Crops

Medicago lupulina L.- Black medic.

Taxonomic position.

Family Leguminosae Endl., genus Medicago L., subgenus Lupularia (Ser.) Grossh.

Morphology and biology.

Chromosome number: 2n=16, 32. Annual, rarely perennial herb. Very polymorphic species with winter or autumn varieties. Plant is low-growing, main-rooted. Stems are thin, procumbent from 15 to 70 cm tall. The leaves are pinnately trifoliate. Flowers are small, 2.5-3.5 mm long, bright yellow, 15-35 flowers in densely packed raceme. Blossoms from June to October, seed maturity can be expected from July-November. The seeds are borne in individual pods which turn black at maturity. The weight of 1,000 pods is 1.7 to 1.8 g. Self-pollinated. Reproduction occurs by vegetation and seeds. The species is characterized by high content of hard seeds.

Distribution.

Introduced into culture at the end of 18th century. Cultivated on small squares in the forest area of 2 regions and republics of former USSR. 2 breeding cultivars have state permission for utilization. Species is not widely distributed because of difficulties with seed production.

Ecology.

The species prefers open habitats with low herbage. Cold tolerant, especially of spring frosts and early frosts. Not tolerant of acidic, dewy heavy soils. In spite of low tolerance to drought the species forms good seed yield in dry years and good herbage in wet years. More susceptible to water loss than the more drought-resistant forage legumes, e.g. birdsfoot trefoil, sainfoin. Intolerant of long periods of waterlogging.

Utilization and economic value.

Valuable component in complex herbage mixtures. Species is remarkable due to high protein, vitamin and microelement content. Characterized by good regrowth after cutting, tolerance to trampling and grazing, and long vegetative periods (through early frosts). Increases soil fertility. An excellent lawn plant. Forage mass productivity ranges from 5-11 MT/ha, hay productivity ranges from 1.5-3.0 MT/ha and seed productivity is 300-500 kg/ha.

Reference citations:

Catalog of agricultural crop cultivars permitted in Byelorussia. 1985. - Minsk: Uradjai, 176 pp. (in Russian).
Catalog of state permitted cultivars of agricultural crops. 1969. - M.: Kolos, 489 pp. (in Russian).
Catalog of state permitted cultivars of agricultural crops. 1971. - M.: Kolos, 488 pp. (in Russian).
Catalog of state permitted cultivars of agricultural crops. 1974. - M.: Kolos, 480 pp. (in Russian).
Catalog of state permitted cultivars of agricultural crops. 1985. - M.: Kolos, Vol 3. - 489 pp. (in Russian).
Golovkin B.N. 1988. Cultigenic plant area. - M.: Nauka, 184 pp. (in Russian).
Medvedev P.F., Smetannikova A.I. The forage crops of European part of the USSR. 1981. - L.: Kolos, 336 pp. (in Russian).
Shashko D.N. Agroclimatic region of the USSR. 1967. - M.: Kolos, 335 pp. (in Russian).
Shashko D.N. Agroclimatic resources of the USSR. 1985. - M.: Kolos, 248 pp. (in Russian).
Soil resources of the USSR (Agricultural regions of areas and republics of USSR). 1990. - M.: - Vol 1. - 260 pp. (in Russian).
State register of Ukrainian plant cultivars. 1992. - Kiev: Urojai, 199 pp. (in Russian).
State register of breeding achievements permitted for utilization. Plant cultivars. 1994. - M.: - 218 pp. (in Russian).
State register of breeding achievements permitted for utilization. Plant cultivars. 1996. - M.: - 171 pp. (in Russian).
State register of breeding achievements permitted for utilization. Plant cultivars. 1999. - M.: - 192 pp. (in Russian).
State register of breeding achievements permitted for utilization. Plant cultivars. 2000. - M.: - 232 pp. (in Russian).
State register of breeding achievements permitted for utilization. Plant cultivars. 2001. - M.: - 252 pp. (in Russian).
State register of breeding achievements permitted for utilization. Plant cultivars. 2003. - M.: - 236 pp. (in Russian).
The Natural-agricultural regions and utilization of soil resources of the USSR. A. N. Kashtanov (ed.). 1983. - M.: Kolos, 336 pp. (in Russian).
The register of plant cultivars in Ukraine. 1996. - Kiev: Urojai, 259 pp. (in Russian).

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