Home > Agriculture > Series4 > Vol. 11 > No. 8
Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4
Keywords
Medicago, Phosphorus fertilizers, Coumestrol, Plant oestrogens
Disciplines
Endocrinology | Plant Biology | Sheep and Goat Science
First Page Number
180
ISSN
0021-8618
Abstract
Western Australia has a million acres of medics including various cultivars of barrel medic, Medicago truncatula, and strand medic, M. littoralis. Both species contain coumestrol, a chemical thought to have caused delayed conception and reduced twinning rates among grazing ewes in New Zealand.
No infertility has been reported among ewes grazing medic pastures in Western Australia, but coumestrol levels in both species have often been high enough to suggest the possibility of oestrogenic responses among sheep grazing them.
Recommended Citation
Marshall, T and Parkin, R. J.
(1970)
"Phosphate applications affect the coumestrol level of medics,"
Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol. 11:
No.
8, Article 8.
Available at:
https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4/vol11/iss8/8