March 30, 2007

Marketers of the legume, sainfoin, are touting its attributes but may not necessarily be sharing the rest of the story.

Sainfoin, nicknamed "the poor man's alfalfa," has several good characteristics, including that it's bloat-free and grazing-friendly. It tolerates low phosphorus, high pH soils well, but is intolerant of acidity or salinity. It produces palatable hay for grazing and, compared to alfalfa, loses less in forage quality as the plant matures.

However, in almost all areas where alfalfa is well-adapted, sainfoin does not yield as well. It begins spring growth very fast, frequently out-yielding alfalfa at first harvest, but then it regrows slowly.

Nitrogen fixation also is a problem, even when properly inoculated. As a result, nitrogen fertilizer often is needed to maintain productivity. In addition, sainfoin is susceptible to root and crown rot diseases that can quickly shorten stand life.Sainfoin is most suitable for areas that usually get only one hay cutting per year, especially if soils are calcareous. It also might be useful in some dryland grazing situations. For most other uses, alfalfa and other traditional forages will outperform sainfoin.

Bruce Anderson
Extension Forage Specialist