Offered Papers Theme A: Efficient Production from Grassland
Description
Butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) is a productive and persistent legume adapted to a range of soils and climates in northern (tropical & sub tropical) Australia. Cultivar Milgarra, a composite line of introduced and naturalised accessions, was released in Queensland in 1991. The area planted in Queensland is a measure of its success, reaching <500ha in 1996; 5Kha by 1998; 30Kha by 2000; 50Kha by 2002; and 100Kha by 2004. Butterfly pea is used by cattleman mostly to grow and finish cattle. It is not grown extensively as a ley legume yet. Farmers who crop and have cattle, plant it but usually on cropping soils with limitations e.g. low plant available water capacity, shallow, low N or duplex soils. Farmers without cattle generally choose to use inorganic nitrogen as an N-source for crops.
Citation
Conway, Maurice J., "Butterfly Pea in Queensland: A Tropical Forage Legume Success Story" (2023). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 430.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/20/themeA/430
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Butterfly Pea in Queensland: A Tropical Forage Legume Success Story
Butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) is a productive and persistent legume adapted to a range of soils and climates in northern (tropical & sub tropical) Australia. Cultivar Milgarra, a composite line of introduced and naturalised accessions, was released in Queensland in 1991. The area planted in Queensland is a measure of its success, reaching <500ha in>1996; 5Kha by 1998; 30Kha by 2000; 50Kha by 2002; and 100Kha by 2004. Butterfly pea is used by cattleman mostly to grow and finish cattle. It is not grown extensively as a ley legume yet. Farmers who crop and have cattle, plant it but usually on cropping soils with limitations e.g. low plant available water capacity, shallow, low N or duplex soils. Farmers without cattle generally choose to use inorganic nitrogen as an N-source for crops.
