Legume Varieties

• Alfalfa
• White clover
• Red clover
• Cicer Milkvetch
• Sainfoin
• Sweetclover
• Birdsfoot trefoil

Alfalfa (Medicago sative) is a deep tap-rooted perennial forb considered the queen of forages. Cultivated for about 9,000 years, it is the oldest crop grown solely for forage. Alfalfa is very palatable and withstands grazing well. After defoliation, alfalfa starts to re-grow quickly, but build up of food reserves is slow. Frequent defoliations at short intervals deplete food reserves and reduce survival. Therefore, pastures with alfalfa should be rested five to six weeks after grazing. Stubble height should be two inches. Also, grazing should be terminated three to four weeks before the first killing frost to allow food reserve buildup for winter survival. To reduce the incidence of frothy legume bloat, alfalfa should be mixed with 50% or more grass, or grazing should be delayed until after bloom. Poloxaline (bloat guard) pre-mix or blocks are also available.

White clover (Trifolium repens) is a shallow tap-rooted perennial legume that produces stolons. Because most of the forage production is from leaves, it is highly nutritious and palatable to all classes of livestock. It is most productive in the spring and begins growth fairly early. Shallow roots do not allow white clover to tolerate drought and it does not grow well during the hot months of summer. Grazing should begin after eight inches of growth. Management should maintain 40-50% clover in a mixed stand with grass. Grazing to a stubble height of two inches will favor white clover over grass and lighter grazing will favor grass. Bloat hazard is similar to alfalfa and normal precautions should be taken.

Red clover (Trifolium pretense) is a short-lived perennial legume. It normally only persists in a pasture mix for two to three years. It is highly nutritious and palatable to all classes of livestock. Start grazing when it is in one-quarter to one-half bloom and leave at least two inches of stubble. Red clover can be grazed again when it returns to one-quarter bloom. Bloat hazard is similar to alfalfa and normal precautions should be taken.

Cicer Milkvetch (Astragalus cicer) is a winter-hardy, drought-tolerant, long-lived legume with a vigorous, creeping root system. It is palatable to all classes of livestock and no cases of bloat have been reported. The vigorous rhizomatous roots enable Cicer milkvetch to tolerate trampling from heavy grazing. After defoliation, new shoots grow from buds on the rhizomes, crowns, and from the nodes of the lower leaves allowing for rapid recovery even after close grazing. The best forage growth generally is in mid-summer. Cicer milkvetch a good stockpile forage for fall grazing because of good leaf and nutrient retention in late growth. Rest periods of five to six weeks are recommended to maintain Cicer milkvetch stands. Stubble height should be maintained at two inches. Photo-sensitzation has been reported in livestock grazing pure stands of Cicer milkvetch in Minnesota, but not in western states.

Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciaefolia) is a deep-rooted, drought-resistant legume that begins growth early in the spring. It is highly palatable and provides good nutritional quality without the danger of bloat. Grazing should begin in the early bloom stage and stubble height should be kept above eight inches.

Sweetclover (Melilotus spp) is an annual or biennial legume that grows four to five feet tall and has yellow or white flowers depending on the species. Growth begins early in the spring and growth is rapid in June and July. Stubble height should be maintained at 12 inches to keep some leaves to produce carbohydrates and allow light to reach the base of the stem where active buds recover growth. Bloat and scours can be reduced if animals have access to dry roughage.

Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) is a moderately long-lived perennial legume with a well developed tap-root with many lateral roots. It is a non-bloat legume with fairly high palatability. It produces 20% more forage after July first than most dry land leguminous forages. New stands establish slowly and it should be grazed lightly in the first utilization year. Re-growth after grazing originates from buds formed in the leaf axils. Grazing in the spring should begin after there is eight inches of growth and four inch stubble should be left after grazing. Allow 24 to 38 days re-growth between grazing rotations. Stands can be maintained by regeneration from its own seed production if it is allowed to grow to maturity every three years. Grazing should be terminated three to four weeks before the first killing frost to allow food reserve buildup for winter survival.

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Last Modified: 12/05/2007