Messina Pasture Trial

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Messina showing promise in Cranbrook

The Gillamii Centre is working with DAFWA and UWA researchers on a the newest promising annual legume Messina. Department of Agriculture and Food Senior Research Scientist Phil Nichol and University of Western Australia researcher Natasha Teakle discussed the latest research results Messina (Melilotus siculus) at a field walk in November.

Showing promise in saline and waterlogged conditions, 21 varieties of Messina native to the Mediterranean were identified by Australia pasture researchers for further testing. Researchers from Department of Agriculture and Food , the South Australian Research and Development Institute, the Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre and the University of Western Australia are working together to identify the variety best suited to Australian agriculture.

Locally coordinated by the Gillamii Centre, the field trials have been set up on a typical barley grass flat at Twynam Cunningham’s property in Cranbrook, with a second site at Darkan. Though the 2010 establishment failed due to the poor season, this year’s sowing was successful and has showed impressive volumes of growth. Comparison plots of Frontier balansa clover and Scimitar burr medic were also established with Messina being the stand out performer on the site.

Gillamii Centre Chair and Cranbrook farmer, Ian Walsh was impressed with its performance. ‘Messina has the potential to really fill a gap in our current farming systems by being an ideal component in pasture systems on the marginal saline areas, especially under tall wheat grass’ he said.

Both the Cranbrook and Darkan Trials have found three particular varieties of Messina to be the standout performers. These will be tested further and a management package developed with a view to commercial release around 2015.

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