Murdoch University has expertise in sustainable agriculture projects in Africa. It participated in ECCAL from 2007-2011 in South Africa, using conservation agriculture techniques like reduced tillage and legumes in maize systems to improve pasture production. Murdoch also participated in SIMLESA in 2011, setting up field trials in Ethiopia to study legume/maize cropping systems and inoculation. Murdoch staff offered to assist SIMLESA with legume inoculant production, field experiments, and training to promote rhizobium technology.

1. Murdoch University :
 ECCAL: Eastern Cape Community Arable Land Project
 SIMLESA: Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume
Cropping Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
Presented by
Dr. Anabel Vivas-Marfisi
Centre for Rhizobium Studies

2. Murdoch in ECCAL 2007-2011 eastern Cape
RSA:
• Use of Conservation
Agriculture in community
grasslands in South Africa by:
 reducing tillage to improve pasture production
on marginal lands
 use of legumes in maize systems

3. Annual re-seeding and resilient legumes sown into
grasslands to provide N and winter feed
Direct drilling (CA) at Rockcliffe

4. • Perennial species
August 1, 2007-Lushington
– Trifolium repens
– Medicago sativa
– Lotus corniculatus
– Lotononis bainesii
– Lespedeza cuneata
– Desmodium intortum
• Annual species
– Trifolium hirtum
– Trifolium vesiculosum
– Biserrula pelecinus
– Medicago polymorpha
– Ornithopus compressus

5. Legumes still present in March 2010

6. March 2010

7. High grazing pressure

8. Persistence 2007-2011

9. Annual legumes were also tested in maize rotations
-could have application in SIMLESA
Summer maize thriving after annual legume in winter 2010

10. Murdoch in SIMLESA:
• 2011:
• Field trials in Ethiopia set-up in March 2011
• (Pieter Conradie, Lambert Brau)
 Inoculation and BNF in Legume/Maize cropping systems
(Bako and Hawassa sites)
• Proposed Field trials in Malawi and Mozambique
 To promote the uptake and development of Rhizobium
technology-Legume inoculant manufacture

11. Murdoch in SIMLESA:
• Murdoch staff available to assist in:
 Legume inoculant manufacture and quality control
 Inoculation experiments
 Nitrogen fixation and transfer
 Specialist training classes
 PhD and MSc
 Scientist exchange

12. Murdoch expertise
• Rhizobiology
• Resilient and re-seeding legumes
• Nitrogen fixation in farming systems
CRS African team:
 Dr Anabel
Vivas-Marfisi
 Pieter
Conradie
 Prof John
Howieson
 Dr Ron
Yates