Changes in sainfoin (Onobrychis sativa Scop.) hay yield and hay quality depending on altitude in Savsat area, Artvin

This study was conducted to investigate possible changes in plant height, fresh and dry hay yield and hay quality parameters for sainfoin growing in Artvin province depending on soil characteristics and altitude.The research was carried out in Savsat, a small town of Artvin Province, where three different sainfoin plots were chosen at three different altitude (850, 1010 ve 1475 m) with similar characteristics. Sainfoin plots used in this study were originated from identical seeds and there were no application of fertilization, plowing or watering in the plots.According to the growing time and flowering period, height of the sainfoins were measured and plant and soil samples were taken from the experimental plots for various analyses. According to the results of these analyses, heights of the plant were similar for all sainfoin plots at all three altitudes including the highest growing plot of 1475 m.The fresh and dry hay of the sainfoins resulted in different yield amounts mostly due to the altitude of the growing regions, but it was found that the 1475 m growing plot gave a significantly low yield.As for soil samples, analyses showed that the soil pH, organic matter and total nitrogen were significantly changed with altitudes. Also, high correlations were found between some of the soil characteristics and the amount of plant nutrient elements. This, in turn, shows that the soil characteristics are important for sainfoin growing in the area as well as determining parameters of hay quality.As a result, when growing sainfoin plants in Artvin, the factor of altitude should be taken into consideration and proper application of fertilizers should be used depending on the soil analyzing results.Key Words: Onobrychis sativa, altitude, hay yield, soil characteristics, Artvin