Sainfoin (Onobrychis Adans.) is a valuable perennial legume widely cultivated in mountainous areas; however, its minimal productivity often results from degraded mountain gray-brown soils with low fertility and poor structure. The relevant study aimed to evaluate the effect of mineral fertilizer application on root development, productivity, and forage quality of sainfoin for three consecutive years under mountain gray-brown soil conditions. Field experiments had different mineral fertilizer compositions laid out in moderately and severely eroded mountain gray-brown soils for three years to evaluate their impact on the root biomass and morphology, plant growth, yield, and nutritional quality. The results showed balanced mineral fertilization significantly improved the root system, enhancing nutrient uptake and plant stability. Fertilizer application also stimulated the plant’s vegetative growth and development with increased green and dry matter yields compared with the unfertilized control. Forage quality parameters, including crude protein content and fiber composition, also displayed considerable improvement under optimized fertilizer regimes. On average, moderate and well-balanced fertilizer doses provided the best combination of enhanced root development, higher yield, and improved forage quality. Mineral fertilizer application significantly enhanced the sainfoin productivity and feed value and offered practical recommendations for sustainable pasture management in degraded and eroded mountain gray-brown soils.
Sainfoin (Onobrychis Adans.), legume crops, mineral fertilizers, root development, forage quality, productivity, eroded mountain gray-brown soils, soil fertility, sustainable pasture management
Balanced mineral fertilizer application significantly improved the root development, green and dry matter yields, forage quality, and crude protein content in sainfoin (Onobrychis Adans.) under eroded mountain gray-brown soils. Moderate fertilizer doses proved most effective, offering the best balance between productivity, forage nutritive value, and sustainable soil management.