The Effect of Different Legume-Based Swards on Intake and Performance of Grazing Ruminants Under Mediterranean and Cool Temperate Conditions
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The effect of different legume-based swards on intake and performance of grazing ruminants under Mediterranean and cool temperate conditions G. Molle*, M. Decandia*, U. So¨lter†, J. M. Greef†, J. J. Rochon‡, M. Sitzia*, A. Hopkins§ and A. J. Rook§ *AGRIS Sardegna, Dipartimento per la Ricerca nelle Produzioni Animali, formerly Istituto Zootecnico e Caseario per la Sardegna, Olmedo, Italy, †Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants – Julius Kuehn Institute, formerly Federal Agricultural Research Centre, Braunschweig, Germany, ‡Institut Universitaire de Technologie, Perpignan, France, and §Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon, UK Abstract paralleled these results. It is concluded that there is potential for a greater use of alternative legume species, Intake and performance of sheep or cattle grazing at least for sheep-grazing systems, in both the Mediter- legume-based swards were assessed over 2 years at four ranean and cool temperate zones of Europe. locations in Europe with different climatic conditions: Sardinia (Italy), southern France, northern Germany Keywords: legume, grazing, intake, milk yield, live- and south-west England (UK). Legume species were weight gain, sheep, cattle sown in mixtures with locally appropriate companion grass species. Standard legume species commonly used Introduction at the location (Medicago polymorpha in Italy, Medicago sativa in France, and Trifolium repens in Germany and The benefits of legumes in livestock production systems UK) were compared with two alternative legume are well documented (e.g. Wilkins and Jones, 2000; species characterized by different agronomic or nutri- Frame, 2005; Frame and Laidlaw, 2005). These include tional characteristics. They were: Trifolium subterraneum nitrogen (N) fixation, high nutritive value and high and Hedysarum coronarium in Italy; Trifolium incarnatum voluntary feed intake. In addition, moderate concen- and Onobrychis sativa in France; Trifolium pratense and trations of condensed tannins, typically in the range ) Lotus corniculatus in Germany; and Trifolium ambiguum 20–50 g kg 1 dry matter (DM), in some legume species and L. corniculatus in the UK. Lactating milk sheep in confer beneficial effects on utilization of crude protein Italy, non-lactating ewes in southern France, growing (CP) and may have anthelmintic properties. Legumes cattle in Germany, and ewes and lambs in the UK were make an important contribution to ruminant produc- used in three replicates per treatment. Intake and tion, especially in organic and low-input systems, but, performance of sheep and cattle in various treatments in the overall context of European livestock production, varied with location, year and period within year. In legume-based systems have played a relatively minor Germany, intake and performance by cattle were not role until recently because of the availability of mineral- affected by treatment. In contrast, at the other loca- N fertilizer and uncertainties associated with the man- tions, sheep grazing standard or alternative legume agement of legumes. However, increases in fertilizer species known to contain condensed tannins (sulla, costs, environmental protection legislation and organic sainfoin and birdsfoot trefoil) had higher proportions of farming systems now make the use of legumes of legume and crude protein (CP) concentrations in the greater interest (Rochon et al., 2004). diet and higher CP intakes than those grazing the In the temperate and maritime zones of northern and other alternative legume species. Sheep performance western Europe, grazing systems most commonly use white clover (Trifolium repens) in medium- or long-term swards sown with companion grasses (Weller and Correspondence to: G. Molle, AGRIS Sardegna, 07040 Olm- Cooper, 2001), while red clover (T. pratense) is used edo, Italy. on relatively small areas and sown mainly as short-term E-mail: [email protected] leys for silage, and other legumes occupy only very Received 21 February 2008; revised 10 June 2008 Ó 2008 The Authors 513 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2494.2008.00659.x Journal Compilation Ó 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Grass and Forage Science, 63, 513–530 514 G. Molle et al. small areas of land. In the continental lowlands of environments. The investigation included comparisons Central and Eastern Europe (Wilkins and Kirilov, 2003) of sward and livestock performance of appropriate and in the northern coastal zone of the Mediterranean legume species in grass ⁄ legume mixtures, nutrient- basin, lucerne is widely sown, and used for both grazing leaching losses from the pastures, and modelling of the and as a forage. In the southern Mediterranean zone, socioeconomic impacts of the different grazing systems. annual legumes, e.g. berseem clover (T. alexandrinum) At each location a legume species, typical of those used and Vicia spp., and also self-regenerating species, such in local grazing systems (standard legume), was com- as burr medic (Medicago polymorpha) and subterranean pared with two alternative legume species. The stan- clover (Trifolium subterraneum), play a major role in dard legumes, chosen to represent the main legume pastoral livestock systems (Porqueddu and Gonzalez, species for livestock production in the region, included 2006). a long-term perennial (white clover in Germany and These species have limitations in terms of their UK), a medium-term perennial (lucerne in France) and requirements as regards specific soils, climate and a self-regenerating annual legume (burr medic in Italy). management practices, and also in terms of agronomic The ‘alternative’ legumes were chosen on the basis of performance and nutritional features. Legumes that agronomic characteristics, such as morphology and have erect growth forms, such as red clover and growth pattern, or because of their nutritional traits. lucerne, are usually not tolerant of grazing. However, Several of the species included in treatments were even those species which are adapted to grazing, such as known to contain variable amounts of condensed white clover, often show low persistence in grazed tannins, although no analyses of this trait were systems. This appears to be largely because these species performed. The agronomic performance of the various are preferentially defoliated by grazing livestock when grass–legume mixtures at each location has been sown with companion grasses (Rutter, 2006). There has reported by So¨ lter et al. (2007). In this paper, the intake been much research and plant-breeding activity that and performance responses of ruminant livestock to the attempts to overcome these problems (Rochon et al., grazing of the various legume-based treatments are 2004). However, one potential solution that has reported. The underlying questions posed were: do received relatively little attention is the use of alterna- alternative legume species outperform the standard tive legume species. Some have specific morphological legumes in terms of herbage intake, dietary selection adaptations that may make them more resistant to and livestock performance and, secondly, are there grazing, e.g. the rhizomatous habit of Caucasian clover differences in responses between the alternative le- (Trifolium ambiguum) (see So¨ lter et al., 2007). Others, gumes? such as birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), sulla (He- dysarum coronarium) and sainfoin (Onobrychis sativa), Material and methods offer nutritional advantages because of their moderate concentrations of condensed tannins (Alison and Locations and experimental systems Hoveland, 1989; Douglas et al., 1995; Leep et al., 2002, Molle et al., 2003; Wang et al., 2006). In particular, The experiments were carried out at two Mediterranean concentrations of condensed tannins commonly range locations, Olmedo (Sardinia, Italy) and Perpignan between 13 and 45 g kg)1 DM in birdsfoot trefoil (France), and at two temperate locations, Mariensee (review by Ramirez-Restrepo and Barry, 2005), be- (Braunschweig, Germany) and North Wyke (Devon, tween 20 and 70 g kg)1 DM in sulla (Barry, 1989; UK). At each location, the experiment was laid out in a ) Stienezen et al., 1996) and between 16 and 38 g kg 1 randomized block design, with three replicates of each DM in sainfoin (Bermingham et al., 2001; Borreani treatment. The background system at each location, et al., 2003). Cultivars of some of these species, which including species, breed and physiological state of the have been developed for specific traits related to grazing livestock, was chosen to reflect typical grazed grassland tolerance, are now available (Frame and Laidlaw, 2005; systems in each location. The site conditions and Sulas, 2005). Despite these advances, information on background systems are summarized in Table 1. Fur- the performance of alternative legume species under ther details of soil and weather conditions as well as European conditions is still limited (Rochon et al., sward establishment are given by So¨ lter et al. (2007). 2004). The grazing seasons, subsequently referred to as year In order to gain a greater understanding of the 1 or 2003 and year 2 or 2004, are shown in Table 2. At potential and limitations of a range of legume species, the Mediterranean sites, the typical grazing season and the opportunities for developing legumes to extends from winter to the following spring, whereas at contribute to European livestock production, a series the temperate sites grazing typically occurs throughout of linked grazing experiments was carried out at spring, summer and autumn.