Western Canadian producers will have a new forage crop in their arsenal
next spring.
Surya Acharya, a forage breeder at Agriculture Canada’s research centre
in Lethbridge, Alta, said the first forage fenugreek variety for
Western Canada will be aimed at the cattle industry, its largest
potential market.
Fenugreek is an annual legume with diverse environmental and economic
potential.
In collaboration with Stan Blade of Alberta Agriculture, the Lethbridge
centre has developed several fenugreek lines for the region and expects
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the first commercial variety to be available to producers in 2003.
“The shift to conservation farming practices and the steady expansion
of the cattle industry has fuelled the demand for high-quality forage,”
said Acharya.
“Our research has shown that fenugreek offers several advantages for
both growers and livestock producers.”
Acharya said that studies led by Lethbridge animal nutritionist Zahir
Mir show that fenugreek has similar nutritional quality to alfalfa and
is a unique source of diosgenin, a natural growth-promoting hormone.
There is anecdotal evidence that fenugreek also reduces manure’s foul
odour. It makes good silage and could be used in mixtures with alfalfa.
The crop compares well with alfalfa on several other fronts. Both crops
are high-quality legumes that boost land’s health and productivity by
fixing nitrogen in the soil. In trials, one cut of fenugreek silage
yielded as much dry matter as two cuts of alfalfa.
The crop has slightly less protein – 16 to 18 percent compared with 18
to 20 percent for alfalfa – but holds its quality much longer
throughout the season, giving producers more flexibility for harvest.
“Fenugreek won’t compete directly with alfalfa because it’s not a
perennial, but it will fill an important niche as a high-quality annual
legume,” Acharya said.
“Fenugreek can fit into short-term rotations that most perennial
forages can’t, so it provides another forage option to give producers
more flexibility.”
Fenugreek also contains compounds with oxytocin activity, a hormone
that induces milk letdown in humans and animals, he said. This may lead
to further use in dairy cattle.
Weed control is a major challenge, but studies led by Lethbridge weed
scientist Jim Moyer have identified herbicides and management
strategies to overcome this hurdle. The Lethbridge centre will pursue
minor-use registration for using these herbicides with fenugreek.
“Perennial forage crops tend to suppress weeds after the establishment
year, but fenugreek is an annual legume, so high quality forage must be
produced in one season,” Moyer said.
“Without herbicides, weeds can take up over 70 percent of dry matter,
which is clearly unacceptable. But using the right herbicides in
combination with good management will provide effective weed control.”
