INTRODUCTION TERMS OF EASTERN GOAT’S RUE (GALEGA) INTO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN

Abstract

The absence of early-maturing perennial grasses forces livestock producers to feed cattle 150-200 thousand hectares of winter rye on May 15-20, which could be saved for grain in case of widespread adoption of Galega, that is not inferior in terms of precocity. Most importantly, in market conditions it is necessary to cultivate long-used, self-renewing perennial agrocenoses in order to obtain products with a minimum prime cost. The study of the biological features of eastern goat's rue shows that it perfectly fits all of the above mentioned terms. Goat’s rue (Galega orientals) can become the leading fodder culture of Tatarstan for the following reasons: eastern goat’s rue, unlike all legumes of perennial grasses, has a unique ability of vegetative reproduction and the duration of its productive longevity increases to 12-15 years, so the costs of cultivation are reduced by 2-3 times, compared with the widely spread alfalfa seed; this culture is expedient for cultivation in remote shallow-contour fields, which significantly reduces the cost of annual distances of large-size combine harvesters and sowing complexes, the attention of large investors attracts its ability to grow early in the spring. For example, in our experiments it reached the slope ripeness on May 20-25 and outstripped alfalfa by sowing for precociousness for 15-20 days; the early ripeness of eastern goat’s rue makes it possible to preserve winter rye crops for grain traditionally used for green forage early in the spring; in contrast to alfalfa and clover meadow, in the preparation of hay and haylage, the leaves of the goat’s rue can not practically fall and feed corresponds to the highest class of nutrient content. The soil and climatic resources of the Republic of Tatarstan fully correspond to the conditions for the introduction of the eastern goat’s rue (Galega) into agricultural production on a large scale.