Notice of Release of ‘Basin’ Utah Sweetvetch

Abstract

Utah sweetvetch (Hedysarum boreale Nutt. [Fabaceae]) is a perennial legume native to the Intermountain Region of the western US and Canada. ‘Timp’, the only cultivar of this species, has poor seed production. Here we report the release of ‘Basin’ Utah sweetvetch as a replacement for Timp for use in revegetation of rangelands in the Intermountain Region of the western US. Basin is derived from 3 cycles of recurrent selection for increased seed and forage mass production, and it traces to 16 germplasm sources originating from Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, and Utah. In 3 y of testing, Basin exceeded Timp in seed yield, with 682 compared to 320 kg/ha (608 compared to 285 lb/ac), and in forage biomass at 1263 compared to 659 kg/ha (1126 compared to 588 lb/ac). Crude protein and neutral detergent fiber, measures of forage nutritive value, of Basin were comparable, if not better, than alfalfa. The release of Basin provides seed companies and public and private land managers an improved Utah sweetvetch with increased seed and forage production for revegetation projects in the Intermountain areas of the western US. Specifically, its increased seed production should increase seed availability and thus, reduce the price.