Bird's foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) is one of the most valuable perennial leguminous forage crops for our country. Bird's foot trefoil provides high yields of green mass in areas whose conditions are not favorable for growing alfalfa. Tolerates lighter and poorer soils located on hilly places, in the plains and mountains, as well as in areas with richer soils, but with prolonged droughts. The results of growing bird's foot trefoil and on acid soils are satisfactory.
In addition to being highly productive, the bird's foot trefoil is also rich in nutrients. As the plants age, the green mass does not reduce its quality as much as other perennial legumes (alfalfa, clover, sainfoin). In the fruiting phase, 100 kg of dry matter contains 62 feed units and 18.5 kg of crude protein. The content of carotene in the aboveground biomass is also high. That is why the bird's foot trefoil provides a suitable raw material for the production of vitamin flour. The leaves and stems of the bird's foot trefoil are tender, which is why the animals accept it with great will, especially until the full flowering phase.
Biological features of bird's foot trefoil
Due to its strongly developed root system, the bird's foot trefoil is not demanding to the soil and its fertility. This is confirmed by the natural habitats in which it inhabits. It is drought-resistant, like alfalfa, and tolerates soil moisture like red clover. It grows on peat soils and on periodically but not long-term flooded meadows. From this it is clear that the bird's foot trefoil can be successfully grown in field, mountain and foothill conditions. For one growing season provides two, and under favorable conditions - 3-4 mowings.
Agrotechnics
The bird's foot trefoil farming techniques does not differ significantly from the alfalfa farming techniques. The special thing is that for 1 decare 1.5-2 kg of seeds are used for sowing. At the same time, the standard requirements for their germination for first and second class are lower, respectively 85 and 70%. This is due to the uneven maturity at the time of harvest.
An important technological point is that the bird's foot trefoil does not tolerate roof sowing. A minimum temperature of 2-4 ° C is required for seed germination. Under favorable sowing conditions and good care, the seeds germinate in 12-15 days.
Bird's foot trefoil is grown like alfalfa. It is most often sown in early spring, but can also be sown in late summer / early fall. For hay it is mowed at the beginning of flowering. For seeds it is used from the second year. Bird's foot trefoil are grown more often in grass mixtures - due to the difficult production of enough seeds.
Usage of the bird's foot trefoil
Bird's foot trefoil is a pasture plant. It tolerates trampling and tearing well. Until the mass flowering it is accepted with great eagerness by the animals. It is grown in pure condition, and best in mixtures with suitable cereal meadow grasses - Festuca rubra, Dactylis glomerata, Poa pratensis, etc. Mixtures with bird's foot trefoil are best suited for dry conditions and mainly for sheep grazing. Of course, this does not exclude the possibility of its use in mixtures for large ruminants.
Apart from grazing, mixtures with bird's foot trefoil are also suitable for haymaking. Unlike alfalfa, bird's foot trefoil leaves do not fall off after drying at a later stage. When grown in hay mixes, a good grain component is the Dactylis glomerata.
The agro-ecological conditions in our country (climate and soil) establish bird's foot trefoil as a species, without which the development of economically and technologically profitable grassland, especially in private farms with mixed (plant-livestock) or specialized livestock direction, is impossible. This applies not only to certain climatic zones, but to all regions of the country where there are conditions for agricultural production.