Legume forages

Legume forages, such as alfalfa or clover, are considered high quaHty, readily available protein sources. Animal sources of supplemental protein include meat and bone meal blood meal, 80% CP fish meal other marine products and hydroly2ed feathermeal, 85—90% CP. Additionally, synthetic amino acids are available commercially. Several sources (3,9,19) provide information about the protein or amino acid composition of feedstuffs. 

McAllister TA, Martinez T, Bae FID, Muir AD, Yanke LJ, Jones GA. 2005. Characterization of condensed tannins purified from legume forages Chromophore production, protein precipitation, and inhibitory effects on cellulose digestion. J Chem Ecol 31 2049-2068. 

Damage Adults and nymphs suck plant juices of strawberries, legumes, forage crops, and nursery plants, causing stunted, dwarfed, weakened plants with reduced yields. Adults... 

AcamovicT, Stewart C S andTopps J H (eds) 1997 Legume forages and indigenous browse for ruminants in the semi-arid tropics. Animal Feed Science andTechnology 69 1-287. 

REED J D (1995) Nutritional toxicology of tannins and related polyphenols in forage legumes. JAnim Sci. 73 1516-28. 

Forage legumes, of which white clover is the most important, are particularly sensitive to calcium deficiency and will not thrive. Ideally, soil pH should be maintained between 5.8 and 6.5. Heavy-textured soils such as clay require more lime than sandy soils to raise pH, because the higher levels of clay and organic matter act as a buffer against change, and the same is true of peaty soils. 

Like alfalfa, the clover family (Trifolium spp.) consists of perennial legume plants that fix their own nitrogen. However, they suffer several limitations as general production crops for molecular farming, such as restricted perenniality, low protein content and the presence of high levels of condensed tannins which interfere with protein extraction. Despite these disadvantages, clovers are forage crops and are there-... 

Linke KH, Abdel-Moneim AM, Saxena MC (1993) Variation in resistance of some forage legume species to Orobanche crenata Lorsk. Lield Crops Res 32 277-285 Lins RD, Colquhoun JB, Mallory-Smith CA (2006) Investigation of wheat as a trap crop for control of Orobanche minor. Weed Res 46 313-318... 

Posler GL, Lenssen AW, Fine GL (1993) Forage yield, quality, compatibility, and persistence of warm-season grass-legume mixtures. Agron 1 85 554—560 Putnam AR, Duke WB (1974) Biological suppression of weeds - evidence for allelopathy in accessions of cucumber. Science 185 370-372... 

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