Landholders flock to Miles for productive and persistent legume pastures workshop

Despite recent widespread rain, landholders gathered at Miles for the fully subscribed ‘Productive and Persistent Legume Pastures’ workshop, with a waitlist already growing for the next round in March 2025. The workshop which is tailored for producers in the Brigalow Belt, provided interactive learning opportunities to equip participants with practical techniques for reliable legume establishment and long-term persistence. It included locally relevant insights from long-term research trials in the region.

“Legumes can increase stocking rates and liveweight gains per animal by boosting pasture production per hectare and improving diet quality,” was a key point participants heard during the event.

In the Brigalow Belt, relying solely on rainfall for legume establishment provides only a 50% chance of receiving the necessary germination and follow-up rain. However, by implementing moisture storage practices and reducing competition from weeds, the reliance on high rainfall events is reduced. This approach increases the likelihood of storing the necessary moisture for successful establishment to over 90%.

Participants were guided through the process of creating targeted Management Action Plans tailored to their individual properties, ensuring practical and achievable outcomes. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with 100% of attendees reporting they had gained valuable new insights. Key take home messages included the long-term benefits of legumes, effective management and establishment techniques, species selection, and the best times to plant.

“Legumes are tricky to grow, but they are worth it in the long term,” one participant noted.

This workshop is part of the Queensland Pasture Resilience Program, a partnership between the Department of Primary Industries, Meat & Livestock Australia, and the Australian Government through the MLA Donor Company.