Increased yield and persistence of several annual medic species and Medicago sativa by inoculation with selected strains of Sinorhizobium meliloti and S. medicae

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 217 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Evans ◽  
J. G. Howieson ◽  
B. J. Nutt

A broad range of genotypes of Medicago sativa, and annual medics including M. polymorpha, M. tornata and M. littoralis were inoculated with strains of Sinorhizobium meliloti or S. medicae of differing effectiveness for symbiotic N2 fixation then sown at 4 field locations. Dry matter production over 2 seasons was strongly related to plant density, which in turn was related to symbiotic effectiveness. Eighteen months after sowing at Esperance, Western Australia, lucerne inoculated with strain WSM922 showed 79% higher plant density and 43% more production than control strain CC169. At Broomehill, no significant differences existed in dry matter production between lucerne cultivars inoculated with strains WSM922, WSM826 and U45. Across all lucerne genotypes, inoculation with WSM922 outyielded those inoculated with CC169 by 99%. At Jerramungup, the difference in yield between these 2 inoculant strains was 44%. Results were consistent with those previously obtained under controlled conditions and emphasised the necessity to remain aware of the symbiotic requirements of newly produced cultivars. An analysis of nodule occupancy at 1 site using PCR-RAPDs revealed the dominance of a particular rhizobial strain (WSM922) in uninoculated plots which had become colonised over 3 seasons. The necessity for separate inoculant species of Sinorhizobium in Australia to satisfy the symbiotic requirements of the acid and alkaline groups of medics was reaffirmed.


1970 ◽  
Vol 10 (47) ◽  
pp. 745 ◽  
Author(s):  
TE Launders

Seasonal yields and persistence of Hunter River and three introduced lucerne (Medicago sativa) cultivars (African, Du Puits, and Hairy Peruvian) were compared with two C.S.I.R.O.-bred lines, a hay type (C.1212) and a creeping type (Cancreep), over a five-year period between 1963 and 1968 under dryland conditions at Narrabri, New South Wales. After two years, Hunter River had significantly higher plant density than all other cultivars. By maintaining this superiority throughout the experiment, it was never exceeded in dry matter production in any season after the third summer. Spring yields of Cancreep compared favourably with Hunter River for three seasons, and there was little difference between most cultivars for four summers. Cancreep and Hairy Peruvian matched Hunter River in autumn-winter production for two seasons. In all cases decline in production during the third and fourth years is attributed to a lack of persistence in cultivars other than Hunter River.



1990 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 449 ◽  
Author(s):  
GK McDonald

The growth and yield of two lines of uniculm barley, WID-103 and WID-105, were compared over a range of sowing rates (50-400 kg/ha) with the commercial varieties Galleon and Schooner. The experiments were conducted at Strathalbyn, S.A., in 1986, 1987 and 1988 and at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute in 1987. A third tillered variety, Clipper, was included in the comparison in 1988. Over the three years plant populations measured early in the season ranged from 39/m2 to 709/m2, and grain yields from 97 to 41 1 g/m2. Dry matter production at ear emergence increased with greater plant density, and both the tillered varieties and the uniculm lines showed similar responses to higher sowing rates. At maturity, dry matter production of the tillered barleys was greater than or equal to that of the uniculms and the harvest indices (HIs) of the two types were similar. Consequently, grain yields of the tillered types were greater than or equal to the yields of the uniculms. Over the four experiments the tillered varieties had a 6% higher yield. The number of ears/m2 was the yield component most affected by plant density in both the tillered and uniculm barleys. The uniculm lines had more spikelets/ear, but tended to set fewer grains/spikelet and produce smaller kernels. The experiments failed to demonstrate any advantage of the uniculm habit to the grain yield of barley. These results differ from previous experiments that showed that a uniculm line, WID-101, had a higher yield than the tillered variety Clipper. It is suggested that the uniculm habit per se was not the cause of this higher yield, but its higher HI resulted in it outyielding Clipper. Current varieties, however, have HIs similar to the uniculm lines and yield equally to or more than the uniculm barleys examined. To further improve the grain yield of uniculm barley, greater dry matter production is necessary as the HIs of these lines are already high.



1999 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-438
Author(s):  
A. Megyes ◽  
A. Dobos ◽  
T. Rátonyi ◽  
L. Huzsvai


2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. McCaskill ◽  
M. C. Raeside ◽  
S. G. Clark ◽  
C. MacDonald ◽  
B. Clark ◽  
...  

Pastures sown to lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) with a perennial non-legume could increase feed supply relative to traditional pastures based on subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.). Such mixtures might also be preferable to pure lucerne pastures, which are prone to weed invasion. Yield and water-use efficiency (harvested dry matter per unit evapotranspiration) of mixtures with lucerne or subterranean clover were compared a field experiment established under rainfed conditions at Hamilton, Victoria. Soil moisture and dry matter production were measured over 2 years. Treatments included chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Shreb.) with either lucerne or subterranean clover; pure lucerne; and phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) with only subterranean clover. In the second year, dry matter production from lucerne mixtures exceeded that of equivalent mixtures with subterranean clover in spring, summer and winter. In spring, the lucerne component continued producing for longer than the clover component through its use of deeper stored soil water, and in summer, lucerne continued to grow slowly after the grass component had entered a drought-induced dormancy. In winter, the contribution from the lucerne component complemented, rather than competed with, that from the non-legume component. Water-use efficiencies during winter–spring ranged from 4 kg ha–1 mm–1 for chicory–clover to 27 kg ha–1 mm–1 for a fescue–lucerne mixture, and during summer–autumn from nil for cocksfoot–clover to 13 kg ha–1 mm–1 for a fescue–lucerne mixture. This study demonstrates that lucerne-based mixtures can increase forage supply per unit water use relative to traditional pastures based on subterranean clover.



2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (8) ◽  
pp. 1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Seymour ◽  
K. H. M. Siddique ◽  
N. Brandon ◽  
L. Martin ◽  
E. Jackson

The response of Vicia sativa (cvv. Languedoc, Blanchefleur and Morava) and V. benghalensis (cv. Barloo) seed yield to seeding rate was examined in 9 field experiments across 2 years in south-western Australia. There were 2 types of field experiments: seeding rate (20, 40, 60, 100 and 140 kg/ha) × cultivar (Languedoc, Blanchefleur, and Morava or Barloo), and time of sowing (2 times of sowing of either Languedoc or Blanchefleur) × seeding rate (5,�7.5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 75 and 100 kg/ha).A target density of 40 plants/m2 gave 'optimum' seed yield of vetch in south-western Australia. In high yielding situations, with a yield potential above 1.5 t/ha, the 'optimum' plant density for the early flowering cultivar Languedoc (85–97 days to 50% flowering) was increased to 60 plants/m2. The later flowering cultivar Blanchefleur (95–106 days to 50% flowering) had an optimum plant density of 33 plants/m2 at all sites, regardless of fitted maximum seed yield. Plant density in the range 31–38 plants/m2 was found to be adequate for dry matter production at maturity of Languedoc and Blanchefleur. For the remaining cultivars Barloo and Morava we were unable to determine an average optimum density for either dry matter or seed yield due to insufficient and/or inconsistent data.



2000 ◽  
Vol 40 (7) ◽  
pp. 939 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Ballard ◽  
N. Charman

The ability of 11 species of annual medics (Medicago doliata, M. laciniata, M. littoralis, M. minima, M. orbicularis, M. polymorpha, M. praecox, M. rigidula, M. rigiduloides, M. tornata and M. truncatula) to nodulate and fix nitrogen with naturalised rhizobia from 28 South Australian soils was assessed. The number of rhizobia in the soils was estimated. Medic shoot dry matter production and nodulation were measured, after inoculation of medic seedlings with a soil suspension, in 2 glasshouse experiments. The number of medic rhizobia ranged from 0.4 10 2 to 1.5 10 6 per gram soil. Medicago laciniata was the only medic species tested which was not consistently nodulated by the soil rhizobia. While all the other species formed nodules, they varied widely in their ability to form an effective symbiosis. Symbiotic performance (which indicates how much growth the medic line achieved, when compared to an effective inoculation treatment) of the medic species ranged from 3% (M. rigiduloides) to 67% (M. praecox). Herald (M. littoralis) achieved a symbiotic performance of 49% and it was estimated that this would be insufficient to meet the nitrogen requirements of a Herald-based pasture during early growth. The symbiotic performance of Santiago (M. polymorpha) was low (17%) and erratic (from –6 to 72%). The ability of the rhizobia to form an effective symbiosis varied widely also between soil regions. For example, the rhizobia in Riverland soils resulted in only 31% of the shoot dry matter of those in Eyre Peninsula soils, in association with M. polymorpha. There are significant opportunities to improve the symbiotic performance of a number of the species of annual medics examined in this study. Options to improve the effectiveness of the symbiosis of medics with naturalised soil rhizobia are discussed.



1982 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 773 ◽  
Author(s):  
RC Muchow ◽  
DB Coates ◽  
GL Wilson ◽  
MA Foale

The influence of plant arrangement and density on yield of the grain sorghum hybrid Texas 610SR grown as an irrigated dry season crop in the Ord Irrigation Area (lat. 16�S) was determined. Neither the rate of dry matter production nor the pattern of partitioning of dry matter during grain-filling varied between treatments, and grain yield was unresponsive to row spacings below 75 cm and densities above 267000 plants ha-1. The results were analysed by considering the effect of radiation interception and distribution in the canopy on dry matter production. The opportunity was then taken to compare this trial, and two others conducted at the same low latitude where grain yield was unresponsive to density, with four trials conducted at higher latitudes (27�S.) where Texas 610SR was very responsive to density. The effect is shown to be associated with radiation penetration into canopies. In the low latitude trials the poorer penetration of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) into high density stands could have resulted from lack of structural adjustment of the canopy, in contrast to the experience at medium latitude. Equally, there may have been an effect of lower solar angles at low latitude, resulting in the poorer PAR distribution. The consequence was a failure of response of dry matter production to increasing density, reflected in grain yield.



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