Leucaena leucocephala - the Most Widely

Used Forage Tree Legume

H.M. Shelton and J.L. Brewbaker

• It is estimated to cover 2-5 million ha worldwide (Brewbaker and Sorensson 1990).

• forage, leucaena can

• provide firewood, timber, human food, green manure, shade and erosion control

• It was introduced into Australia in the late 19th

• century and it was naturalised in parts of northern Australia by 1920 (White 1937).

• Leucaena has its origins in Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico where its

fodder value was recognised over 400 years ago by the Spanish conquistadores

• a, is a thornless long-lived shrub or tree

• which may grow to heights of 7-18 m. Leaves are bipinnate with 6-8 pairs of pinnae bearing

• 11-23 pairs of leaflets 8-16 mm long. The inflorescence is a cream coloured globular shape

which produces a cluster of flat brown pods 13-18 mm long containing 15-30 seeds

• Botanically, leucaena belongs to the family Mimosaceae; it is the best known species

of the Leucaena genus and has a variety of common names There are, however, at least 14 other
species recognised in the genus. These are L. collinsii, L. cuspidata, L. diversifolia, L. esculenta, L.
greggii, L. lanceolata, L. macrophylla, L. multicapitula, L. retusa, L. pallida, L. pulverulenta, L.
salvadorensis, L. shannoni and L. trichodes. Leucaena leucocephala and L. pallida, and one
subspecies of L. diversifolia, are polyploids (104 chromosomes) while all other species are diploid (52
or 56 chromosomes). Leucaena leucocephala and the tetraploid varieties of L. diversifolia are
selfpollinating while the others are outcrossing

• The species may be distinguished on the basis of their tree size, flower colour, leaflet size and
pod size (Anon. 1990)

•
Brisbane city council weed identification

• Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland, the

Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales, and on Christmas Island. It is actively
managed by community groups in Queensland and the Northern Territory and was recently listed as
a priority environmental weed in three Natural Resource Management regions.It is also very invasive
in other parts of the world, being listed in the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD) and regarded
to be in the top 100 of the world's worst invasive alien species.

Queensland Government

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries

• Leucaena provides high quality feed for ruminant animals that boosts liveweight gain both
per animal and per hectare, compared to grass-only pastures.

• Climate

• Leucaena performs best in tropical climates (hot, wet summers and mild winters) and
effectively stops growing when the average day temperature falls below 15oC.

• Preferably, annual average rainfall needs to be above 600 mm.

• Leucaena is frost sensitive, however will re-grow from stored soil moisture in spring.

• Continual intensive grazing will severely stunt and/or kill leucaena, so protection of young
plants is essential. Plant sufficiently large areas or fence small areas from hares, wallabies, kangaroos,
emus, etc.

• Protect the long-term future of leucaena as a pasture plant by stopping it becoming a weed
around your farm or neighbouring properties. Do not plant leucaena close to waterways or
boundaries to minimise the weed potential (follow the guidelines in The Leucaena Network’s code of
practice).

• Aim to establish 5-10 plants per metre of row.

• Cultivar selection

• Four commercial cultivars are available, all of which are susceptible to psyllid attack:

• Peru is shrubby with good basal branching.

• Cunningham generally produces more dry matter and edible material than Peru and is a
prolific seeder.

• Tarramba is taller, more tree-like, produces less seed and has greater early seeding and cold
vigour. It is susceptible to psyllid attack but grows sooner after psyllid damage.

• Wondergraze is the latest release which has similar early seedling vigour and psyllid
tolerance but is bushier than Tarramba.
• A new psyllid resistant variety is soon to be released. It will be highly suited to coastal
districts where psyllids can significantly reduce forage production.

• cause
(Queensland Government natural resources and mines 2003)
The source of some of these Infestations is not known the majority of naturalised stands of Leucaena
leucocephala ssp. glabrata originate from nearby grazing properties and have occurred over the past
twenty years and they may date back to the 1920s.

• Affect
(Queensland Government natural resources and mines 2003)Although leucaena does not
readily invade undisturbed forests or Woodlands, it invades riparian areas—both
undisturbed and disturbed. Given the high Rate of disturbance of water bodies, this species
poses a threat to most coastal Wetlands and in inland areas. Small infestations of Leucaena
leucocephala ssp. Leucocephala, generally between 0.5–5 ha in size, are currently scattered
throughout coastal and subcoastal areas of Queensland, often on roadsides and in riparian
areas. To date, an estimated 1 000–9 000 ha of Queensland has been infested by leucaena,
mostly Leucaena leucocephala ssp. leucocephala, and approximately 100 000 ha of Leucaena
leucocephala ssp. glabrata have been planted Annual benefits to the state From the current
leucaena production systems and area are estimated at $14 million Live weight Gains of 0.7–
1.70 kg/head/day have been achieved in leucaena/grass pastures. This Growth is comparable
to, or higher than, grazing on buffel grass alone (0.47–1.30 Kg/head/day) and to grain-fed lot
feeding (1.41 kg/day).

• solution

(Queensland Government natural resources and mines 2003)Breeding of shy seeders or sterile lines
would also Help to reduce the invasive potential of this species in the commercial plantings. The
expenditure required to control the plant in areas where it is not wanted is Currently minor, but will
increase with more spread. Using a registered herbicide such as SPINNAKER 700 WDG HERBICIDE ,
Control costs for treatment of dense leucaena infestations are estimated to be about $1,000 per
hectare, although most infestations are made up of scattered plants and Small stands, and much of
the cost relates to the time taken to find and treat the Scattered plants. The cost of immediate
control of all infested sites in Queensland Would be between $5.9 and $14.7 million, and would need
to include ongoing, but Cheaper, seedling control although Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting
effects which makes this solution non-favourable considering most infestations are in riparian
habitats.

Walton, CS 2003, Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) in Queensland, pest status review series- land
protection, (Queensland Government natural resources and mines 2003)

•
•

• A

• There are no native species of this Genus in Australia (Cowan 1998)

• SPINNAKER® 700 WDG HERBICIDE

• ACTIVE CONSTITUENT: 700 g/kg IMAZETHAPYR

• APVMA Approval No: 49625/57716

• 700 g/k IMAZETHAPYR

• HAZARD STATEMENT

• PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENT (Response)

• Collect spillag

• Grazing management

• Leucaena contains a toxin called mimosine that can cause weight and hair loss. Upon
introduction, cattle need to be inoculated with the ‘leucaena bug’, a rumen bacteria which can be
sourced from the department’s Tick Fever Centre at Wacol (Brisbane)

• Healthy leucaena/grass pastures are highly suited to rotational grazing systems. Continuously
grazing leucaena does not maximise productivity and may lead to height control issues.

• Follow the guidelines in The Leucaena Network’s code of practice, as plants that produce
seed can contribute to the weed spread of leucaena.

• Leucaena and the environment

• Ground cover

• Good management of nitrogen-producing leucaena enables a productive and vigorous grass

that provides high ground cover year-round, maximising water capture and reducing run-off and
erosion.

• Soil fertility

• Effectively nodulated leucaena will produce sufficient nitrogen for its own needs. However,
incorporating a vigorous companion grass maximises pasture production and improves soil fertility
and organic matter production. This will improve soil health and structure.

• Water balance
• Leucaena is a deep-rooted perennial plant that has a high water requirement (roots have
been found to a depth of 5 m). This high water use can create massive cracking in some soils,
assisting infiltration during heavy storms.

• Deep roots enable leucaena to remain productive and provide quality feed during periods of
dry weather when shallow-rooted grasses have stopped growing.

• Manage leucaena so cattle have access to all available feed.

• Weed potential and the code of practice

• Leucaena is a highly productive plant but can constitute a weed if seeds spread and
germinate away from grazing animals.

• Leucaena can produce large amounts of dormant seeds that will germinate over a number of
years.

• Unwanted plants can be easily controlled using a woody weed herbicide such as Access®.

• The Leucaena Network has developed a code of practice that all producers should follow to
maximise the productivity of leucaena while minimising the weed potential.

• Abc rural by Pat heagney

• What do you do with a plant that is both a highly invasive pest and a bountiful beef crop?
Susan Cunningham’s property in Rockhampton backs onto a creek, and leucaena is overtaking it. “It’s
always been an issue, but it’s gotten a lot worse in the last several years,” she explained. “It’s
incredibly invasive, and it basically breeds like rabbits. “We had to work very hard to get rid of it
when we first arrived here. “Looking at how much work is ahead of me is both demoralising and
terrifying.” Grant Mathers, a planning and regulatory councillor in Rockhampton, said leucaena was a
problem everywhere along the Queensland coast.

• “We’ve heard reports from Townsville, the Whitsundays, and Gympie,” he added. “When it
gets into our cities… it clogs up our waterways.” “We have big concerns with localised floods, and we
also have a fire hazard since leucaena burns easily and hotly.” The plant was not an invasive species
in Rockhampton, according to Cr Mathers, because it benefited graziers. “It’s a tough one because
it’s still allowed to be produced as cattle fodder, so it can’t be considered invasive,” he explained.

• “However, it’s a catch-22 because if it’s not under control, you can see the problems we and
other councils are having.” Bron Christensen is the executive director of the Leucaena Network, a
producer organisation that promotes the use of leucaena as a beef fodder crop. She claimed that
leucaena had grown in popularity in recent years, especially when the University of Queensland
published Redlands, a psyllid-resistant cultivar of the plant, in 2019. “It has the potential to
completely revolutionise a grazing system,” Ms Christensen explained. “Because it’s a legume, it fixes
nitrogen, increases live weight gain, and allows you to improve your stocking rate by four times.” “It
has a lot of benefits to productivity.”

• The plant’s capacity to flourish in severe conditions, according to Ms Christensen, is

especially useful in Queensland’s erratic environment. “It has a deep tap root and is really resilient,”
she said. “It has the ability to cling on during long periods of drought or dryness.” Greg Brown, a
grazier from North Queensland and a past president of the Cattle Council of Australia, said the
capacity of leucaena to live was a major selling point for producers. “It’s a plant that can treble your
annual weight growth and has foliage 365 days a year,” he claimed. “It’s not for every cattle producer,
but there are a lot of us who think it’s a wonder plant.”

• Mr Brown, on the other hand, believes that if leucaena is not well handled, it can become a
problem. “It’s obviously a weed in the wrong location.” “There’s no doubt about it,” he stated. “You
have to put in a lot of effort to obtain the best results, and you also have to make sure you’re not
causing problems for others.” “Most people do,” says the narrator, “but not everyone is that
conscientious.” While there were roughly 150,000 hectares of the plant on grazing property across
Queensland, Ms Christensen said that the leucaena coming into towns was not due to rural
expansion. “A lot of the problems you’ll see in waterways and urban areas are caused by common
leucaena, which is a different species than what growers plant for grazing,” she explained.

• “I’ve gotten some opposition from people who say farmers should be getting in the rivers
and clearing out the creeks, but as a producer group, there’s not much we can do or demand our
graziers to do because it’s common leucaena.” She claimed that graziers followed a tight code of
conduct. “We vigorously promote our code of practise, and we take it extremely seriously.” The
Rockhampton Regional Council was doing its best to control the plant’s rapid expansion, according to
Cr Mathers, but jurisdiction and financial difficulties were hampering efforts

Lot of people don’t understand the waterways we have all through our region are actually controlled
by the state government,” he said.

“It’s really hard for local government; we can’t get in those waterways and work on the issue until we
have permission from the state government.
“We need their authority, but we also need some funding from them to control this.”

(Biosecurity Act 2015 2017), (Livingstone Shire Council Biosecurity Plan 2019-2024 2019),
(Rockhampton Regional Council Biosecurity Plan 2022-2026 2022), (Heagney 2022),(Keating 2019;
Moran, Hoffmann & Hill 2011),(Olckers 2011; Shelton, HM & Brewbaker 1994; Shelton, M, Daizell, S,
Tomkins, N, Buck ,S 2021; Walton 2003)

Biosecurity Act 2015 2017, WatE Department of Health and the Dpartment of Agriculture, vol. 61,
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2017C00303

Heagney, P 2022, Leucaena, the cattle wonder crop and invasive weed that's choking creeks, adding
to fire risk, https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2022-05-28/weed-or-cattle-feed-leucaena-creeps-
into-urban-areas/101100588

Keating, M 2019, Lifting Leucaena adoption in north Queensland, Meat and Livestock Australia,
https://era.daf.qld.gov.au/id/eprint/7483/.

Livingstone Shire Council Biosecurity Plan 2019-2024 2019, LS Council, Rockhampton,

https://www.livingstone.qld.gov.au/downloads/file/1677/livingstone-shire-council-biosecurity-plan-
2019-2024

Moran, V, Hoffmann, J & Hill, M 2011, 'A context for the 2011 compilation of reviews on the
biological control of invasive alien plants in South Africa', African Entomology, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 177-
185. available

Olckers, T 2011, 'Biological control of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit (Fabaceae) in South
Africa: a tale of opportunism, seed feeders and unanswered questions', African Entomology, vol. 19,
no. 1, pp. 356-365. available

Rockhampton Regional Council Biosecurity Plan 2022-2026 2022, PMURR Council, Rockhampton,
https://www.rockhamptonregion.qld.gov.au/CouncilServices/Invasive-Plants-and-Animals/
Biosecurity-Plan

Shelton, HM & Brewbaker, JL 1994, 'Leucaena leucocephala-the most widely used forage tree
legume', Forage tree legumes in tropical agriculture.(Eds. RC Gutteridge and HM Shelton). CAB
International. Wallingford, UK, vol. 15. available

Shelton, M, Daizell, S, Tomkins, N, Buck ,S 2021, 'Leucaena The productive and sustainable forage
legume', The University of Queensland, 2.

Walton, C 2003, 'Leucaena', Leucaena leucocephala. available