Legumes in pasture for drought resilience

The “Overcoming the Knowledge Gaps” project is funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and aims to increase the adoption of deep-rooted legumes into broad-acre grazing systems across Northern Australia. The project centers around producers learning from producer, using large scale legume planted sites as learning tools for each region. Commenced in June 2022 and funding through til Sept 2024. The McDonald’s have been apart of the trial since June 2022.

David spoke about successes and failures of trials around the 16 grazing locations throughout North Eastern Australia and showed ways that legumes have been planted- drones, seeders and helicopters. So far their data has shown that rainfall has been the biggest challenge for most locations followed by costs. Roughly 7,280ha have been planted using at least two or more establishment techniques and two or more legume species. In total over 22 legume varieties have been implemented.

Why legumes? In grass based pastures. Healthier soil- to pull nitrogen from the air and convert it into useable nitrogen and absorbed by the plant and converted to protein for cattle to utilise. As plants drop leaves the nitrogen goes back to the soil and feeds the grass and so on cycle, creating a nitrogen legacy effect and reducing the need for nitrogen based fertilises. Grow grass faster with higher quality = faster weight gain.

THIS PROJECT RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT‘S NATURAL RESOURCES RECOVERY PROGRAM AND THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT‘S FUTURE DROUGHT FUND.