Acylated flavonol glycosides from the forage legume, Onobrychis viciifolia (sainfoin)

Cold-adapted arctic rhizobia (from Astragalus and Oxytropis species) were used in nodulation studies and field inoculation trials with a temperate forage legume, sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), since they have the potential to improve symbiotic nitrogen fixation at low temperatures. A major concern in legume inoculation is the toxicity of seed and root tannins to rhizobia. We studied the effects of sainfoin seed diffusates on the growth of 47 arctic and 2 sainfoin strains of rhizobia. Growth of all tested strains on yeast-extract mannitol agar plate was inhibited to various degrees by sainfoin seed diffusates. There was no correlation between the zone of inhibition and the symbiotic effectiveness of each strain on sainfoin. However, growth inhibition was totally reversed by the addition of iron as Fe-EDTA in the agar medium. In liquid medium without iron, growth inhibition of an arctic strain was 94% after 4-day growth. With the addition of 100 µM Fe-EDTA, inhibition was only 5%, and with 100 µM Fe-citrate, 76 %. These results underline the importance of evaluating the toxicity effect under normal rhizospheric conditions.

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Sainfoin ( Onobrychis viciifolia): a beneficial forage legume

Plant Genetic Resources ◽

10.1017/s1479262110000328 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 9 (01) ◽

pp. 70-85 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Christine Hayot Carbonero ◽

Irene Mueller-Harvey ◽

Terence A. Brown ◽

Lydia Smith

Keyword(s):

Forage Legume ◽

Forage Legumes ◽

Onobrychis Viciifolia ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Honey Production ◽

Breeding Programmes ◽

History Of ◽

Close Relatives ◽

Modern Breeding

TheOnobrychisgenus comprises a few agronomically important forage legume species, with sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) being the most widespread.O. viciifoliahas a long history of traditional culture worldwide, but its use has declined in western countries over the last decades. It suffers from low productivity and is more difficult to maintain than other legumes but is known to have valuable characteristics such as palatability and drought tolerance. Recent studies suggest that it has several other highly beneficial properties due to its unique tannin and polyphenol composition. Condensed tannins present inOnobrychisspecies have been shown to confer anthelmintic properties, increase protein utilization and prevent bloating; they may also have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Positive effects on wildlife and honey production could also be advantageous in the context of sustainable farming. Modern breeding programmes have not been a priority, leading to a lack of genetic knowledge in comparison to extensively used forage legumes. It is expected that potential forO. viciifoliaimprovements could be achieved by rigorous characterization of the available germplasm and utilization of characters derived from close relatives of the genus. Breeding priorities for the future would include enhanced germination and improved early establishment, allied to the best anthelmintic properties observed in some varieties.

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Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.): renewed interest as a forage legume for western Canada

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.1139/cjps-2015-0378 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 96 (5) ◽

pp. 748-756 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

S. Bhattarai ◽

B. Coulman ◽

B. Biligetu

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Nutritive Value ◽

Forage Yield ◽

Western Canada ◽

Forage Legume ◽

Temperate Grasslands ◽

Onobrychis Viciifolia ◽

Growing Conditions ◽

Diversity Studies ◽

Seed Characteristics

Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) is a perennial forage legume that has received renewed interest in western Canada because of its desirable forage characteristics. The objective of this review is to summarize previous studies on the agronomy, forage yield, nutritive value, seed characteristics, and diseases and pests of sainfoin. In addition, the review also focuses on the genetic diversity and registered cultivars of sainfoin and their potential use in temperate grasslands. Past studies have reported that sainfoin has a high nutritive value, and high voluntary intake and palatability to grazing animals. In western Canada, dry matter (DM) yield of sainfoin is 80%–95% that of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Unlike other legumes such as alfalfa, sainfoin does not cause bloat in grazing animals due to the presence of condensed tannins. Sainfoin is suitable for monoculture or binary mixtures with either grasses or alfalfa. Genetic diversity studies revealed that sainfoin germplasm generally has high variation within populations. Genetic variation among plants provides an opportunity to develop improved cultivars with desirable characteristics. However, compared with the other forage legumes, sainfoin is still an underdeveloped forage crop with few cultivars being available in western Canada. New sainfoin cultivars with high DM yield and persistence under regional growing conditions are required.

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Symbiotic effectiveness of indigenous arctic rhizobia on a temperate forage legume: Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia)

Plant and Soil ◽

10.1007/bf02370626 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 104 (1) ◽

pp. 63-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Danielle Prévost ◽

L. M. Bordeleau ◽

H. Antoun

Keyword(s):

Forage Legume ◽

Symbiotic Effectiveness ◽

Onobrychis Viciifolia ◽

Arctic Rhizobia

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Phenolic glycosides of forage legume Onobrychis viciifolia

Phytochemistry ◽

10.1016/s0031-9422(00)00143-6 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 55 (1) ◽

pp. 67-75 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

Yinrong Lu ◽

Yan Sun ◽

L.Yeap Foo ◽

W.C. McNabb ◽

A.L. Molan

Keyword(s):

Phenolic Glycosides ◽

Forage Legume ◽

Onobrychis Viciifolia

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Onobrychis viciifolia; a comprehensive literature review of its history, etymology, taxonomy, genetics, agronomy and botany

Plant Genetic Resources ◽

10.1017/s1479262118000230 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. 403-418 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

M. Mora-Ortiz ◽

L. M. J. Smith

Keyword(s):

Green Revolution ◽

Red Clover ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Forage Legume ◽

The European Union ◽

Onobrychis Viciifolia ◽

Positive Effects ◽

The Past ◽

Legume Crop ◽

Intensive Farming

AbstractOnobrychis viciifolia(sainfoin) is a forage legume crop with many positive agronomic, environmental, nutritional and nutraceutical attributes. Farmers also benefit from its drought tolerance in areas of low rainfall and light free draining soil, mainly due to its deep taproot. It is resistant to most common pest and diseases and is a valuable resource for pollinators, specifically cultivated for honey production in some regions. It has many benefits for animals, being highly palatable and without danger of bloat, which can be life-threatening to livestock. Its decline in Northern Europe started during the Green Revolution and was impacted by changes towards more intensive farming. Unlike other forage legume crops such as red clover and lucerne, sainfoin does not respond well to inputs and is difficult to establish and maintain. Sainfoin could be classified as an ‘orphan crop’ with very little genetic improvement or agronomic studies in the past 60 years. In the past 5–10 years, however, there has been a resurgence in interest and this has given rise to a number of studies and initiation of systematic improvement of the crop, which is indispensable to its reintroduction into the farmed environment. Interest has been driven in part by considerable evidence to suggest that condensed tannins present in the legume foliage, together with other polyphenol compounds, have positive effects on animal nutrition together with anthelmintic properties. These compounds are also thought to play a role in environmental benefits. There remain many challenges to address in order to optimize the potential for cultivation of sainfoin and its use as a beneficial forage crop. This review makes particular reference to a recently completed project; ‘Legume Plus’, funded by the European Union and embracing a multi-disciplinary approach to both understand and improve the crop for farmers. The present review covers results from both this project and other studies during the past 5 years, also drawing on historic studies of etymology, taxonomy, genetics, agronomy and botany, aiming to be a useful resource for research and for practical plant breeders and agronomists.

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