LETHBRIDGE – Alfalfa is the queen of forages but it is not used as much as it could be because of its tendency to cause bloat.
New varieties and alternative legumes like sanfoin, feenugreek and cicer milkvetch may solve that problem, says plant breeder Surya Acharya of the Agriculture Canada Lethbridge research centre.
Most legume varieties do not do well under all conditions. Every farm needs to research what works best with its soil types, climate and management.
“One variety will not do the trick for everyone,” Acharya said at a recent grazing conference.
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However legumes are a necessary part of pasture health and improved cattle weight gain.
“Without legumes we do not have sustainable grasslands. You will not have the productivity you are looking for,” he said.
Acharya’s research projects are moving to develop a saline tolerant alfalfa.
Researchers hope to learn how tolerant the new type is at different growth stages. At this point they do not know how much salinity any new cultivar might withstand.
Work is also continuing on legumes with condensed tannins to prevent bloat. Tannins are produced in some plants to protect against pathogens, insects and herbivores.
When digested, tannins react with plant protein and create a low pH environment in the rumen. It also offers bypass protein that moves through the rumen to the small intestine, making the protein more available to the animal for growth rather than being excreted in urine.
Sanfoin contains condensed tannins in all plant parts as opposed to white clover where it is only found in the flowers.
Even a smaller percentage of sanfoin mixed with an alfalfa stand can reduce bloat.
Sanfoin can survive with proper management. Although easy to establish, sanfoin seedlings and plants lack competitive ability against other plants. Frequent clipping also weakens plant vigour. However, much of that agronomic knowledge is based on older varieties.
“Don’t say sanfoin is not very good because the varieties we had were probably not as good as they could be,” Acharya said.
He is developing varieties that can compete with alfalfa or grasses and grow at the same rate so that the plants survive second and third grazings.
The Lethbridge centre is part of the national forage breeding study aimed at improving traditional and nontraditional forage crops. Alfalfa, sanfoin and cicer milkvetch belong to the first group, while fenugreek is a newer forage legume.
