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Book of Abstracts First Legume Society Conference 2013: A Legume Odyssey Novi Sad, Serbia, 9-11 May 2013
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KEYNOTE LECTURE
Forage Legumes and Pulses in Ruminant Diets
P O’Kiely, P Phelan, AP Moloney, EG O’Riordan
Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath,
Ireland
In temperate climates, most forage-based ruminant production systems have members of the
Poaceae/Gramineae as the primary feed source. These forages range from highly productive,
recently sown monocultures to permanent pastures of diverse botanical composition, and are
utilised by grazing, conservation or a combination of both. Forage legumes
(Fabaceae/Leguminoseae) occur or are included in some of these graminoid-based swards, and
their most compelling benefit is where their presence increases the overall profit of the livestock
enterprise. This is most likely to derive from an increase in herbage yield or nutritive value, or a
reduction in the cost of providing livestock with feed. The presence of legumes in swards and
pastures can also provide environmental benefits, although it may not always be feasible for
farmers to obtain an economic reward for this service to society. The objective of this paper is to
provide an overview of the impact of forage legumes and pulses in ruminant production systems,
and to outline future challenges. These legumes are likely to impact on system parameters such as
stocking rate, meat and milk production, meat and milk quality, animal wellbeing and
productivity, environmental fluxes and, ultimately, profitability.
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