Harvest Date Effect on Forage Yield, Botanical Composition, and Nutritive Value of Novel Legume-Grass Mixtures

The potential for novel forage mixtures to address reduced herbage late season grazing was investigated. Forage legumes, sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) (SF) cvs. AC Mountainview, Shoshone, and Nova (MountainSF, ShoshoneSF, NovaSF), cicer milkvetch (Astragalus L.) cv. Veldt (CMV), Canadian canadensis Great Plains (CaMV), alfalfa (Medicago sativa Yellowhead (ALF) were evaluated in binary with meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius Rehm.) Admiral (MBG), hybrid (B. × B. inermis Leyss.) Success (HBG) Russian wildrye [Psathyrostachys junceus (Fisch.) Nevski.] Tom (RWR) yield, botanical composition, nutritive value on July September harvest dates at Saskatoon Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada from 2016 2018. Hybrid bromegrass-legume mixture produced 16–38% greater compared RWR-legume (7.5 vs. 5.6 Mg ha−1 6.1 5.1 Saskatoon, 3.2 2.0 Current). MountainSF ALF had the greatest legume contribution total yield Current (67.7 ± 3.2%) (62.1 2.1%), respectively, while CaMV lowest composition (20.2 2.5%) (12.6 3.5%). CMV ALF-grass legume-RWR both sites CP content. content sites. Study results suggest if is objective, then either or HBG may be considered. If goal, any RWR an option. Finally, could summer fall stockpile Northern of western Canada.