Low rainfall pasture programme

The Headquarters of dry land pasture project was transferred to Merredin from Perth for the 1980 season. The aim of the programme is to ascertain the place that legume pasture might play in the dryland farming system. It is aimed to test and introduce improved varieties of pasture species and develop management systems which will improve pasture production and persistence in the low rainfall areas of the wheatbelt. 1. Variety testing. 2. Establishment techniques; a. Rates of under sowing. b. Rates of N and rates of under sowing. c. Depth of sowing with under sowing. d. Herbicides on cereals under sown with clover. 3. Libyan and South Australian Medic collections. Pasture species trial – 80ME28. Rate of undersowing with nungarin clover – 80TS40, 80ME27. Rates of nitrogen on wheat undersown with rates of sub. clover – 80TS39. Herbicides on wheat undersown with nungarin sub. Clover – 80ME28 and 80TS41. Effects of herbicides on wheat with and without undersown nungarin sub. clover – 80MO31. Depth of undersowing wheat with nungarin subclover. Property: R. Robartson – E. Merredin. Libyan and South Australian Medic collection. A collection of early maturing Libyan material and a collection of aphid resistant lines from the South Australian collection were sown in rows at two sites. The sites were Merredin Research Station on a sandy loam soil which carried salmon gum in its virgin state. The second site was on a neighbouring property, K. Cahill on a much heavier soil type which carried salmon gum and gimlet in its virgin state