Rehabilitation of low productive semi arid rangelands of Isfahan with several perennial alfalfa

Adaptability and productivity are two major factors to be considered when exotic species are going to be introduced. In a split plot design 12 species of medicago genus in Khersanak with 400 mm annual rainfall were examined. Forage and dry matter, leaf to stem ratio and height were the items measured and compared in the first year. Results showed that medicago cody and sativa with 1.7 and 1.34 ton/ha dry matters respectively were most productive, while in second year Medicago cody, was at the top, Medicago ranger, gharah and sativa were also productive and there were no significant differences between them. In third year it was revealed that Medicago sativa, ranger, gharah, local medic and Cody were significantly(p<0.01) most productive species (3.01, 2.78, 2.43, 2.40, and 2.28 ton per hectar respectively). In the first year there were no significant difference (p<0.05) between height. In the second year Medicago ranger, gharah # 1, and cody were higher in comparison to the other (56.45, 55.33, 55.59). In the third year ranger was the highest. In second and third years wild medica showed a higher ratio for leaf to stem.Generally cody and wild medic were well adapted.