Selection superior sainfoin ecotypes for quantity and quality traits

Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.), one of the main perennial legumes forages, is cultivated in both dry land farming and irrigated area for grazing and hay production for feeding of livestock. It is a perennial legume widely adapted to environmental conditions and has been successfully used as a pasture and hay forage. In order to evaluate and select the best ecotypes of sainfoin for a synthetic variety development program, a field experiment was conducted during 2011 to 2014 cropping seasons, in Tikmadash research station, East Azarbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Tabriz, Iran. Quantitative and qualitative traits of 25 sainfoin ecotypes were evaluated. Analysis of variance showed no significant differences between the ecotypes for day's to 10% flowering, but for other quantitative traits such as plant height, shoot fresh and dry weight, leave fresh and dry weight, fresh and dry forage yield were significant. Crude protein, crude fiber and dry matter digestible were significantly different among the studied sainfoin ecotypes. Fresh and dry protein yield indices were instructed by multiplying rude protein by fresh and dry yield, respectively, and used as criteria for ecotype selection. Considering quantitative and qualitative traits, specially fresh and dry protein yield indices, four superior ecotypes were selected to be used in synthetic variety (Syn1) development.