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1st Int. Transborder Conf. of the Timor Island: Timor %u2013 Science without borderDili, 7-8 May 202524Fourteen Years of Advancing Leucaena leucocephala cv. Tarramba: A Drought-Tolerant and Psyllid-Resistant Tree Legume for Sustainable Cattle Feeding in Timor-LesteM. L. Mullik1*, P. de Deus2, C. Varrella3, C. Amaral3, L. Coimbra3, Dahlanuddin4and Y. A. Sutaryono41Fakultas Peternakan, Perikanan dan Kelautan, Universitas Nusa Cendana, Indonesia2Instituto Politecnico de Betano, Same, Timor-Leste.3Minist%u00e9rio da Agricultura, Pescas, Pecu%u00e1ria e Florestas, Timor-Leste.4Fakultas Peternakan, Universitas Mataram, Indonesia*Corresponding author: marthenmullik@staf.undana.ac.idAbstractTree legumes are known for their high biomass production and high protein content for ruminants in tropical areas. Leucaena leucocephala cv. Tarramba is a relatively new hybrid tree legume introduced from Australia to West Timor in 2003. Proven to be drought-tolerant and psyllid-resistant, it was subsequently established throughout East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. In September 2011, this legume was introduced to Timor-Leste by an Indonesian research team from Universitas Nusa Cendana (Dr. Marthen L. Mullik) and Universitas Mataram (Dr. Dahlanuddin and Dr. Yusuf A. Sutaryono) in collaboration with a Timor-Leste (TLS) team, as part of an Australian government-funded project (ACIAR LPS-004). A nursery was established at the TLS Agricultural Research Centre in Loes for seedling production. In December 2011, the seedlings were planted at three sites using an alley cropping system, with crops (maize, cassava, and peanuts) planted in the alleys. The sites included: (1) 1.5 hectares at the Loes Research Centre, which served as a demonstration and learning site, (2) 0.5 hectares planted by 2 cattle farmers (in Loes and Sanirin village). All the three sites were located in Bobonaro District. The adoption rate by farmers at the early stage of Tarramba development in the country was very low. By mid-2012, only two cattle farmers had integrated Tarramba into their cropping lands. The main reason was that planting fodder was not part of the traditional cattle-rearing practices, as 90% of cattle farmers in Bobonaro District practiced free grazing. In addition, cattle fattening was not yet common in the area. To address this, a leucaena-based cattle fattening demonstration plot was established at the research station. Data from this plot showed that gross annual income from 1 hectare of the integrated crops%u2013leucaena%u2013cattle (ICLC) system was USD 7,676 compared to USD 3,124 from crops alone. Following this success, coordinators of livestock farmer groups from nearby villages were brought to the site study visit. As a result, two farmer groups and five individual farmers agreed to plant Leucaena. Based on this success story, the system became the foundation for cattle feeding practices implemented by two subsequent ACIAR projects (LPS-036 and LPS-038). From 2013 to 2018, the system was adopted by farmers in four other districts (Liqui%u00e7%u00e1, Manufahi, Laut%u00e9m, and Oecusse). Since 2020, the ICLC system has been adopted as a national program to improve cattle production in TLS. Data recorded by the Minist%u00e9rio da Agricultura, Pescas, Pecu%u00e1ria e Florestas (MAPPF) show that by the end of 2024, Leucaena leucocephala cv. Tarramba had been widely established and used as cattle feed by farmers in nine districts (Bobonaro, Liqui%u00e7%u00e1, Manufahi, Laut%u00e9m, Oecusse, Viqueque, Manatuto, Covalima, and Baucau). The remaining four districts are not suitable for Tarramba cultivation due to either high altitude and low temperatures (Aileu, Ainaro, and Ermera) or its urban environment (Dili). It can be concluded that within fourteen years of its initial introduction in 2011, Leucaena leucocephala cv. Tarramba has been successfully established and used as a protein source for cattle in all suitable agro-ecological areas of TLS.Keywords: Leucaena, alley cropping, Timor-Leste, psillid-resistant, drylands.