Forage legumes

This plant grows in dry grasslands, green slopes, steppes, borders of wood, valleys. It can be made into silage, grazed, or fed as greenchop. Alfalfa usually has the highest feeding value of all common hay crops. It is used less frequently as pasture. Under irrigation it gives 80-120 t of green mass or 20-40 tons of hay from 1ha after 8-10 hay cuttings. Crop yield is 0,2-1,4 t/ha. The best t for germination is 18-20C. It feels well at 22-30C. If there is much humidity, alfalfa can resist high t 37-42C. It is also cold and drought resistant. Best harvests are yielded when planting in humid soil. First year after seeding the plant starts blossoming in 50-60 days and then normally gives flowers in 30-40 days after each mow. The same seed ‘generation’ lives for 10-25 years but is used only from 2 up to 8 years in agriculture.

Clover is a ‘simple plant’: cold and drought resistant, frost resistant as well, although it is hard for it to thrive in shadowy conditions. Clover is widely used as a range plant and is forage for cattle. It is a honey plant. Bees can make about 100 kg of honey for 1ha of the field sown with clover. Seeding is normally 2,5 – 3 kg for 100 m². Germintation is 9-12 days under favorable conditions.

Sainfoin is a perennial forage and honey plant, grows at the same place from 3 to 7 years. It should be cultivated to get the best hay for cattle. It is drought resistant and can grow in almost all types of soil except acid and swamped types. It is highly recommended to plant it in black/chernozemic soil or soil rich for lime. Sainfoin is sensitive to low temperatures, frosts can worsen its yield. However, it can grow even on steep slopes and in stone land. As green manure crop it is sown – 800 g/100 m². It should be cropped within its blossom time to make hay.

Melilotus is a two year honey plant. Its blossom time is nearly one month. Sweet clover has yellow and white flowers. It can grow in almost any kind of soil, is resistant to droughts. You may get a better harvest if to plant it in salt soil. However, it may fail if soil is too acidic. It is recommended to seed 100-140 g/100 m². Melilotus is often used as green manure. Being turned into the soil it increases its nitrogen and organic matter content. Being sown in late autumn or even in the snow, scarified seed will germinate before competing weeds. The unscarified type is best sown in spring.