Black medic (Medicago lupulina) germplasm screening for use as a self-regenerating cover crop on the Canadian Prairies

Abstract

Self-regenerating legumes such as black medic (Medicago lupulina L.) can play an important role as a low-maintenance cover crop in annual cropping systems, provided they produce a large quantity of seed, regenerate successfully from the seedbank, and produce a significant amount of biomass. Twenty-seven accessions of black medic, including the cultivar George, were grown at two locations and assessed for their potential as self-regenerating cover crops in prairie conditions, based on phenological and morphological characteristics. Five accessions with adequate seed production, survival and growth late in the season, large leaf size, and good ground cover capabilities were identified and will be the focus of further study. Key words: Medicago lupulina, black medic, legume cover crops, self-regenerating cover crops, Canadian prairies, germplasm screening