New legumes sought from around the globe in salinity battle

A worldwide hunt for plants to help in the battle against salinity has proved to be promising, with a series of new species of herbaceous and perennial legumes under investigation.

In 2001 the Centre for Rhizobium Studies coordinated a project involving scientists from Murdoch University, The University of WA and the Department of Agriculture WA to scour the planet for plant species that might fl ourish in the soils of the WA Wheatbelt. The project was funded by GRDC.

'We were looking for areas in the world with similar climate and soil profi les where robust perennial plants might grow that could withstand the low pH soils and high temperatures of the Wheatbelt,' said Associate Professor Howieson, who leads the project.

'We found that South Africa was the ideal place to look for specimens, and the project has been more successful than we could have originally hoped.'

The project team have already discovered at least 35 legume species previously unknown to modern agriculture, and the scientists believe that many may have an adaptation to acidic soils and low rainfall.

These species have been introduced into testing seedlots under quarantine at Murdoch University and Drs Ron Yates and Daniel Real have begun the task of evaluating the plants. 'As with any new legume program, the fi rst step is to develop the appropriate rhizobia so that we can assess these plants without compromise,' said Professor Howieson.

'This project is a watershed in the arena of discovery of perennial legumes as it has directed the focus of plant collection away from the Mediterranean basin where it has been concentrated for the previous 50 years. These newly discovered species should have the capacity to dewater soils and thus be hydrologically competent for new farming systems. The discoveries come at a good time, because after 5 years of research to evaluate existing perennial legumes for the Wheatbelt of WA, no new options have emerged.'