L'intérêt des lotiers : un possible renouveau (revue bibliographique)

Birdsfoot trefois (Lotus species) are potentially valuable crops for improving the quality of extensively grazed pastures, or for maintaining fertility and reducing erosion with low maintenance costs in set-aside land. They may also be used in place of other legumes if inputs to pasture are to be minimised.
The use of existing cultivars of Lotus corniculatus is limited to soils with an almost neutral Ph in areas which have a dry summer. They will not survive where night temperatures are high or under intensive grazing, and they are susceptible to competition form grasses and weeds.
Existing varieties of birdsfoot trefoil are upright, potentially high-yielding plants developed from Lotus corniculatus spp vulgaris. There exists a potential market for grazing or set-aside land of more prostate, persistent varieties which will grow in more acid soils. Such forms exist within L. corniculatus L. sensu lato and the main obstacle to their commercial exploitation both for pasture improvement and for erosion control is the difficulty of harvesting seed. L. uliginosus shows promise for regions with an Atlantic climate which have a high humidity throughout the year.
There are doubts about the palatability of Lotus species and in some types, cyanogen and/or tannin content can be high. There appears to be sufficient variation to make possible the development of palatable cultivars.