Desmanthus silage: a potential feed resource for the Northern Australian cattle industry

Desmanthus spp., is an introduced legume genus high in CP and ME and that is well adapted to the neutral to alkaline clay soils in the seasonally dry environments of northern Australia. As a monoculture crop with irrigation some cultivars can produce 20t DM/ha. To be useful as a feed resource, however, it needs to be capable of being harvested and conserved. We investigated the ensilability of five cultivars of Progardes Desmanthus that differed in morphology and growth habit. Desmanthus produced acceptable silage based on concentrations of lactic acid and pH and had nutritive characteristics similar to values reported for Lucerne (Medicago sativa) silage.

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20th Australian Agronomy Conference

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