Why perennials? Why forage/grain dual purpose crops?
The excessive application of synthetic fertilizers in current agroecosystem is the source of nitrogen demand and ecologic and economic cost of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers is high. Biological nitrogen fixation through the symbiotic relation between legumes and bacteria is the key to this major problem.
Human body require a large portion of dietary protein from animals and animal-based protein is largely supplied from farm animals and the farm animals require a high-quality nutrition that is provided by various forage species. Thus, forage crops are crucial for the livestock farming as significant source of animal nutrition.
In addition to direct economic value in the form of the seed and hay production, forages have a number of indirect value such as animal by-products, nitrogen fixation, conservation benefits, and secondary metabolites.
The legume forages can broadly be classified based on the geographic latitude and climate they are grown as
- tropical forage legumes
- temperate forage legumes.
We are currently working on temperate forage legumes such as alfalfa (M. sativa-falcata complex) and sainfoin (Onobrychis spp.).
Perennial grain crops and grain/forage double purpose crops have higher economic, agronomic, and environmental benefits compared to annual counterparts. These benefits are attributed to
