Potential for using sainfoin on forage lands in the Republic of Altai

Abstract

Among perennial leguminous grasses in the Republic of Altai, sainfoin attracts particular attention due to its increased drought resistance. The research findings on the biological and morphological characteristics of sainfoin on natural and artificial hayfields in the Shebalinskaya subzone of the Republic of Altai are discussed. Sainfoin (Onobrychis) belongs to the genus of perennial herbaceous plants of the Legume family (Fabaceae). This plant is characterized by a relatively short growing season and high frost resistance. The genus includes a significant number of species, with a total of 133 wild varieties. In Russia, about 62 species of sainfoin are found in nature, while in agricultural practice, four main species are most commonly used: common sainfoin, Hungarian sainfoin, Onobrychis transcaucasica Grossh.and Onobrychis altissima Grossh. In the Republic of Altai, only the Hungarian sainfoin species is widespread in its natural environment, and only two species have economic significance - Hungarian sainfoin and common sainfoin which possess similar morphological characteristics although they differ in some individual features. For the conditions of the Republic of Altai, sainfoin is considered the most promising crop for haymaking, distinguished by its high nutritional values. During research conducted from 2018 to 2024, sainfoin populations in natural flora and under cultivation conditions were studied in detail. It was found that the height of natural Hungarian sainfoin plants ranged from 70 to 80 cm with 10-11 internodes. Under artificial conditions, the height of Hungarian sainfoin increases to 94-110 cm with 13-17 internodes, while for the common sainfoin species, the indices were 88-100 cm and 15-17 internodes. The number of flowers per sainfoin plant in the natural environment varied from 30 to 35, while for cultivated varieties of Hungarian and common sainfoin, that figure reached 40-60 flowers. The number of formed fruits (pods) in natural flora was about 9, and in cultivated varieties, it increased to 17-26 pods.