Lotus
AWI is currently investigating new means to spread the usage of Lotus and increase its tolerance to acid and waterlogged soils.
Grazing and mixed farming enterprises in the 450-700 mm rainfall zone of southern Australia support over 50% of the Australian sheep flock and rely on legumes to drive crop and animal productivity.
Lucerne is currently the only perennial legume available for these enterprises, but it will not persist in the 7.6 million ha of acid and waterlogged soils that are also prevalent in this zone.
AWI is funding a project to develop perennial lotus legumes specifically to help improve pasture quality in acidic and waterlogged soils in southern Australia. The project will test a cohort of elite lotus genotypes suitable for national trial in grazing systems across southern Australia.
Several perennial lotus species tolerate low pH and transient waterlogging, and some of these species provide higher wool growth rates per kg of dry matter than lucerne.
As an additional advantage, lotus contains tannins that protect ruminants from bloat and suppress the activity of some internal parasites.
Resources
Publications
AWI grower networks
Find out about AWI's community-based network groups in each state.