Abstract
Alfalfa and red clover are important perennial legumes for the production of high-quality fodder. The improvement of the forage quality of legumes is one of the strategic goals of breeding programs. Variation in quality traits (protein content (CP), neutral detergent fiber content (NDF), and acid detergent fiber content (ADF)) and relative feed value (RFV) among seven cultivars and 39 elite breeding populations of alfalfa and red clover was evaluated in the study. Significant differences were determined among the investigated cultivars/populations. Alfalfa populations L-8, 10, 12, 15, and 20 were characterized by a high CP content (up to 23.47%) and/or low NDF and ADF contents. The highest CP content in red clover was recorded in population CD-18 (21.89%), while the lowest NDF and ADF contents were determined in populations CD-19 and CD-4, respectively. High RFV was determined in alfalfa populations L-10, 12, 20, 15, 16, 8, 11, and 17 (prime fodder), and in red clover populations CD-4, 8, 16, 14, and 19 (premium-quality fodder). The identified superior alfalfa and red clover populations will be used to improve the nutritional value of forage crops in our breeding program, which will lead to the release of novel cultivars with improved forage quality.
Highlights
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) are two of the most popular perennial forage legumes and rich sources of highly nutritional voluminous forage for livestock feed [1,2,3,4]
The identified superior alfalfa and red clover populations will be used to improve the nutritional value of forage crops in our breeding program, which will lead to the release of novel cultivars with improved forage quality
In the different alfalfa population materials, crude protein (CP) content ranged from 21.25% (L-2) to 23.47% (L-8), while the average CP of all populations/cultivars was 22.26%
Summary
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) are two of the most popular perennial forage legumes and rich sources of highly nutritional voluminous forage for livestock feed [1,2,3,4]. As a local protein resource, alfalfa can be used for various farm animals and serve in the production of milk and meat for human consumption [7]. Red clover provides high-value feed for grazing livestock and, compared to other legumes, has a lower rate of protein degradation during ensiling [3,8]. Both species are valuable crops due to their agronomic advantages and their numerous beneficial environmental effects in terms of preserving soil fertility and reducing groundwater nitrate pollution due to the reduction in inorganic fertilizer use, preservation of biodiversity, soil erosion protection, mitigation of climate change impacts, fossil fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, etc. Only 56% of the crude protein (CP) used in European organic farming is of European origin [17]
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