ABSTRACT
Forage legumes have various attributes which allow them to play an important role in sustainable livestock systems. They contribute N to the system by symbiotic fixation and improve pasture quality and the efficiency of its conversion into animal products, and their seasonal growth distribution is complementary to that of grass. Mixtures including forage legumes show yield improvement when compared to grass monocultures, and such mixtures also have the potential to reduce the negative effects of grassland systems on the environment (Beuselinck et al., 1994; Cardinale et al., 2007; Finn et al., 2013; Sturludóttir et al., 2014; Lüscher et al., 2014). Furthermore, they have important amenity value and provide many landscape benefits, through their functional (erosion control), and recreational and aesthetic impacts (Humphreys, 2005). The main limitation on the use of most forage legumes is their lack of persistence and yield stability over multiple years (Taylor, 1987; Caradus and Willimas, 1989; Beuselinck et al., 1994; Taylor and Quesenberry, 1996; Widdup and Barret, 2011; Ortega et al., 2014). If persistence and yield stability are not accomplished, the contribution of forage legumes to sustainable production systems is reduced.
