Harvestable Annual Legume Options (HALO) project

The HALO project is focused on converting research insights into farming resilience, profitability and sustainability for our State’s growers.

The project is exploring harvestable annual legumes cultivars that can be used in rotation to reduce synthetic nitrogen fertilisers.

HALO is a co-investment between the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and WAARC (including its six members Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), CSIRO, Grower Group Alliance, and WA universities: Curtin, Murdoch, and The University of Western Australia).

DPIRD and Murdoch University Principal Research Scientist Ron Yates said incorporating legumes into crop rotations could reduce risk in the farming system by cutting fertiliser costs and allowing for better management of weeds, pests and diseases with positive flow-on effects for the environment.

“Our research team has hit the ground running, gathering and evaluating harvestable annual legumes that are suitable to grow productively throughout the WA agro-ecological zones,” Dr Yates said.

“The biggest challenge is finding those with the right hard-seed breakdown profile for dormant summer sowing establishment.”

The HALO project brings together the pasture legume breeding, agronomy and bio-economic modelling expertise of Murdoch University, DPIRD and CSIRO.

WAARC Director Kelly Pearce said the HALO project brought together funding partners and multidisciplinary collaborators for the advancement of agricultural R&D in our State.

“The Collaboration is committed to delivering impactful and enduring research outcomes that align with Western Australia’s agricultural priorities – this project has exciting potential benefits for industry,” Dr Pearce said.