Survey of use and management of Lotus pedunculatus cv. Grasslands Maku in eastern Australia
1993
Harris, C.A. | Scott, J.M. | Blumenthal, M.J. (New England Univ., Armidale (Australia). Dept. of Agronomy and Soil Science)
Fourteen district agronomists were interviewed by telephone, and of the 100 questionnaires sent to farmers, 70 valid returns were received. The area sown to Maku along the coastal regions of eastern Australia increased from 100 ha in 1984 to 5500 ha in 1990. The main use of Maku was in beef enterprises; there was a lesser, but still substantial, use in the dairy sector. Maku was sown over a wide range of soil conditions. The district agronomists were unsure of the feed value of Maku. However, there was a high level of satisfaction among the farmers, with 87 percent of beef farmers and 75 percent of dairy farmers reporting its feed value to be equal to, or better than, white clover. All beef farmers intended to establish larger areas over their properties, whereas 21 percent of dairy farmers surveyed did not intend to expand their sowing of Maku pastures. From the results of both surveys a number of areas requiring research have been identified. These include aspects of establishment, dry matter production, quality, persistence, and seed production.
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