Wool production response to grazing Melilotus alba on salt affected land in south-west Victoria

Abstract

Seasonal variations in pasture supply and quality are a feature of most grazing areas of southern Australia. The summer/autumn feed-gap is a major constraint to increasing productivity and producing meat or wool to market specifications. Pastures adapted to saline discharge areas have the potential to produce high quality feed in summer/autumn. Melilotus alba, a legume native to temperate Europe and Asia, has produced more than 10 tonnes dry matter/ha per year on moderately saline land in south-west Victoria, with 60-70% of the total dry matter being produced between December and the end of February. This paper reports on the liveweight and wool production responses for sheep grazing M. alba-based pastures compared to other salt tolerant pastures.