Extreme Northern Acclimatization in Biennial Yellow Sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis) at the Arctic Circle

Abstract

Biennial sweetclovers (Melilotus spp.) are among the most winter-hardy of the legumes used as forage crops (Bula and Smith 1954; Gorz and Smith 1973; Hodgson and Bula 1956; Klebesadel 1971b, 1980). Common strains and cultivars of both yellow-flowered (M. officinalis [L.] Lam.) and white-flowered (M. alba Desr.) species are grown extensively in the Middle West and Great Plains areas of the United States (Gorz and Smith 1973), and the prairie provinces of Canada (Greenshields 1957). However, due to inadequate winter hardiness in Alaska of strains currently available (Hodgson and Bula 1956; Irwin 1945; Klebesadel 1971b, 1980), sweetclovers from other areas are not dependable for use as biennials in southcentral Alaska.