Source: The St. Paul Journal via Agnet Aug 17/05

A three-year project, funded through the Alberta Crop Industry Development Fund (ACIDF), was started in 2004 that will evaluate several annual legumes for their potential as seed crops in Alberta. The species under evaluation have various agricultural and nutritional attributes associated with their use including:

• low bloat qualities
• high yield and high nutritional quality forage
• extended grazing either as early pasture or fall pasture
• green manure and soil improvement as rotational crops
• reclamation uses and stabilization of roadsides
• specialty honey production
• alternate crops for pollinators such as leafcutter bees

"The species being evaluated include arrowleaf clover, berseem clover, crimson clover, Persian clover, rose clover and woolypod vetch," says Henry Najda, research scientist with Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development's Crop Diversification Centre South ('CDCS), Brooks. "Comparative seeding treatments include two row spacings and three different seeding rates."

There are four experimental locations being used in this trial. These include two irrigated sites at the CDCS and the substation at Bow Island; an irrigated site at Lethbridge with cooperator Dr. Surya Acharya of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; and, cooperator Dr. Jane King has a rain-fed site at the University of Alberta, Edmonton.

"First-year results for three of the species of annual legumes that were tested showed encouraging potential for good economic returns. The species that showed promising results were crimson clover, rose clover and woolypod vetch," says Najda.

Crimson clover prefers well-drained sandy, clay or loam soils with a 6.0 to 7.0 pH range. It is an early maturing clover with moderate bloat potential. It has a low hard seed content. This species had 10 per cent bloom around mid-July at most locations and the seed matured well at Bow Island and Brooks with average seed yields of 982 and 1227 kg per hectare, respectively.

Rose clover prefers sandy, clay or loam soils and is adapted to a 5.5 to 8.3 pH range. It does best on well-drained soils. It is of medium maturity and has a low bloat potential. Rose clover has a high hard seed content. Results for this species were very encouraging and commercially viable. Average seed yields at Bow Island and Brooks were 1263 and 1158 kg per hectare respectively.

Woolypod vetch is tolerant of poorly drained soils and to acidity. It is used for green manure and for extending the grazing season. Yields were very encouraging for this species and were 1819 and 1332 kg per hectare at Bow Island and Brooks, respectively.

"In year two of the study, harvest techniques used in alfalfa seed to encourage crop dry down will be implemented to facilitate seed harvest for later flowering species such as arrowleaf, berseem and Persian clover," adds Najda.