CREEPING SHAW VIGNA PER KG COATED RVD

Shaw creeping vigna is a perennial tropical/subtropical legume used mainly in grazed pastures. It has slender, creeping and twining stems that root at the nodes, forming a dense mat under grazing. It is well suited to moist, well-drained soils, tolerates relatively low fertility and acidity, and performs particularly well with grasses such as kikuyu, bahia/carpet grass and paspalum. FFAOHome+1

• Small seed: approximately 75,000 seeds/kg. TTropical Forages
• Seed is generally scarified before sowing to improve germination. NNSW DPI
• Shaw is relatively slow to establish, so good seedbed preparation and adequate moisture after planting are important. NNSW DPI
• Once established, it is very tolerant of heavy grazing and can spread through both stolons and seed. NNSW DPI

For subtropical Queensland and northern NSW, the recommended sowing period is approximately September to March.

The preferred timing is:

• Early spring, once soil temperatures reach about 18°C and frost risk has passed.
• Mid-summer, provided reliable follow-up rainfall is expected. NNSW DPI+1

In practice, planting just before a period of reliable rainfall is more important than a fixed calendar date. Avoid sowing into dry soil with no forecast follow-up moisture.

Seeding rate

          2–3 kg/ha — recommended for creeping vigna in some pasture-variety guides. 

• 0.5–2 kg/ha — when included as part of a pasture mixture. YYUMPU

For Shaw creeping vigna specifically, a practical target is therefore around 1–2 kg of good-quality seed/ha in a grass-legume mixture, with the higher rate useful where establishment conditions are less favourable or where a stronger initial legume population is desired.

Important: Queensland DPI material lists the appropriate rhizobium as Group I (cowpea) or Group M for creeping vigna. EeResearch Archive

Establishment conditions

Shaw prefers:

• >1,100 mm annual rainfall with reasonably reliable moisture.
• Moist but well-drained soils.
• Acid and relatively low-fertility soils can be suitable.
• It does not tolerate prolonged drought or sustained waterlogging.
• Light shade is tolerated.
• Frost can kill the above-ground growth, but established plants can regrow from crowns/stolons. FFAOHome+1

For pasture establishment, prepare a firm, weed-free seedbed, sow the small seed shallowly, ensure good seed-to-soil contact, and avoid allowing the companion grass to become too competitive during establishment.