Sainfoin - field plants - honey plants. Esparcet is a genus of perennial fodder and melliferous herbaceous plants from the legume family. Sainfoin medicinal properties

Syn.: sandy kopeechnik, Tanait sainfoin, Siberian sainfoin, Don sainfoin, Dnieper sainfoin.

Sandy sainfoin is an important perennial fodder and honey plant from the legume family. The healing properties of sandy sainfoin are used in traditional medicine and homeopathy.

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flower formula

In medicine

Sandy sainfoin is not a pharmacopoeial plant and is not used in official medicine. However, thanks to their healing properties used in traditional medicine as a tonic, tonic (in the form of infusions and decoctions). In homeopathy, sainfoin is added to preparations that promote the production of testosterone in men and improve erection.

Contraindications and side effects

A contraindication to the use of sainfoin is the individual intolerance of the components, childhood, pregnancy and lactation.

In cosmetology

In cosmetology, sainfoin honey is used. It is very good as hair masks that strengthen hair follicles, it can also be used as part of moisturizing and nourishing face masks (in the absence of allergies).

In other areas

Esparcet is especially valuable as a fodder crop in animal husbandry; grass flour and hay are obtained from it for livestock feed. Feed prepared on the basis of sainfoin does not cause tympanitis in animals, i.e. severe bloating.

Sandy sainfoin is included in the list of the best honey plants. From one hectare, bees can collect up to 6 kg of honey in one day. Honey collected from sainfoin is transparent, fragrant and tasty, light amber in color, does not sugar for a long time. Sainfoin honey contains proteins, carbohydrates, ascorbic acid, carotene, enzymes and other substances useful for the human body.

Esparcet is also excellent green manure- a plant used for soil-protective crop rotation. Also, the plant is grown as a "enricher" of the soil. organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus.

Classification

Sandy sainfoin (lat. Onobrychis arenaria) is a plant from the legume family (lat. Fabaceae).

Botanical description

Sandy sainfoin is a perennial herbaceous plant, from 30 to 100 cm high. The stems of sainfoin are strong, erect, branched, almost bare. Sainfoin tap root. The leaves are pinnate, compound, formed from 15–25 small leaflets. The shape of the leaves is elliptical, oblong-elliptical or (mainly in the upper leaves) lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate. The flowers of sainfoin are bright, beautiful, pink or pink-purple in color, 8-12 mm long, collected in dense long racemes on axillary peduncles, the length of which can reach 20 cm. The calyx is 5-7 mm long, its teeth are linear-subulate, in 1 ,5-2 times longer than the tube. The flag is 1-2 mm shorter than or equal to the boat. The formula of the sandy sainfoin flower is Ch (5) L1 + 2 + (2) T (9) + 1P1. The fruit of the sainfoin is a bean, about 5 mm long, ovoid-semicircular in shape, appressed-hairy, usually with short spines along the ridge and protruding veins. Sainfoin blooms from the second year of the plant's life. The flowering period is from early summer to July. Each blooming flower does not live long, only 10-12 hours.

Spreading

The original range of the species group from which the sandy sainfoin originated is the north of the Balkan Peninsula.

Sandy sainfoin is distributed in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, in the west it is found in central France and northern Italy.

In Russia, the range of sainfoin extends from the steppe and forest-steppe zones of the East European Plain through steppe zone Siberia to Transbaikalia and Yakutia. In the Moscow region, the plant is rarely found in the southern half of the region as an alien.

Esparcet is considered predominantly steppe plant, but it can be found in meadows, clearings, edges, in sparse forests. It occurs in habitats with different soils, but prefers a neutral reaction of the environment, grows poorly on waterlogged and acidic soils.

Distribution regions on the map of Russia.

Procurement of raw materials

To medicinal raw materials include leaves, flowers, stems. They are harvested during the flowering period, and the roots are harvested in the fall. The esparcet is mowed and rid of impurities, crushed, and then dried in warm, well-ventilated areas.

Chemical composition

The aerial part of sandy sainfoin contains a significant amount of carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, fats and fiber, and some enzymes. Carotene and ascorbic acid were found in the sainfoin herb. Sainfoin seeds contain sucrose, raffinose, fatty oils with solid fatty acids(up to 7-8% fatty oils).

Pharmacological properties

The medicinal properties of sainfoin are due to valuable substances - flavonoids, nitrogen-free compounds, ascorbic acid and rutin, which are included in chemical composition plants. Sandy sainfoin favors lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and thanks to nitrogen-free compounds it normalizes activity gastrointestinal tract improves the absorption of nutrients from food. The high content of vitamin C in sandy sainfoin strengthens the immune system, has a beneficial effect on the central nervous system and metabolism. The amino acids contained in the plant help to restore the body after illnesses, severe physical activity. Also, sainfoin is useful for athletes during training to replenish high energy consumption.

Application in traditional medicine

In folk medicine, sainfoin is used as a means of increasing the body's resistance to various infectious diseases, it is also taken by people suffering from diabetes. Infusions and decoctions of sainfoin help lower blood cholesterol levels, increase hemoglobin levels.

Sometimes folk healers include sandy sainfoin in sedative collections for the treatment of neurotic disorders, hypochondriacal conditions and sleep disorders.

In traditional medicine, a decoction of the herb and sainfoin roots (sometimes in combination with field talabani) or tincture with sainfoin is used to treat impotence and other male sexual dysfunctions, as well as for diseases of the prostate gland.

History reference

It is believed that sainfoin was first cultivated in the 15th century in southern France as a pasture plant. But in some sources you can find information about the cultivation of sainfoin already in the 10th century in Transcaucasia.

It has been observed that animals receiving sainfoin for food do not suffer from some diseases, in particular, tympanitis.

Literature

1. Gubanov, I. A. et al. 814. Onobrychis arenaria (Kit.) DC. (O. viciaefolia auct. non Scop.) - Sandy sainfoin // Illustrated guide to plants Central Russia. In 3 volumes - M .: T-in scientific. ed. KMK, In-t technologist. issl., 2003. - V. 2. Angiosperms (dicotyledonous: dicotyledonous). - P. 457. - ISBN 9-87317-128-9.

2. Kultiasov I. M. Sandy sainfoin // Biological flora of the Moscow region / ch. ed. T. A. Rabotnov, red. issue of I. A. Gubanov and M. G. Vakhrameeva. - M.: Publishing House of Moscow State University, 1974. - T. I. - S. 88-97. - 214 p. - 1050 copies.

Sainfoin has been used as livestock feed for hundreds of years in Europe and Asia. But at the beginning of the 20th century, it was replaced by other intensively growing grasses, such as alfalfa, although it remained a popular feed for livestock in dry areas. Its hardiness, versatility and nutritional value are well worth the attention of farmers looking for new fodder crops for their farms.

Botanical features of the plant

The genus is called sainfoin Eurasian perennials from the legume family. Esparcet is a herb with about 150 species currently known. The main center of diversity extends from Central Asia to Iran. This plant has naturalized in many countries in Europe and North America on meadow calcareous soils.

The areas of distribution of this culture are Tunisia, Spain, Portugal, the western part of North America, Australia and New Zealand; in the latter country, the species is mainly used for silage production and as soil conservation cover. Three species are mainly cultivated:

• sainfoin sowing;
• sandy;
• Transcaucasian.

These are mostly subtropical plants, but their range extends throughout Europe. These plants grow in grasslands, farmlands and deserts. Leaves pinnate, alternate, 6 to 14 pairs. Sainfoin has pale pink flowers that usually bloom between June and September. The round, single-seeded pods are shaped to enable them to cling to the fur of large mammals and thus spread over a wide area.

Fertilization is provided by bees. The plant is very watery, rich in soluble sugars and nectar, so it is very popular with bees.

The plant has a deep root that penetrates the soil and is therefore very drought tolerant, but does not recover well from overgrazing. The root is unique in its ability to penetrate and grow even in clay soils and poor structure such as Pliocene clays.

Stems are straight, high from 0.80 to 1.50 m, coarse. The leaves consist of 4-6 pairs of leaflets, slightly oval. Inflorescences are brushes consisting of an unbranched axis, on which there are 20-40 flowers with short peduncles. The flowers are quite large, bright red. The grass is very watery (about 80-85%) and coarse, which makes mowing quite difficult.

Sainfoin is valued by farmers because, unlike other legumes such as alfalfa, it does not cause bloat in herbivores and is little affected by weather conditions.

Nutritional benefits of sainfoin

Esparcet contains condensed tannins, and it is these that protect animals from bloating. It has also been shown to increase protein absorption. This, combined with other health benefits, means that animals grazing on this grass have very good weight gain. As such, sainfoin is extremely beneficial for low volume and organic farmers. Yields can be very high, at around 16 tons per hectare.

One way to improve nitrogen utilization by ruminants and reduce greenhouse gases is to use feeds containing condensed tannins such as sainfoin. The nutritional value of this plant, despite the low nitrogen content, is high. Sainfoin is rarely used as a pure feed and is usually introduced in herbal mixture:

Grown on a farm, it has advantages over traditional grasses, especially during the hay season, as it is less dependent on the weather and allows you to provide high quality feed at harvest time.

Also, sainfoin is an excellent source of nectar for honey production, as well as pollen for beekeeping.

Growing technology and sowing rate

Esparcet is drought tolerant, and as far as soil is concerned, it adapts better to limestone or sodic clays, which are highly colloidal and unstable. Its powerful root loosens the soil, making it suitable for other more demanding crops: it is therefore a very valuable plant for recultivation.

Esparcet can be sown either in spring from March to May or in autumn from August to September. The seeding rate of sainfoin per 1 ha is 80−100 kg of untreated seeds. In spring, the seeding rate is 20−25 kg/ha of bare seed. This grass grows in about 2 to 3 months. If sown in the spring, it will occupy the site until mid-summer. Hay production is highly variable, with more frequent averages of 4-5 tons per hectare.

Moist, poorly drained, impermeable and saline soils are not suitable for growing this plant. Best neutral acidity. Before sowing, the field must be limed, introducing certain doses of dolomite flour.

The plant grows well if planted after the following predecessors:

• potato;
• corn;
• beet.

It is not recommended to plant sainfoin after crops that dry up the soil (sunflower, Sudanese grass). After sainfoin it is best to plant winter wheat and sugar beets. Before planting sainfoin, it is necessary to level the top layer and remove weeds. Fertilizer application depends on the nutrient content of the soil.

Seeds are sown, having previously been etched with foundationazole and treated with molybdenum. Sowing qualities of seeds must meet the requirements of GOST 19450–93. For sowing, you can use grain seeders.

The sainfoin plant is ready for mowing five to ten days earlier than alfalfa. Optimal time harvesting - the period of the beginning of flowering. The maximum seed yields are obtained from the first mowing in the first and second years of cultivation. Seed yield is significantly increased if placed near the field, during the flowering period, bee hives. Flowering begins in late May - early June.

sainfoin plant

Beneficial features sainfoin was appreciated by people in antiquity. Initially, it was used for grazing in natural conditions, and from the 15th century it began to be specially sown in the fields. Esparcet has proven itself as a green manure, fodder crop and honey plant. It has found application in folk medicine and pharmacology.

Phytopreparations based on plant parts help with diseases of the cardiovascular, nervous and genitourinary systems, gastrointestinal tract, as well as metabolic disorders.

Types and description

There are more than 80 species of sainfoin in the legume family. They grow mainly in the temperate, subtropical and tropical zones of Eurasia and Africa.

Common sainfoin and sandy sainfoin are of paramount importance. These are perennial herbaceous crops with a tall straight stem and feathery leaves. Outwardly, they differ little from each other. The main differences relate to the distribution areas and economic importance cultures.

The appearance of a sainfoin

Sowing

Description of the plant: Sainfoin seed has a well-branched root system. Several stems grow from the rhizome. The height of the shoots varies from 0.15 to 0.9 m. different sides many thin branches. Complex pinnate leaves are attached to them with the help of petioles. They consist of 6-14 small leaves (1.5-3.5 cm long and 0.6-0.7 cm wide) ellipsoid in shape.

Sainfoin is characterized by consistent vegetative development:

• at 1 year, the stem and leaves grow;
• 2 years - flowers and fruits are formed.

The flowering phase begins in late spring and lasts almost a month. Moth-type flowers are collected in racemes 3–5 cm long. The color of the corolla has a purple-pink hue. Each flower remains open for no more than 10–12 hours. During this time, pollination occurs. The sweet honey smell and abundant nectar attract insects, especially bees.

During the ripening period (August - September), a bean fruit is formed. Inside the tightly compressed valves, one seed is hidden. Bob length 0.6–0.8 cm.

To the benefits sainfoin seed early maturity, drought resistance, shade tolerance, high immunity to diseases and pests can be attributed. The plant does not tolerate excessive moisture, is sensitive to lower temperatures.

Phytopreparations based on seed sainfoin are used for gynecological diseases, metabolic disorders and deterioration of blood quality.

Senna grass - effect on the body and application

Sandy

Sandy esparcet has received many names among the people, colorfully describing its appearance:

• white cornflowers;
• red burkun;
• gorse red;
• crow;
• hare pea.

The culture grows on sandy soils in an arid climate. Thanks to a major strong root, penetrating to a depth of 2.5 m, the plant absorbs moisture from the lower layers ground water. The hare pea has a rough, woody stem, so it looks like a semi-shrub. The leaves are smaller, from 6 to 10 pairs, and they are smaller in size. But the flower brush has a length of up to 20 cm. Corollas can be painted white or pink tone. The plant blooms from May to July. The fruit is a brown one-seeded bean.

Hybrid varieties of sandy sainfoin are grown as ornamental plants, as well as a green manure that improves the soil. Crops of hare peas inhibit the development of weeds, saturate the soil with useful substances, and prevent the spread of erosion. Agronomists do not advise planting sainfoin after sunflower, which greatly dries out the soil. Optimal predecessors are potatoes, corn, beets.

Useful properties of honey

Sainfoin grass is a recognized honey crop highly valued by beekeepers. Abundant release of nectar occurs at the height of summer, when the air warms up to a temperature of +20 ... +25 degrees. By this time, beekeepers are trying to move the hives closer to the culture crops. This period coincides with the swarming of bees. The main share of the collected sweet product is spent on feeding the younger generation of the bee colony.

Bees from 1 hive are able to collect 4-6 kg of sainfoin honey during the day.

It has the following qualities:

• transparent;
• color: from amber (fresh) to milky white (settled);
• rich taste;
• delicate aroma of rose;
• does not dry out for a long time.

The honey productivity of the plant is estimated at 400 kg per 1 ha. Chemical analysis showed the presence in the sweetness of the series useful substances: ascorbic acid, carbohydrates, proteins, enzymes, carotenes. Due to its taste and medicinal qualities, honey is very popular in Europe. Nutritionists recommend eating it as a separate dessert dish. Honey is undesirable to mix with liquid.

The product has antiviral, immunostimulating, tonic properties. Regular intake of small portions of honey improves digestion, speeds up the metabolism in the body. Doctors note the benefits of natural sweetness for problems in the sexual sphere in men. As a healing agent, it is recommended to drink a mixture of fresh carrots with honey 2 times a day.

Hay and green fodder are readily eaten by animals, and the use of fresh sainfoin with dew or in rainy weather does not cause tympanitis, as when feeding alfalfa.

Sainfoin considered a good honey crop. Many beekeepers seek out fields with sainfoin, especially if it is grown for seed.

Place in crop rotation:

Since sainfoin is a good predecessor for many crops, it is placed not only in fodder crop rotations. Sainfoin can be found in soil-protective crop rotation, and in the field, and even in vegetables. This means that the predecessors of sainfoin can be different cultures.

Like alfalfa, sainfoin is grown both as a net crop and under cover. The information on this page will help you compare cover crops and make your choice. When growing by pure sowing, we focus on the fight against weeds.

Soil preparation:

Having harvested the crop of the previous crop, we carry out peeling with disc cultivators by 6-7 cm. If there is a large number of root shoot weeds peeling is best done with ploughshares at 11-12 cm. After 15-20 days, peeling can be repeated, which will give a greater effect if the site is heavily contaminated with such weeds. Upon completion of these operations, we carry out autumn plowing with a depth of 25–27 cm.

AT southern regions, prone to spring droughts, use the so-called leveled plowing method. This includes post-plowing cultivation and fallow harrowing, i.e. full preparation plot for sowing in the fall. This will allow us to confine ourselves in the spring to only pre-sowing harrowing, which will ensure the preservation of the already meager reserves of moisture in the soil.

Fertilizers:

Good results were shown by granulated superphosphate applied simultaneously with sowing in rows. The norm of 50 kg/ha of this fertilizer increased the yield of hay by 3.7 q/ha, and seeds by 1.0 q/ha.

More information about fertilizers perennial herbs can be found at this link.

Seed preparation:

Sainfoin seed requires thorough cleaning from foreign impurities and especially from weed seeds. Before sowing, on the same day, treat the seeds with nitragin. BUT best effect can be achieved if simultaneous treatment with ammonium molybdenum acid is carried out.

For seeds legume herbs treatment with rhizotorfin can also be applied. This must be done in a place sheltered from the sun, as the sun's rays have a detrimental effect on bacteria. After treatment, the seeds are immediately sown.

Also, do not forget that, subject to storage conditions, conditioned seeds do not lose their germination capacity in the first two to three years of storage. In the next three years, the seeds sharply (2-2.5 times) lose their germination capacity.

Sowing:

Sainfoin, like alfalfa, is sown both as net sowing and under cover different cultures. In general, early spring cereals are chosen as a cover crop. So we sow as early as possible, in the first days of the beginning of spring field work. The method of sowing, as well as grain, is ordinary.

Germination of sainfoin seeds begins at 1−2°C above zero. The optimum temperature is considered to be 19−25°C.

Seeding rates in arid steppe regions 70−80kg/ha, in the forest steppe and irrigated 90−100kg/ha. Seeding depth on heavy soils and in humid areas is 3-4 cm, in drier areas and on light soils - 4-5 cm.

Seeding care:

First of all, we remove the stubble remains of the cover crop from the field. When harvesting the cover crop, we try to leave the stubble higher, at least 15-20 cm. She, at least somehow, will protect young plants sainfoin from direct sun rays, but in winter period promote snow retention.

In the spring of the second year, we carry out harrowing in two tracks with heavy tine harrows to remove stubble and loosen the topsoil. After each mowing, we also apply harrowing.

In growing areas sainfoin, starting from the second or third year of use, you can apply such an agricultural technique as slotting. It contributes to the additional accumulation of moisture in the soil, which, in turn, will increase productivity.

Harvest:

To get hay for harvesting sainfoin, we start the budding phase and try to complete it during its mass flowering. Height of a cut of plants not less than 6 cm. When carrying out the last mowing, it is better to increase the stubble to 8-10 cm. This will ensure greater accumulation of nutrients in the winter, better snow retention and more efficient spring regrowth. sainfoin.

They call it sainfoin perennial, which reaches a height of up to 30 - 70 centimeters. It belongs to the legume family, and its fruit is a bean containing great amount squirrel.

Esparcet as a honey plant

Reference. The plant is an excellent honey plant: bees can bring up to six kilograms of honey per hectare, where there are up to five hundred million flowers.

The resulting honey has a transparent consistency, is considered a very tasty and nutritious product, and beekeepers highly value sainfoin all over the world. Most often it sprouts on the edge of the forest, in a meadow or among other shrubs.

The plant begins to bloom from the second year after planting, usually in the first days of summer, and lasts up to 30 days. Esparcet has bright and beautiful flowers who have a pleasant pink color and collected in small brushes, their length reaches about 20 centimeters.

Refers to the species of perennials, and root system penetrates deep into the ground, about 4 - 5 meters deep. It has a weakly branching stem, but at the same time its foliage is present in in large numbers. The plant grows well in sandy or sandy soils, and it also loves all types of carbonate soils. Do not plant sainfoin in acidic soil, but optimum temperature for efficient germination of the plant varies from 18 to 25 degrees Celsius.

The plant sprouts on sandy or sandy soils.

Types of sainfoin

Experts say that in fact there are more than eighty species of this plant that are able to live and bloom in wild environment. Here are some of the most popular varieties:

• sandy: often used to create decoctions, widely used to treat impotence;
• sowing: is an excellent tool for the prevention of potency, gives male power and also restores menstrual cycle in the fair sex (strengthens the immune system, alleviates the symptoms of diabetes);
• Transcaucasian: it is this species that gives large quantity harvest, as it is not afraid of cold and drought, it is most often used as a honey plant;
• hybrids of these species.

There are other species and subspecies of sainfoin, but here we talk about the most popular and more valuable among people, beekeepers and adherents of natural natural medicine.

Where does it grow

The plant is found on different continents, both in Russia, and in Africa, and in Asia. Most often, sainfoin grows in the wild in the Caucasus, and that is why the Transcaucasian variety is so valuable and in demand all over the world - there are more than twenty-seven species of this plant.

The sandy type of sainfoin is resistant to any weather conditions, so it is quite common in the wild.

Sandy view of sainfoin

In Soviet times, a large amount of sowing was focused on fertile soils Ukraine, as well as Russian regions close to this country (Rostov and Voronezh regions). Later, the plant took root in Krasnodar Territory in Russia itself. Due to getting used to more severe climatic conditions this plant "spawned" local races that bring more harvest than sainfoin growing in Western Europe.

The sandy species of sainfoin can survive at a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, so this plant can be found in any latitude of the Russian Federation.

Cultivation and care

On the territory of Russia and in other countries, only three types of plants are most often grown - these are sandy, sowing and Transcaucasian. They are great to grow in fodder multi-fields. It is very good if potatoes, corn or beets were planted on this land before the plant. The soil that was planted with sunflowers will not work, as it dries out the entire earth.

Attention! When growing sainfoin, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the methods of tillage: you need to level the primary layer of the earth, and it is also important to take into account its pre-sowing and post-sowing rolling. Remove absolutely all weeds before you start sowing, as well as large earthen clods.

It would also be nice to fertilize your land organic fertilizers but don't use liquid forms nitrogen, it is best to opt for potash or phosphate fertilizers. Sowing itself is better to choose lowercase: if the soil is light or medium, the depth should be no more than four centimeters, but if it is heavy, no more than two centimeters. Roll the soil well after sowing.

Honey productivity

Esparcet - the best honey plant

The resulting honey in its composition has a high amount of proteins, carbohydrates, carotene, ascorbic acid and other useful substances. You can get most of the nectar in wide-row crops. Great option- this is the preparation of bees and apiaries for the beginning of summer (when flowering begins), which often occurs simultaneously with the brood of the bee family, which is why the lion's share is spent on feeding them. For this reason, sainfoin as a honey plant is a sought-after and popular product.

Healing properties

The composition of sainfoin includes not only protein, but also amino acids with carbohydrates. This plant received a high value in the field of animal husbandry, as it is necessary to obtain herbal flour.

Most experts are sure that sainfoin is medicinal plant. They claim that the plant has the following healing properties:

• lowers blood sugar levels;
• clears it of cholesterol;
• normalizes the work of the digestive tract;
• helps the body absorb better nutrients from food;
• improves the condition immune system;
• helps to normalize the metabolism in the human body;
• restore strength after sports, adds energy.

In addition to all of the above, sainfoin has an anti-inflammatory effect, it is widely used even for cancer. The composition of the plant includes fatty oils, rutin, raffinose and solid fatty acids.

Our body cannot produce vitamin P on its own - rutin, so it must be obtained through food or herbs. In this case, eating sainfoin will also help.

Vitamin P - rutin

Conclusion

As you can see, it is a fairly popular and useful herbal plant that is used for various purposes. At the same time, it has no contraindications, the only exception will be individual intolerance by the body. The rest of the sainfoin is excellent honey plant, which provides a useful end product, a good natural medicine that helps to avoid many diseases, as well as prevent their development. Many take it to prevent heart disease, maintain normal weight, and protect the immune system. All this makes the sainfoin honey plant really popular and effective plant for all mankind.