Evaluation of Host Resistance and Intercropping for Management of the Northern Root-Knot Nematode in Sainfoin, Onobrychis viciifolia

ABSTRACT Sainfoin, Onobrychis viciifolia Scop., is an introduced forage legume grown on a limited basis in the Rocky Mountain region of the northern United States and southern Canada (Heath et al., 1973). The major attributes of sainfoin are its non-bloating characteristic as green forage and the high digestible nutrient content. It is drought tolerant, resistant to the alfalfa weevil, winter-hardy, and produces good early spring growth tolerant to frost. If commercial Rhizobium inoculant is used, it requires no nitrogen fertilizer and has a low requirement for phosphorous. It has extremely good forage palatability. Therefore, it has the potential to provide a sustainable pasture system without required chemical inputs. The objective of our study was to determine if the combination of meadow bromegrass and our nematode-resistant sainfoin line would increase the sustainability of sainfoin in the presence of the northern root-knot nematode (NRKN). Under environmentally controlled conditions, initial populat...