Genetic resources of temperate legumes for improving forage quality in Russia

摘要

Protein content of perennial forages can be improved most economically by the addition of leguminous species into the forage mixture.Currently only a very limited number of forage legumes are used in forage production compared to the total number of legume species.The N.I.Vavilov All‐Russian Research Institute of Plant Industry ( VIR) has a total of 220 different legume species in its collection from expeditions around the world with the most collections represented for red clover ( T rif olium p ratense L.) and alfalfa ( Medicago sativ a L.and M.v aria L.).Besides red clover and alfalfa, only six other legume species are well known in Russia, but their use is very limited, including sainfoin ( Onobrychis arenaria L.,O.transcaucasica L.), white clover ( T ri f olium repens L.), hybrid clover ( T ri f olium hybridum L.), yellow‐flowered alfalfa ( Medicago f alcata L.), and sweet clover ( Melilotus o f f icinalis L.).Besides these above‐mentioned species, cultivars have been released for 11 other forage legumes.As a result, the largest portion of forage legume germplasm has not been fully developed and utilized for forage production.