Abstract
In 2021, the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Team initiated a trial investigating forage yield and quality of varieties of different legume species seeded in monocultures. The species selected were alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, red clover, and white clover. These legumes were chosen as they have been shown in previous research to have adequate survivability and forage production in this region. Organic and grass-based dairy systems rely on legumes to help provide balanced nutrition to their animals while also reducing the crop’s need for additional nitrogen compared to a pure grass stand. This information therefore may help enhance forage production and quality thereby reducing producers’ forage and supplemental feed costs. These varieties were selected and seeded in the spring of 2021 and were ready for harvest in the 2022 growing season. This report reflects data collected in the 2023 growing season and excludes birdsfoot trefoil as those plots were used for another study.
Publication Date
3-2024
Recommended Citation
Darby, Heather and Ziegler, Sara, "Legume Variety Trial" (2024). Northwest Crops & Soils Program. 544.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/nwcsp/544