New types of sainfoin have been developed in the
U.S. and in Canada. Sainfoin breeding programs have selected for increased disease resistance, improved nodulation and nitrogen fixation, and increased dryland (single-cut) and irrigated (multi-cut) yields.
‘Eski’ was released by Montana State University in 1964 and is the most common sainfoin used in western rangelands. It has performed well in pinyon-juniper, mountain big sagebrush, and mountain brush areas. Eski was selected from seed from Eskisehire, Turkey that survived severe winters at Sidney, Montana. The seed increased from these hardy plants was designated as breeder seed. Eski is recommended for dryland pasture hay in areas receiving at least 14 inches of precipitation or on irrigated land. Eski yields only one to two cuttings per season.
‘Melrose’ was released in Canada in 1971 by the Canada Department of Agriculture in Lethbridge. Melrose showed higher forage yields, seed yields and greater winter hardiness than Eski (Cooke et al 1971). Melrose is recommended for dryland hay or pasture and irrigated hay production in the Prairie Province region. Breeder seed is maintained by the Canada Department of Agriculture Research Stations at Melfort and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
‘Nova’ was released at Lethbridge by Agriculture Canada in 1980 from a Russian seed source. Nova is more vigorous and taller than Melrose, Eski and Remont. Regrowth is comparable to Melrose and Eski but slower than Remont (Hanna 1981). Nova has greater forage yields and winter hardiness than other varieties. Certified seed is maintained by SeCan Association, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
‘Remont’ was released by the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station in 1971, and was developed from plants from Iran exhibiting rapid regrowth. Remont is recommended for two-or-three-cutting areas for hay and pasture. Remont and Eski produce similar annual yields, but Remont has higher yield potential under irrigation and in areas with a longer growing season. Remont begins growth earlier in the spring than Eski and regrows more rapidly after cutting than other varieties.
‘Renumex’ is a New Mexico State University release made in 1979 from plants selected from Remont. The variety was developed by the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station in 1979 for rapid regrowth under the hot, dry conditions of the
Southwest.
‘Shoshone’ was developed and released for a high tolerance to northern root-knot nematode when compared to ‘Remont’. Shoshone was jointly released in 2006 by the College of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Stations at the University of Wyoming, Montana State University and the USDA-NRCS. Foundation seed is maintained by the University of Wyoming, Seed Certification Service in Powell, Wyoming.
‘Delaney’ or UWRD is soon to be jointly released by the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station and Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station. Delaney was developed from surviving plants of a 25 year old planting near Laramie, Wyoming. The original plants in that field included plants of Eski, Remont and multiple experimental accessions (precise percentages of each line are unknown). Delaney was developed to be a multiple-cut sainfoin with significantly higher yields than Shoshone, Remont and Eski. Third cut yields were also higher than those of Remont, Eski and Shoshone. Foundation seed will be maintained by the Foundation Seed Programs of Montana and Wyoming.