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Alfalfa is recognized as the world's most productive and nutritious hay and pasture legume.
There are over 25 million acres of alfalfa grown in the U.S. Because legumes can remove
nitrogen from the atmosphere, they require no nitrogen fertilizer. Legumes not only supply their
own nitrogen, but supply residual nitrogen to succeeding crops--reducing the need for
supplemental, chemical nitrogen applications and thereby reducing ground water pollution.
Alfalfa has been grown as a cultivated crop in China for more than 2000 years. China also has
several unique wild relatives of alfalfa which contain genes that could be used to improve stress
tolerance in cultivated alfalfa. These genes are in considerable danger of being lost due to
overgrazing and erosion. Alfalfa varieties with improved stress tolerance would fit well into
growing systems which required fewer irrigation, fertilizer, lime, and pesticide inputs.
Winter hay harvesting areas in Western China are being gradually reduced in size because of
increasing numbers of animals and the need for additional summer grazing. Seeds of grass and
legume hay and pasture species collected in this area will be important in the conservation and
improvement of the forage production efficiency of both China and the U.S.
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