Forage Production of Eight Annual Medic Cultivars under Rainfed Conditions of Golestan Province

Medics are native to semi-arid areas around the Mediterranean Sea and have long been used in degraded pastures in the region. Annual medics are now widely distributed throughout the world, largely in areas with mild, rainy winters and alkaline soils. This study was conducted at a site located in the north east of Golestan Province (55° 57´ E, 37° 48´ N), on a silty clay loam soil in 2002 and 2003. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications. Cultivars were seven annual medics (including: Medicago truncatula cv. Caliph, Mogul; M. scutellata cv. Sava, Robinson; M. polymorpha cv. Spineless; M. litoralis cv. Herald; M. sphaerocarpas cv. Orion) in addition to the indigenous annual medic M. minima. Results showed significant differences among cultivars (P<0.01) in terms of forage and protein production. Average forage production ranged between 216 kg ha-1 in the first year and 1,179 kg ha-1 in the second year. Average seed production ranged between 26 kg ha-1 in the first year and 890 kg ha-1 in the second year. The amount of protein production per unit was very low in some cultivars for both years. The results of this experiment suggest that Robinson and Sava might be recommended for cultivation in the region