What summer legume grows fast and can handle a bit of salt in the soil?
We recommend Dash Lablab, a fast-growing annual tropical legume. It is reported to have good salt tolerance and good water use efficiency, and it handles dry spells well. Lablab needs warm soil, of about 16°C or more, to germinate. Inoculate the seed with the correct rhizobia so it nodulates well. Talk to us about the sowing rate for your conditions.
How quickly does Dash lablab get to flowering?
Dash Lablab is a quick lablab and is reported to flower well ahead of older lablab varieties, which makes it useful in shorter summer seasons. Dry matter peaks a few months after sowing. Lablab grows best in warm conditions, so sow once soil temperatures are 16°C or higher. Check with us for current variety details.
What can I grow over summer to fatten lambs and cattle on high protein feed?
Dash Lablab is a good option. Lablab is a high-protein summer legume that is used for fattening cattle and lambs and for dairy production. It recovers quickly after grazing and can keep growing into late autumn. It tolerates light frosts. Sow into warm soil of 16°C or more, with inoculated seed, and graze rotationally for regrowth.
How deep can I sow lablab seed?
Lablab has a large seed and can be sown deeper than most legumes, to chase moisture. Up to about 10cm has been reported for Dash, but we suggest sowing only as deep as needed to reach moisture. Sow into warm soil of 16°C or more and inoculate the seed before sowing. Talk to us about seeding rates for your situation.
Looking for a summer cover crop that fixes nitrogen and gives lots of bulk, any ideas?
We suggest Dash Lablab. As a vigorous twining legume, lablab produces plenty of biomass and fixes nitrogen when inoculated, which makes it a useful ley legume or cover crop. It is drought tolerant with good water use efficiency. Sow it on its own or with a summer grass such as our Shirohie Millet or Bounty Sorghum.
Can I sow a legume with forage sorghum to make the feed better?
Yes, we suggest Dash Lablab or our cowpeas. Lablab's twining habit lets it climb the sorghum, and its higher protein lifts the overall feed quality, while the legume also adds nitrogen to the soil. Sow once soil temperatures are 16°C or higher and inoculate the seed. Talk to us about suitable rates for a mix with our Bounty Sorghum.
How do I graze a summer lablab crop so it keeps coming back?
With Dash Lablab, we suggest rotational grazing and leaving enough leaf and stem for regrowth rather than grazing it into the ground. Lablab recovers quickly after grazing and can carry feed into late autumn. Introduce hungry stock gradually, as with any new legume. Avoid grazing the growing points too low, because that slows recovery.
Will a summer legume keep growing if we get some light frosts in autumn?
Dash Lablab is reported to tolerate light frosts and can keep growing into late autumn, which extends summer feed further than some other tropical legumes. Heavy frosts will still finish it off. For the best growth, sow early enough in the warm season, once soil temperatures reach 16°C or more.
Dash lablab vs cowpeas, which one should I sow?
Both are warm-season legumes that fix nitrogen and pair well with sorghum or millet. Dash Lablab is a twining plant reported to have good salt tolerance and to hold on into late autumn. Our Buff and Ebony Cowpeas establish easily, are frost tender and are well suited to hay and silage mixes. Tell us your soil and rainfall and we can help you pick.
Does a summer legume crop come back next year or do I resow?
Dash Lablab is grown as an annual in WA, so we recommend resowing each season. Use inoculated seed each time, or when sowing into new ground, so it nodulates well. It is best used as a summer grazing, cover or ley crop within a rotation, where its nitrogen benefits the following winter crop.
