Seed collected from the Santorini ‘roadside’ 34 years ago has helped develop a new serradella for farmers

Seed collected from the Greek island of Santorini more than 30 years ago has been used to create a new serradella pasture for WA graziers running sheep, cattle and goats in low to medium rainfall areas. The new yellow serradella — called SerraMax — was bred by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development after seeds were collected and trialled by researchers during the past three decades. Serramax joins a growing list of about seven serradella varieties grown in WA, which includes a handful of yellow serradellas. DPIRD senior research scientist Clinton Revell has been involved in trialling the variety since the late 1990s and said the yellow serradella legume pasture could revitalise soil health and provide sustainable livestock feed. “What is a bit different about this seed is it seems to respond well to being buried shallowly, and we can use it by sowing an untreated pod shallow in the early part of summer,” he said. “If it is a dry summer it will germinate on winter rains. Or you can sow it as a traditional winter legume. “The species will regenerate from year-to-year or have enough dormant seed to survive through a cropping phase.” Mr Revell said the variety had been trialled at a selection of sites in WA, including Mingenew, Northam, Cunderdin and Esperance. He said it had been a case of “refining” which varieties worked best after a selection were collected from Santorini in 1987. “The seed hasn’t changed a lot, but we have selected plants that are quite productive or have good characteristics,” he said. “It is a selection of wild lines that were effectively growing on the roadside. “The conditions in the Mediterranean are very similar to here and the area has been a good source of seed for us.” WA Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the new variety provided a new pasture option for livestock producers and its nitrogen-fixing qualities would improve soil fertility and boost the yields of following crops. “Serramax will open the door to alternative production strategies for our farmers in low and medium rainfall areas, improving business resilience,” she said. “This new variety has been developed in WA using the expertise and experience of our scientists from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, hand-in-hand with local farmers and industry.” The hard-seeded variety is well suited to acidic sands and has been spruiked for its good insect and disease tolerance. It establishes quickly to outcompete germinating weeds and can be harvested with a conventional harvester. It is also suitable for use as a permanent pasture or in mixtures with perennial grasses due to its capacity to regenerate well compared with other yellow serradella varieties. DPIRD is moving to the next stage of bulking up seed for growers to buy in 2023. Ms MacTiernan said the new pasture option was being evaluated for grazing potential to provide year-round food supply through a combination of perennial and annual pastures and forage crops. “We encourage broadacre producers to investigate SerraMax and examine how this unique new pasture option could benefit their operation in the short and long term,” she said. SerraMax will be protected by plant breeders’ rights and an expression of interest process is under way to find growers willing to grow “a few hundred kilograms” of the seed next year for bulking up purposes. Mr Revell said DPIRD hoped to make it commercially available to farmers in 2023. To find out more, click here.