Evaluation of sainfoin-alfalfa mixtures of forage production and compatibility at a semi-arid location in southern Saskatchewan

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an adapted pasture legume for the semi-arid region of western Canada but its use is restricted because of ruminant bloat hazard. Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) is a non-bloat-inducing forage legume that yields less forage than alfalfa in this region. Mixture o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal of plant science 1994, Vol.74 (4), p.785-791
Main Authors: Jefferson, P.G, Lawrence, T, Irvine, R.B, Kielly, G.A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Biological and medical sciences
companion crops
continuous cropping
crop management
crop production
crop yield
Cultivars: description, identification, tests, catalogs
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genetics and breeding of economic plants
Medicago sativa
mixed cropping
Onobrychis viciifolia
row orientation
seed mixtures
sowing rates
temperature
Varietal selection. Specialized plant breeding, plant breeding aims
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Summary:Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an adapted pasture legume for the semi-arid region of western Canada but its use is restricted because of ruminant bloat hazard. Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) is a non-bloat-inducing forage legume that yields less forage than alfalfa in this region. Mixture of these legumes may mitigate respective weaknesses by combining their strengths. The objective of this research was to determine the stability of seed-mixture (two legumes seeded in the same row) compared to legume monoculture and alternate row seeding (two legumes seeded in separate but adjacent rows). Three trials were seeded on dryland sites at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, in 1977, 1986, and 1987. Treatments varied from the first trial to the last three but all trials allowed comparison of seed-mixture seeding to monoculture and alternate row swards. In the first and second trials, seed-mixture species composition shifted to alfalfa domination (> 90% alfalfa) over 5 yr more quickly than alternate row, presumably due to interspecific competition. In the other trial, seed-mixture was dominated by alfalfa within 2 yr after seeding due to drought stress. We concluded that sainfoin-alfalfa mixtures are not stable or sustainable in this semi-arid environment. Key words: Competition, ruminant bloat, onobrychis, seeding pattern
ISSN:0008-4220
1918-1833
DOI:10.4141/cjps94-140