While the major forage diseases will continue to be a focus, researchers will aim to add more muscle to forages to withstand the region's agro-clmatic challenges. Researchers are targeting cultivars that compete well with grasses, perform well on acid and saline soils and persist under long-term grazing. The war on bloat Cattle producers know the production value of alfalfa, but they are worried about bloat. Now, researchers are finding ways to protect grazing cattle from the potentially deadly effects of bloat. Lethbridge research contributed to development of the low-bloat variety AC Grazeland, released from the Saskatoon Research Centre.
Scientists are also field testing grazing strategies to ease bloat.
Studies show that mature plants are less likely to cause bloat than those in early growth stages, that continuous grazing is better than an interrupted regime, and that cattle should be moved to alfalfa in the afternoon, not in the morning. Research also indicates sainfoin, when mixed with alfalfa, reduces bloat. Use of the new and improved bloat-free cicer milkvetch cultivar, AC Oxley II, in pasture mixes is expected to increase grazing activity in Western Canada. No longer, says breeder Dr. Surya Acharya. A new cicer milkvetch variety, AC Oxley II, released in 2000, represents a major leap in yield potential and seedling vigor, bringing the crop closer to perfection for pasture grazing.