Nutritional Properties of Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) Autochthonous Populations in Serbia and B&H

Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) is the only species in the genus Onobrychis. Sainfoin is a Eurasian perennial herb that has purple flowers, curved pods and is naturalized in Europe, Asia and North America grasslands on calcareous soil. Sainfoin has been grown in parts of Europe and Asia for hundreds of years. Understanding the relationships among sainfoin ecogeographic, and chemical characteristics may provide insights for better utilizing exotic germplasm. Ten sainfoin populations, were sampled and determined in Serbia and B&H. Some chemical properties, such as crude protein, ash, fat, crude fibre, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, K/(Ca+Mg) ratio, and sulfur. Serbia is an important gene origin center for most legume species. Considering the high values of their traits, some Serbian sainfoin populations could serve as a valuable breeding material. In comparison with populations from other parts of the world, Serbian populations are superior in chemical properties and nutritional quality values.