SummaryApproximately 4.9 to 5.0 M ha of cultivated marginal land in Western Canada is environmentally unsustainable and would benefit from conversion to permanent cover from current annual cropping. Since 2001, re-establishment of native grasslands into marginal cropland has been successfully accomplished using conventional seeding technology and a productive and sustainable pasture grazing system has been achieved. The current native grasslands are providing high quality forage for yearling grazing livestock, consistent biomass production (1100 kg of DM ha -1 ) and vegetative cover, acceptable average daily gains (0.4 to 0.8 kg d -1 ), improved biodiversity and additional environmental benefits to soil and water.

Steppuhn, H., Acharya, S. N., Iwaasa, A. D., Gruber, M. and Miller, D. R. 2012. Inherent responses to root-zone salinity in nine alfalfa populations. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 235–248. Alfalfa productivity can be enhanced by growing crops from cultivars tolerant of root-zone salinity. Rangelander, Keho, Bridgeview, Halo, CW054038, CW064027, Rugged, Bullseye and TS4002 alfalfa plants (respectively designated Ra, Ke, Br, Ha, C8, C7, Ru, Bu and T4) were grown in sand tanks irrigated with nutrient-sulphate solutions averaging 1.53 (nutrients only), 8.03 and 15.61 dS m−1 in electrical conductivity. Except for Br and C7, seedlings emerged equally under the 1.5 and 8.0 dS m−1 treatments, but decreased in the 15.6 dS m−1 treatment by percentages ranging from 3.1 through 29.5. Average shoot biomass among the populations respectively decreased by 49.6, 43.6 and 37.6% in the 1st, 1st+2nd, and 1st+2nd+3rd harvest-cuts as salinity increased from 1.5 to 8.0 dS m−1 and by 80.1, 73.2 and 67.1% from 1.5 to 15.6 dS m−1. At 1.5 dS m−1, the C7 plants consistently produced more shoot biomass than the T4, Bu, Ha, Ru, Ra, or Ke plants. At 8 dS m−1, the relative yields of the Ha plants (scaled by their 1.5 dS m−1 production) exceeded those from the other populations, although the Ha plants produced no greater actual shoot biomass than the C7 or the C8 plants.

Jin, L., Wang, Y., Iwaasa, A. D., Xu, Z., Schellenberg, M. P., Zhang, Y. G. and McAllister, T. A. 2013. Short Communication: Effect of condensed tannin on in vitro ruminal fermentation of purple prairie clover ( Dalea purpurea Vent)–cool- season grass mixture. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 93: 155–158. Four purple prairie clover [Dalea purpurea Vent (PPC)]–/grass mixtures containing 7.3, 14.0, 29.3 and 42.1 g kg−1 dry matter (DM) of condensed tannin (CT) were incubated with rumen fluid. As the CT increased, in vitro true dry matter disappearance (IVTDMD), production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and microbial protein synthesis were linearly increased (P<0.05) at 12 h, and IVTDMD and VFA were quadratically increased (P<0.01) at 48-h incubation. Molar proportion of acetate was linearly increased (P<0.01) but propionate and butyrate were decreased (P<0.05) at both 12 and 48-h incubation. Incorporation of PPC into cool-season grass pasture up to CT content of 42 g kg−1 DM improved ruminal fermentability and microbial protein synthesis in mixed forages.