Forage Legumes Research Articles

Detection of quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with spring regrowth in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Spring regrowth is an important trait for perennial plants including alfalfa, the most cultivated forage legume worldwide. However, the genetic and genomic basis of the trait is largely unknown in alfalfa due to its complex genetic background of the tetroploid genome. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with spring regrowth using high-resolution genetic linkage maps we constructed previously. In total, 36 significant additive effect QTLs for the trait were detected. Among them, 10 QTLs individually explained more than 10% of the phenotypic variation (PVE) with four in P1 and six in P2. Six overlapped QTLs intervals were detected with two and four intervals distributed in P1 and P2, respectively. In P1, both overlapped genomic regions were located on homolog 7D. In P2, the four QTLs with PVE>10% were co-localized on homolog 6D. Meanwhile, six pairs of significant epistatic QTLs were identified in P2. Screening of potential candidate genes associated with four overlapped QTLs (qCP2019-8, qLF2019-5, qLF2020-4, and qBLUP-3) narrowed down one candidate annotated as MAIL1. The Arabidopsis homolog gene has been reported to play an important role in plant growth. Therefore, the detected QTLs are valuable resources for genetic improvement of alfalfa spring vigor using marker-assisted selection (MAS), and further identification of the associated genes would provide insights into genetic control of spring regrowth in alfalfa.

Chromosome-level assembly of the common vetch (Vicia sativa) reference genome.

Vicia sativa L. (common vetch, n =6) is an annual, herbaceous, climbing legume, originating in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East and now widespread in the Mediterranean basin, West, Central and Eastern Asia, North and South America. V.sativa is of economic importance as a forage legume in countries such as Australia, China, and the USA, and contributes valuable nitrogen to agricultural rotation cropping systems. To accelerate precision genome breeding and genomics-based selection of this legume, we present a chromosome-level reference genome sequence for V.sativa, constructed using a combination of long-read Oxford Nanopore sequencing, short-read Illumina sequencing, and high-throughput chromosome conformation data (CHiCAGO and Hi-C) analysis. The chromosome-level assembly of six pseudo-chromosomes has a total genome length of 1.65Gbp, with a median contig length of 684Kbp. BUSCO analysis of the assembly demonstrated very high completeness of 98% of the dicotyledonous orthologs. RNA-seq analysis and gene modelling enabled the annotation of 53,218 protein-coding genes. This V.sativa assembly will provide insights into vetch genome evolution and be a valuable resource for genomic breeding, genetic diversity and for understanding adaption to diverse arid environments.

Increased Nitrogen Retention and Reduced Methane Emissions of Beef Cattle Grazing Legume vs. Grass Irrigated Pastures in the Mountain West USA

Grazing studies were carried out over a 5-year period using pregnant cows, yearling calves and 2-year-old heifers to investigate the influence of diet on intake, methane (CH4) emissions and retention of nitrogen (N). Monoculture legume (birdsfoot trefoil, BFT and cicer milkvetch, CMV) or grass (meadow bromegrass, MBG) pastures were rotationally stocked, and during year 4 and year 5, treatments were contrasted with total mixed rations (TMR) fed in confinement. The sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) method was used to continuously measure enteric CH4 emissions. Intake was greater on legume pastures and on TMR than on grass pastures, and enteric CH4 emissions per unit of intake were lower on legumes compared with grass pastures. Legume pastures had elevated non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) concentrations (400 g kg−1 dry matter; DM) typical of perennial legumes cultivated in the Mountain West. A N balance calculated in 2017–2018 demonstrated that N retention was greater for TMR and legume than grass pastures. Enteric CH4 emissions of grazing cow herds account for the majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from beef production and can be significantly reduced by using highly digestible forage legumes. The N retention of legumes can potentially enhance the efficiency of N use, thereby increasing the sustainability of grasslands.

Critical Agronomic Practices for Establishing the Recently Domesticated Perennial Herbaceous Forage Legume Tedera in Mediterranean-like Climatic Regions in Western Australia

Tedera is a Mediterranean perennial herbaceous forage legume that remains green during summer and autumn with minimal leaf drop when grown in the medium to low rainfall zones of Western Australia. This unique attribute allows out-of-growing-season grazing that can complement the traditional grazing system based on winter annual species. Tedera is a traditional rangeland forage in the Canary Islands, where it recruits naturally from seed. Now, following its domestication, an agronomy package needs to be developed to allow reliable establishment of commercial plantings. From 2017 to 2020, experiments were conducted at Cunderdin, Dandaragan, Three Springs, Manjimup, and Merredin in WA using the tedera cultivar Lanza®. The experiments evaluated four sowing times, two sowing depths in the field sites, six sowing depths in a glasshouse experiment, three sowing rates, and three row spacings. Plant counts, establishment percentages, and dry matter biomass productions were measured. Based on this experimental experience it is concluded that Lanza® tedera performs best if sown just before or early after the start of the rainy season, at 2 cm of depth, with a 15 kg/ha sowing rate, and at a row spacing of 22 cm.

Genome Assembly of Alfalfa Cultivar Zhongmu-4 and Identification of SNPs Associated with Agronomic Traits

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most important legume forage crop worldwide with high nutritional value and yield. For a long time, the breeding of alfalfa was hampered by lacking reliable information on the autotetraploid genome and molecular markers linked to important agronomic traits. We herein reported the de novo assembly of the allele-aware chromosome-level genome of Zhongmu-4, a cultivar widely cultivated in China, and a comprehensive database of genomic variations based on resequencing of 220 germplasms. Approximate 2.74 Gb contigs (N50 of 2.06 Mb), accounting for 88.39% of the estimated genome, were assembled, and 2.56 Gb contigs were anchored to 32 pseudo-chromosomes. A total of 34,922 allelic genes were identified from the allele-aware genome. We observed the expansion of gene families, especially those related to the nitrogen metabolism, and the increase of repetitive elements including transposable elements, which probably resulted in the increase of Zhongmu-4 genome compared with Medicago truncatula. Population structure analysis revealed that the accessions from Asia and South America had relatively lower genetic diversity than those from Europe, suggesting that geography may influence alfalfa genetic divergence during local adaption. Genome-wide association studies identified 101 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with 27 agronomic traits. Two candidate genes were predicted to be correlated with fall dormancy and salt response. We believe that the allele-aware chromosome-level genome sequence of Zhongmu-4 combined with the resequencing data of the diverse alfalfa germplasms will facilitate genetic research and genomics-assisted breeding in variety improvement of alfalfa.

Warming and soil water availability affect plant–flower visitor interactions for Stylosanthes capitata, a tropical forage legume

The reproductive success of a zoophilous plant species depends on biological interaction with pollinators, which involves both the provision and exploitation of flower resources. Currently, there is little information about how future climate change scenarios will impact interactions between plants and their flower visitors in the tropics. This study analyzes the effects of warming and two soil water conditions on interactions between the tropical forage legume species Stylosanthes capitata and its floral visitors during the flowering period. We used a temperature-free air-controlled enhancement (T-FACE) facility to simulate future warming scenarios by increasing canopy temperature. The tested treatments were: irrigated and ambient canopy temperature (Control); non-irrigated and ambient canopy temperature (wS); irrigated and elevated canopy temperature (eT, +2 °C above ambient canopy temperature); and non-irrigated and elevated canopy temperature (wSeT). The effects of treatments on the time of flower opening and closing, sugar concentration in the nectar, and plant–flower visitor interactions were assessed. In the warmed treatments, S. capitata flower opening occurred ~45 min earlier compared to non-warmed treatments, and flowers remained opened for only ~3 h. Further, the sugar concentration in the nectar from eT was 39% higher than in the Control. The effects of warming on floral biology and flower resource production in S. capitata had an impact on the plant–floral visitor relationships with the bees Apis mellifera and Paratrigona lineata, the most abundant potential pollinating floral visitors, and the butterfly visitor Hemiargus hanno. Additionally, around noon, the interactive and additive effects of the combined wS and eT treatments decreased insect visiting frequency. These results suggest that warming and soil water deficiency could affect flower–visitor interactions and thus the reproductive success of S. capitata in tropical belts.

Effect of incremental proportions of Desmanthus spp. in isonitrogenous forage diets on growth performance, rumen fermentation and plasma metabolites of pen-fed growing Brahman, Charbray and Droughtmaster crossbred beef steers.

Desmanthus (Desmanthus spp.), a tropically adapted pasture legume, is highly productive and has the potential to reduce methane emissions in beef cattle. However, liveweight gain response to desmanthus supplementation has been inconclusive in ruminants. This study aimed to evaluate weight gain, rumen fermentation and plasma metabolites of Australian tropical beef cattle in response to supplementation with incremental levels of desmanthus forage legume in isonitrogenous diets. Forty-eight Brahman, Charbray and Droughtmaster crossbred beef steers were pen-housed and fed a basal diet of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay supplemented with 0, 15, 30 or 45% freshly chopped desmanthus forage on dry matter basis, for 140 days. Varying levels of lucerne (Medicago sativa) hay were added in the 0, 15 and 30% diets to ensure that all diets were isonitrogenous with the 45% desmanthus diet. Data were analyzed using the Mixed Model procedures of SAS software. Results showed that the proportion of desmanthus in the diet had no significant effect on steer liveweight, rumen volatile fatty acids molar proportions and plasma metabolites (P ≥ 0.067). Total bilirubin ranged between 3.0 and 3.6 μmol/L for all the diet treatments (P = 0.67). All plasma metabolites measured were within the expected normal range reported for beef cattle. Rumen ammonia nitrogen content was above the 10 mg/dl threshold required to maintain effective rumen microbial activity and maximize voluntary feed intake in cattle fed low-quality tropical forages. The average daily weight gains averaged 0.5 to 0.6 kg/day (P = 0.13) and were within the range required to meet the target slaughter weight for prime beef markets within 2.5 years of age. These results indicate that desmanthus alone or mixed with other high-quality legume forages can be used to supplement grass-based diets to improve tropical beef cattle production in northern Australia with no adverse effect on cattle health.

Genome-Wide Investigation of the Cysteine Synthase Gene Family Shows That Overexpression of CSase Confers Alkali Tolerance to Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

Alfalfa is widely grown worldwide as a perennial high-quality legume forage and as a good ecological landcover. The cysteine synthase (CSase) gene family is actively involved in plant growth and development and abiotic stress resistance but has not been systematically investigated in alfalfa. We identified 39 MsCSase genes on 4 chromosomes of the alfalfa genome. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that these genes were clustered into six subfamilies, and members of the same subfamily had similar physicochemical properties and sequence structures. Overexpression of the CSase gene in alfalfa increased alkali tolerance. Compared with control plants, the overexpression lines presented higher proline, soluble sugars, and cysteine and reduced glutathione contents and superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities as well as lower hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion contents after alkali stress. The relative expression of γ-glutamyl cysteine synthetase gene (a downstream gene of CSase) in the overexpression lines was much higher than that in the control line. The CSase gene enhanced alkalinity tolerance by regulating osmoregulatory substances and improving antioxidant capacity. These results provide a reference for studying the CSase gene family in alfalfa and expanding the alkali tolerance gene resources of forage plants.

Overexpression of an ABA-inducible homeodomain-leucine zipper I gene MsHB7 confers salt stress sensitivity to alfalfa

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the foremost forage legume crop worldwide for diary production and ecological balance. Salinity has become a crucial factor affecting crop productivity. Plant unique homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factors are reported to play significant roles in abiotic stress signaling transduction and regulation. This study was conducted to elucidate the regulatory roles of an alfalfa HD-Zip I transcription factor, Medicago sativa homeobox 7 (MsHB7), on salt stress response. MsHB7 was indicated to be located in nucleus with transactivation activity. Expression pattern analysis revealed that MsHB7 was induced by abscisic acid (ABA) and salt (NaCl) stress. Enhanced salt sensitivity in MsHB7-overexpressing alfalfa was reflected by the morphological and physiological performances. In addition, genes regarding antioxidation (MspxdC and MsCatalase4) and ABA response (MsABI1 and MsSnRK2.6) were down-regulated in MsHB7-overexpressing alfalfa compared with wild type. These data suggested that MsHB7 played a negative role on alfalfa salt stress regulation, which could be through repressing expressions of ABA-responsive genes, MsABI1 and MsSnRK2.6, and antioxidant enzyme coding genes, MspxdC and MsCatalase4. This study could enlarge knowledge of alfalfa HD-Zip I gene regulation mechanism, and provide important strategy for salt-tolerant alfalfa breeding.

Factors related to productivity and persistence of lucerne (Medicago sativa) genotypes with different fall dormancy levels: a review

The lucerne productive and nutritional potential make it the most used forage legume worldwide. This wide use leads genetic improvement programs to increasingly select the main requirements for a given edaphoclimatic condition. However, in Brazil, the research on genetic improvement of lucerne has been limited over the years, which has hindered the production of this species and the domination of other legumes in animal production, as estilosantes and pigeon pea. This literature review aimed to present results from countries such as New Zealand and Australia that lead the world ranking, as weel as Argentina, in the cultivation of this crop and that can be used as showcase to understand the management of lucerne. From extensive bibliometry analyses in the period between 1963 and 2021, variables as persistence and phyllochron in these countries indicate that it is possible to produce lucerne with similar productivity, longevity and quality in Brazil. Nevertheless, to leverage this production, not only genetic improvement should be aimed, but also research and dissemination of knowledge on the ideal management of defoliation and, mainly, on the choice of the genotype and dormancy level to be cropped by the producer.

Effect of growing forage legumes on the migration and survival in the pasture of gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep.

In order to identify types of forage that inhibit pasture contamination, an evaluation was performed of the effect of the forage legumes Trifolium repens (white clover), Trifolium pratense (red clover) and Lotus corniculatus (bird's-foot-trefoil) on the survival and migration of infective larvae (L3) of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) of sheep. An experimental area of 441 m2 was divided into four blocks, subdivided into areas of 1.20 × 1.20 in which the three forage legumes were separately overseeded. After growth of the forage in each subdivision, experimental units were established that were later artificially contaminated with sheep faeces containing GIN eggs. Between October and December 2018, pasture, faecal and soil samples were collected on four occasions during weeks 1, 2, 4 and 8 after the deposition of faeces. In week 6, the forage legumes in all the experimental units were mown to simulate grazing. The number of L3 was quantified to determine their survival in the pasture, faeces and soil. In addition, the horizontal migration of L3 was measured at two distances from the faecal pellets (10 and 30 cm), as well as their vertical migration at two heights of the plant stems, that is, lower half and upper half. Larvae vertical migration was affected by the forage species (P < 0.001), in that bird's-foot-trefoil contained fewer larvae in the upper stratum. Bird's-foot-trefoil restricted the migration of L3 to the upper stratum of the plant, which could potentially decrease the risk of infection by intestinal nematodes in grazing sheep.

Light interception, agronomic performance,and nutritive quality of annual forage legumes as affected by shade

Annual legumes can adapt to reduced light, a condition common in intercropping, by increasing the efficiency with which they convert energy into dry matter (DM). The performance of five forage legumes under reduced light–simulated by growing them under a shade net was evaluated in terms of agronomic adaptation, light interception, and the quality of forage. A third of the plot length was covered with Aluminet shade cloth 20–25 days after planting to reduce sunlight reaching the crop canopy to 30% of that without shade. Leaf area index (LAI) and light interception (LI) were significantly different depending on the species and shading up to 50–60 days after planting but not thereafter. Shading reduced DM significantly (p = 0.05), by 31–39% in 2009 and by 26–35% in 2010. Lima bean was affected the most (DM reduced by 43%), followed by pigeonpea (39%), whereas lablab (17%) and cowpea (29%) were affected the least. It affected dry matter in leaves and pods more than that in the stem. Shading had only a marginal influence on the concentration of crude protein,but increased the content of acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber. Overall, lablab and cowpea were best adapted to reduced sunlight and therefore will be suitable for intercropping • Shade has a significant effect on canopy development and dry matter of all the legume species. • Shade has a significant effect on leaf chlorophyll, light interception, and leaf area index. • Impact of shade varies with legume species and affects relative feed quality, including digestibility.

Responses of selected tropical forage legumes to imposed drought

Drought tolerance is an important attribute for the establishment of forage legumes in the rangelands of the seasonal semi-arid tropics. This experiment examined the seedling rooting depth, plant biomass, and other growth parameters of 5 perennial tropical legumes in response to different watering and drying regimes. Centrosema brasilianum cv. Oolloo and Macroptilium bracteatum (CPI 55770) produced deeper roots, greater root biomass, and more root nodules than Stylosanthes scabra cv. Seca and Desmanthus virgatus (CPI 79653), however only D. virgatus produced deeper roots and increased biomass in response to the drought treatment. Arachis triseminalis (CPI 91423), C. brasilianum and M. bracteatum flowered during the 9-week course of the experiment, with the latter two species producing pods. Seca, A. triseminalis and D. virgatus show adaptations of drought-tolerance, whilst C. brasilianum and M. bracteatum are adapted to drought avoidance.

Comparing adaptive responses of new and old lucerne (

Lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) is a major perennial forage legume worldwide. In Greece, new cultivars have been introduced mainly from the USA, Australia and Italy. However, some of these cultivars have not been tested locally before their widespread release. A field experiment was conducted from 2013 to 2016 in central Greece to compare the performance of 22 lucerne genotypes, including both local Greek and introduced genotypes, under irrigated Mediterranean conditions. There were three harvests in 2013 and five in each of the following years. Measurements included annual and total dry matter (DM) yield, harvest ratios, quality traits and agronomic parameters. Yields after the second year declined by 11.9–26.4%, possibly due to summer heat stress and reduced plant survival. However, several semi-winter-active cultivars were more persistent (by 19.4%) than highly winter-active cultivars. Three local, semi-winter-active cultivars and one introduced highly winter-active cultivar were the top performers for total DM yield (63.8–67.3 t DM/ha). Forage nutritive values showed small differences among cultivars. Evaluation of seasonal yield distribution was effective for comparing adaptive responses of genotypes in relation to the winter activity effect. Spring harvest ratio was more indicative (r = 0.92) of genotype total DM yield than was plant survival (r = 0.70). Specifically, highly winter-active cultivars showed higher autumn and spring harvests (by 36.4% and 7.9%, respectively) than semi-winter-active cultivars, which produced higher summer yields (by 35.7%). A regional program to breed more winter-active genotypes, which can capitalise on the longer preceding season with greater stand persistence, heat tolerance, summer productivity and height (&gt;82 cm) and with more nodes (&gt;18), could be beneficial for forage yield increase under the anticipated climatic changes.

Diversity and ecological niche modelling studies in Trifolium repens L. (White clover) in the region of north-western Himalaya, India

Trifolium repens L., commonly referred as white clover, is one of the important stoloniferous perennial range legume growing in temperate regions. The introduction of forage legumes in agro-ecosystem provides nitrogen enrichment in soil and mobilizes other nutrients. Further, it has a tremendous potential to help rehabilitate temperate grasslands and decrease the severe fodder shortage in the Himalayan region. In recent decades, collecting and exploration of forage species germplasm, including white clover, have been in the focus of researchers. The collected material shall act as a safe repository for different improvement programmes in future as the germplasm has been stored in the Long Term Module of the National Gene Bank. In this study, maximum entropy (MaxEnt) technique of niche modelling was used to explore probable new areas for the collection of white clover germplasm and identify favorable climate for characterization, cultivation, evaluation and on-farm conservation in the Indian Himalayan region, which comprises the of Jammu Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Significant variation was observed in plant height (15.5 to 37.6 cm), floret number per flower head (9.24 to 52.4), 100 seed weight (0.038 to 0.077), dry matter yield per plant (6.2 to 15.1 g), leaf length (15.6 to 48.4 mm), leaf width (11.2 to 39.6 mm). Very highly significant variation was also observed in ?V? marking. Dendrogram grouped the 22 accessions into two clusters based on the average linking method. Cluster I consisted of five accessions (IC-615818, IC- 615817,IC-622352, IC-615815, and IC-622362), cluster- II could be grouped into sub-cluster-IIA and sub-cluster- IIB. Cluster IIA consist of six accessions (IC- 622338, IC-622379, IC-622382, IC-622401, IC-622343 and IC-62237), whereas cluster-IIB comprise of 11 accessions (IC- 615814 IC- 615811, IC-615819, IC-622376, IC-622383, IC-615812, IC-622385, IC-615816, IC- 615817, IC-622415 and IC-622406). In this study, maximum entropy (MaxEnt) technique of niche modelling was used to explore probable new areas for the collection of white clover germplasm, identifying favorable climate for characterization, cultivation &amp; evaluation and on-farm conservation in the Indian Himalayan region comprising the Union Territory of Jammu Kashmir and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Evaluation of Forage Legumes on Feed Intake, Growth Performance and Economic Feasibility of Borana Bucks Supplemented Natural Grass Hay as Basal Diet

The current experiment was performed using twenty (20) Borana bucks with 17.12 kg initial live body weight at on-station of Yabello Research Center. The aim of this experiment was to conduct the live weight change, nutrient and dry matter intake within economic viability of Borana bucks feed Lablab purpureus, Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and their mixture fed a basal diet of natural grass hay. Experiment consist seventeen (70) days feeding trial excluding two weeks of adaptation period to treatment diet. Experimental animals grouped into four blocks of five animals in each block to their respective treatment diet according to their body weight. Treatments diet arranged as T1 (400gm Cowpea+ ad-lib Natural grass hay), T2 (300gm Lablab + ad-lib Natural grass hay), T3 (267gm Cow pea+100gm lablab + ad-lib Natural grass hay) and T4 (100gm Cow pea+225gm lablab + ad-lib Natural grass hay). All Experimental bucks had free access to hay. Daily feed intake was measured and live body weight changes of experimental bucks were taken ten by ten days interval. The basal diet intakes of experimental bucks were higher in T2, T4 T3 and T1 accordingly. Experimental bucks had significantly affected by treatments and nutrient composition. Therefore, experimental bucks under T2 had higher (69.6g/d) than T4 (64g/d), T3 (53.22g/day) and T1 (51.79 g/day) respectively. Besides to this T1 (0.09) and T3 (0.08) shows lowest feed conversion efficiency and highest feed conversion ratio as compared to the other treatments. Treatment T2 (0.09) and T4 (0.08) shows highest feed conversion efficiency and lowest feed conversion ratio as compared to the other treatments According to the current finding total dry matter intake based up on percent body weight (%BW) and dry matter intake based on metabolic body weight (g/kgW^0.75) indicate significance difference in the treatments groups.. T1 has highest total variable cost in the current study followed by experimental animals in T4, T2 and T3 respectively. Bucks under T2 with T4 had indicates more profitable marginal rate of return more than T1 and T3. So, providing additional feed through preserving/growing forage during rainy season especially at lowland area is crucial. Therefore, the current study indicate that supplementation of forage legumes during dry season is biologically acceptable and economically tangible especially an area where feed shortage is critically scarce.

The carbon footprint of beef cattle systems in the Southeast United States

Grasslands in the Southeast United States (SE US) cover 15.8 million ha and most of this area is dedicated to beef production systems. This region holds 6.3 million beef cows and 12.1 million cattle, including calves. Beef cattle systems in the SE US are mostly cow-calf based, and most of the greenhouse gas emission from cattle occurs during this phase (cow-calf) because of their forage-based diet. This review assessed the carbon footprint (C footprint) of beef cattle systems in the SE US and indicates possible ways to reduce it. Major emissions in beef cattle systems come from livestock enteric fermentation and greenhouse gases from excreta. Cow-calf systems in the SE US are typically low input, although they use some industrial fertilizers, machinery, and fossil fuel, which adds to the C footprint of the sector. There are opportunities to reduce the beef C footprint in the SE US by adopting climate-smart practices, including preservation of natural ecosystems that have potentially high carbon sequestration, afforestation, integration of forage legumes (and reduction of nitrogen fertilizer), use of slow-release fertilizers, and dietary interventions. In fact, depending on the level of adoption of some of these practices, it is possible to establish climate-neutral beef at the farm gate in the SE US. Beef is a key food for humans and has large economic effects. Development of climate-smart beef could create opportunities for a niche market that recognizes the environmental footprint of agricultural production and could incentivize producers to pursue those systems.

Evaluating warm‐season annual forages to fill summer forage gaps in short‐season climates

AbstractAnnual warm‐season forages have been used to fill productivity and nutritional gaps during summer months throughout the southeastern United States. However, their performance and nutritive value in cooler, short‐season temperate climates above 40 °N has been less well studied. This study evaluated the forage mass and nutritive value of four warm‐season annual forages {brown midrib [BMR] sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor ssp. Drummondii (L.) Moench], buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench), Japanese millet [Echniochloa esculenta (A. Braun) H. Scholz], and teff [Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni) Trotter]} compared with a cool‐season small grain forage, oat (Avena sativa L.), and a cool‐season annual forage legume, chickling vetch (Lathyrus sativus L.). Monocultures of the six annual forage species, along with a mixture of all six species, were evaluated over 2 years in southeastern New Hampshire. Forage mass and nutritive value were assessed at weekly intervals over 3 weeks in July–August, approximately 4‐to‐5 weeks post‐germination. Across all three harvests, buckwheat, Japanese millet, and the summer mix produced greater forage mass than oat, while chickling vetch and teff produced the least. Conversely, chickling vetch had greater crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber compared with oat, while buckwheat had the lowest CP, in vitro true dry matter digestibility, and in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility of all the species assessed. Japanese millet produced greater forage mass while providing similar nutritive value as oat, making it a good alternative warm‐season annual forage for use under cool, short growing seasons.

Molecular characterisation of

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) is the first enzyme in the phenylpropanoid pathway and plays a critical role in plant growth, development and stress defence. However, there have been few reports of the PAL gene family in lucerne (also known as alfalfa, Medicago sativa L.), one of the most important forage legume species worldwide. In this study, we report that PAL in lucerne is encoded by a family of seven genes: MsPAL1–MsPAL7. Furthermore, a comprehensive genome-wide bioinformatics analysis of the MsPAL gene family is presented, including chromosomal locations, phylogenetic relationships, gene structures and conserved motifs. The cis-elements and potential biological functions of these genes were investigated, revealing the potential roles of MsPAL members in response to various stresses. RT-qPCR results showed that the expression of MsPAL6 was significantly upregulated under both salinity- and waterlogging-stress conditions. Other MsPAL members such as MsPAL1 and MsPAL2 were downregulated under saline conditions and upregulated significantly after waterlogging stress. Our findings provide useful information for further practical analyses and for the genetic improvement of abiotic stress tolerance of lucerne.

Evaluation of a diverse collection of red clover for forage quality and antioxidant activity

Description of the subject. Red clover is an important forage legume and a rich source of high quality forage for livestock feed. This study assesses a diverse red clover collection for agronomic value, forage quality and antioxidant activity in relation to status (cultivar vs natural population) and ploidy level (diploid or tetraploid) for the purpose of diversity study and for identification of potential heterotic groups and classification of accessions according to the results of analyses. Objectives. The aims of this research were to: i) explore agronomic traits, forage quality, and antioxidant activity in relation to status and ploidy level; ii) assess trait associations and the possibility of indirect selection; iii) cluster red clover accessions with regard to forage quality and antioxidant activity. Method. Red clover was represented by 46 accessions, the cultivars and natural populations of diploid (2n) and tetraploid (4n) ploidy levels from 17 countries, which were collected and preserved in the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad, Serbia. The following traits were determined from the two-year field trial at Rimski Šančevi, Serbia: plant height (PH), internodes number (IN), green mass yield (GMY), dry matter yield (DMY), crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), digestible dry matter (DDM), dry matter intake (DMI), relative feed value (RFV) and antioxidant activity. All accessions were characterized in the second cut of the second year of life when 20-25% of flowers appeared. Results. The cultivars had higher values for PH, IN, GMY, DMY, DDM, DMI, and RFV. The tetraploid accessions had higher values for IN, GMY, DMY, CP, NDF and DDM. The natural populations and diploid accessions had 39.9% and 21.9% smaller antioxidant capacity, respectively. The antioxidant capacity was positively associated with RFV, DDM, DMI, PH, IN, GMY and DMY, but negatively with ADF and NDF. Conclusions. The grouping of red clover accessions based on forage quality parameters and antioxidant activity was represented by five clusters. High-quality cultivars had a shorter length of internodes and a good leaf to stem ratio with a high leaf proportion.