1. Legumes for better crops
Angelo Loi

2. The NITROGEN story How much N do these legumes fix ?
Are they all the same?
Are they fixing enough N for a crop?
How many crops can I grow ?
……….

3. 20 kg of Urea / t DM of pasture legume produced,
will be available the next year
…As long as the legume is well nodulated

4. Result  Bacterial fingerprint unique for each rhizobia
Mass-to-charge ratio
Relative intensity (%)
MALDI-TOF
spectrum ID
Nodule … suspension … 3x wash … spotting … spectra acquisition … ID within minutes
400μl H2O
Centrifuge +
Wash
Because traditional isolation of rhizobia is a tedious and time consuming job, we developed MALDIID which allows ID directly from nodules.
Here I present the workflow of this technique, which
Starts with quashing the nodules in water, then washing with centrifugation to get rid of root tissue, spotting on a maldi plate and acquiring the spectra
This provides us with an ID within minutes and enables the investigation of large collection of nodules.
Result  Bacterial fingerprint unique for each rhizobia

5. Rhizobia identification directly from the nodule
Our new tool allows:
Rhizobia identification directly from the nodule
Quick feedback on inoculation success: sample deposit to results in 14 days
Cost effective: reliable rhizobia ID for $70 per sample
For more information regarding sample collection, shipping, ordering and payment methods:
Contact Sofie De Meyer
So our new tool allows us to identify the rhizobia directly from the nodule without the need for culturing and therefore allows us to provide quick feedback to the farmers on the inoculation success.

6. 20 kg of Urea / t DM of pasture legume produced,
will be available the next year
2016
Legume
5t/DM/ha
2017
Crop
100/Urea/ha
2018
Crop
100/Urea/ha
2019
Crop
100/Urea/ha
…As long as the legume is well nodulated

7. If there is no response = No need for extra Nitrogen
Nitrogen trials to investigate crop (wheat & barley) response to organic nitrogen (biserrula, serradella, bladder clover).
No N
Urea
50 kg/ha
100 kg/ha
150 kg/ha
200 kg/ha
If there is no response = No need for extra Nitrogen

8. Esperance - Gibson
2013- a) Cadiz French serradella, b) no serradella
Wheat
pH (CaCl2): 4.8
No S +Ser
Amm N:
Nitr N:
Org. Car. %
No N
Urea
50 kg/ha
100 kg/ha
150 kg/ha
200 kg/ha
Plus serradella
Yield Protein
t/ha %
No serradella
Plus serradella
Yield Protein
t/ha %
No serradella
Plus serradella
Yield Protein
t/ha %
No serradella
Plus serradella
Yield Protein
t/ha %
No serradella
Plus serradella
Yield Protein
t/ha %
No serradella
Lsd (P=0.05);Yield = 1.03, Protein%= 1.3

9. 4.3 11.8 4.4 11.0 4.4 11.6 4.3 11.5 No N Urea 50 kg/ha Urea 100 kg/ha
Wheat (Mace)
pH (CaCl2): 4.9
Amm N: 8
Nitr N: P: K: S:
Org. Car. % 1.17
Location : Cunderdin
: Sub clover
LSD P= 0.05: n.s.
Yield Protein
t/ha %
Urea
50 kg/ha
Urea
100 kg/ha
Urea
150 kg/ha
Urea
200 kg/ha
No N

10. Wheat (Mace)
pH (CaCl2): 5.3
Amm N: 3
Nitr N: P: K: S:
Org. Car. % 1.86
Location : Brookton
: French serradella
LSD P= 0.05: n.s.
Urea
50 kg/ha
Urea
100 kg/ha
Urea
150 kg/ha
Urea
200 kg/ha
No N
Yield Protein
t/ha %
Yield Protein
t/ha %
Yield Protein
t/ha %
Yield Protein
t/ha %
Yield Protein
t/ha %

11. : Wheat (Calingiri)
pH (CaCl2): 5.5
Amm N:
Nitr N: P: K: S:
Org. Car. % 1.14
Location : Dandaragan
: Serradella mix
LSD P= 0.05: Yield 0.9; Prot %: 1.2
Urea
50 kg/ha
Urea
100 kg/ha
Urea
150 kg/ha
Urea
200 kg/ha
No N
Yield Protein
t/ha %
Yield Protein
t/ha %
Yield Protein
t/ha %
Yield Protein
t/ha %
Yield Protein
t/ha %

12. 2015
Wheat grain yields and protein % after growing bladder clover in 2014 at Babakin.
Control
No Nitrogen
Urea
50 kg/ha
100 kg/ha
150 kg/ha
200 kg/ha
LSD
(P=0.05)
Yield t/ha
2.3
2.4
2.0
2.2
1.9
0.5
Protein %
11.0
11.2
13.5
14.2
16.2
0.7
Wheat grain yields and protein % after growing biserrula in 2014 at Ardath
Control
No Nitrogen
Urea
50 kg/ha
100 kg/ha
150 kg/ha
200 kg/ha
LSD
(P=0.05)
Yield t/ha
3.4
3.5
2.9
3.2
2.8
0.6
Protein %
13.9
12.5
13.8
14.1
15.9
0.7

13. Is the model true? ? ? 5t/DM/ha 2016 Legume 2017 Crop 100/Urea/ha 2018
2019 ? ?
Is the model true?

14. Trials 2016:
Lake king
Chapman Valley
Scaddan

15. Lake King 2015: Biserrula 2016: Wheat Yield t/ha Amm N Nitr N
Paddock 1
2015: Biserrula
2016: Wheat
Amm N Nitr N
0-10cm
pH (CaCl2): 5.2
Org. Car. % 0.8
Control
No Nitrogen
Urea
50 kg/ha
100 kg/ha
150 kg/ha
200 kg/ha
Yield t/ha
Protein %
Nitrogen Trial

16. Chapman Valley 2013: Biserrula 2014: Oats 2014: Biserrula
Paddock 1
2015: Biserrula
2016: Wheat
Paddock 3
2013: Biserrula
2014: Oats
2015: Canola
2016: Wheat
Paddock 2
2014: Biserrula
2015: Canola
2016: Wheat
Amm N Nitr N
0-10cm
pH (CaCl2): 5.8
Org. Car. % 0.7
Amm N Nitr N
pH (CaCl2): 4.7
Org. Car. % 0.6
Amm N Nitr N
pH (CaCl2): 5.5
Org. Car. % 0.7
Control
No Nitrogen
Urea
50 kg/ha
100 kg/ha
150 kg/ha
200 kg/ha
Yield t/ha
Protein %
Nitrogen Trial

17. Scaddan 2013: Medics 2014: Wheat 2015: Wheat 2016: Barley 2015: Medics
Paddock 1
2015: Medics
2016: Wheat
Paddock 2
2013: Medics
2014: Wheat
2015: Wheat
2016: Barley
Amm N Nitr N
0-10cm
pH (CaCl2): 7.8
Org. Car. % 1.7
Amm N Nitr N
0-10cm
pH (CaCl2): 7.6
Org. Car. % 2.0
Control
No Nitrogen
Urea
50 kg/ha
100 kg/ha
150 kg/ha
200 kg/ha
Yield t/ha
Protein %
Nitrogen Trial

18. Lake King
Paddock 1
2015: Biserrula
2016: Wheat
Total N= 11.6 Kg/ha
LSD P= 0.05: n.s.
Yield Protein
t/ha %
No N
Urea
50 kg/ha
100 kg/ha
150 kg/ha
200 kg/ha

19. Total biserrula biomass : DM 10t/ha
Chapman Valley Biserrula Casbah (Trial 1:1)
Total biserrula biomass : DM 10t/ha

20. Chapman Valley
Wheat 2016

21. Chapman Valley
Paddock 1
2015: Biserrula
2016: Wheat
Total N= 81.3 kg/ha
LSD P= 0.05: n.s.
Yield Protein
t/ha %
No N
Urea
50 kg/ha
100 kg/ha
150 kg/ha
200 kg/ha
Zadoks 55
DM 6.4 t/ha

22. Paddock 2
2014: Biserrula
2015: Canola
2016: Wheat
Chapman Valley
Total N= 52.1 kg/ha
LSD P= 0.05: n.s
Yield Protein
t/ha %
No N
Urea
50 kg/ha
100 kg/ha
150 kg/ha
200 kg/ha
Zadoks 55
DM 5.0 t/ha

23. Chapman Valley
Paddock 3
2013: Biserrula
2014: Oats
2015: Canola
2016: Wheat
Total N= kg/ha
LSD P= 0.05: n.s.
Yield Protein
t/ha %
No N
Urea
50 kg/ha
100 kg/ha
150 kg/ha
200 kg/ha
Zadoks 55
DM 4.7 t/ha

24. Paddock 1
2015: Medics
2016: Wheat
Scaddan
Total N= 114 mg/kg
LSD P= 0.05: n.s.
Yield Protein
t/ha %
No N
Urea
50 kg/ha
100 kg/ha
150 kg/ha
200 kg/ha
Zadoks 55
DM 7.0 t/ha

25. Paddock 1
2013: Medic
2014 Wheat
2015 Wheat
2016: Barley
Scaddan
Total N= mg/kg
LSD P= 0.05: Yield : 0.8 Prot: n.s.
Yield Protein
t/ha %
No N
Urea
50 kg/ha
100 kg/ha
150 kg/ha
200 kg/ha
Zadoks 55
DM 6.9 t/ha

26. - 100 to 200 kg N can be fixed in an ‘average’ legume pasture
- N15 studies show that 99% of legume N is fixed

27. Excellent extension exercise
Estimate correctly the legume biomass
t/ha (DM) is very important
Simple extension package

28. - Farmer confidence
- Correct inputs for the model

29. Lake King 2016
Summer sowing Margurita French serradella
Imazethapyr (100g/ha) and Propyzamide 1l/ha as p.s.p.e.
Sheep
(Serradella biomass 10t/ha ungrazed, 5t/ha grazed)
Weed wiper in spring

30. Best rotation ? etc…………………… Lake King 2016
Pasture Wheat Barley Pasture
Pasture Wheat Wheat Barley Pasture
Pasture Canola Wheat Barley Pasture
etc……………………

31. Thanks
Mob