THE FIRST winter-active dryland lucerne variety to be released in "close to 30-years" is showing some impressive results in paddock trials, according to PIRSA, SARDI research scientist Alan Humphries.
"This is the first year that SARDI-Grazer lucerne has been on the market," he said at the Grasslands Society update at Clare.
"It's the first major improvement in winter-active dryland lucerne for almost 30 years, since Hunterfield."
Mr Humphries said the variety had proven to be very hardy.
"It has an excellent level of grazing tolerance," he said.
"It's a little bit too early to say how it's doing commercially, as seed would have only been sown not long ago.
"For lucerne it's often two to three years after sowing before we know how happy farmers are with how varieties have performed."
Mr Humphries said the variety was developed in conjunction with GRDC funding and had performed well on deep sands and clay soils.
"It has performed well in a situation where there is more potential for sheep to dig up and eat the crown of a lucerne plant," he said.
"There have been a lot of trials sown under commercial conditions, as we want to test under the usual farm management pressures."
The lucerne exhibited excellent grazing tolerance in a dryland system.
"This has also transfered to performance in a high rainfall system and will be applicable to permanent pasture systems as well," Mr Humphries said.
"It has seen a benefit for all grazing systems."
It had also shown resistance to some "dampening-off" diseases - pythium and fusarium.
"Some trials have established where SARDI-Grazer really stood out in establishment under this conditions," he said.
The species is expected to have "really good" levels of drought tolerance - an "unexpected bonus".
*Full report in Stock Journal, August 1 issue, 2013.
