Pearce, Ross Ballard, Jake Howie, Emma Babiszewski, Janelle Edwards UWA and DPI Victoria conducted plant physiology work on messina Tim Colmer, Natasha Ayers, Mary Jane Rogers We would like to thank staff of the DAFWA research stations at Katanning, Manjimup and Mt Barker and the UWA Shenton Park Field Station We would like to thank farmers for their cooperation Rodney Rogers, Craig Lubcke, John South, Twynam Cunningham, Ian Peirce, Tony York and Graydn Wilcox

55 Thank you! More information on the DAFWA website Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) A Level 4, East Building, 4 National Circuit, Barton, ACT 2600 Australia P PO Box 5367 Kingston, ACT 2604 Australia T F #GRDCUpdates