Cool-Season Legumes for Humid Areas

Forage legumes are key components of livestock rations whether grazed or harvested as hay or silage. The predominant forage legumes grown in humid regions of the US, Canada, and northern Mexico belong to the Medicago, Trifolium, and Lotus genera. Cool-season legumes conduct symbiotic nitrogen fixation through a relationship with specific soil bacteria, Rhizobium, that allows plants to convert atmospheric nitrogen to protein for their growth. Alfalfa is the oldest crop grown solely for forage, having been cultivated for about 9000 years. Red clover is used for pasture and can produce high-quality hay and silage. Birdsfoot trefoil has many fine stems that lodge. Birdsfoot trefoil can be harvested for hay and silage, but because of its weak stems, it is best suited for pasture. Crownvetch is a long-lived perennial but winter hardiness and persistence are reduced by frequent harvest.