Evaluation of Productivity and Seed Amino Acid Composition of Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) Cultivated in the Almaty Region of Kazakhstan

In Kazakhstan, the rapid expansion of animal husbandry has made the development of a stable, high-quality forage base a key priority and since its introduction into field production, sainfoin has gained widespread recognition as a promising crop due to its favorable biological traits. The aim of this study was to examine the sainfoin (Onobrychis vicifolia Scop.), variety Almaty 2, developed due to domestic selection efforts, along with 24 additional variety samples from the collection material. These patterns were evaluated for key economically valuable traits, including productivity, seed protein content and amino acid composition.

A field assessment of the local breeding material was conducted using phenological observations and measurements. The samples were ranked according to their total productivity of green and dry mass and subject to cluster and correlation analyses.

Five specimens out of the 24 sainfoin variety samples demonstrated a high level of productivity based on dry mass yield. The highest crude protein content was recorded in sample No. 4 (10.7%), while the Almaty 2 variety showed a slightly lower value of 9.9%. Comparative amino acid analysis of sainfoin seeds revealed elevated levels of essential amino acids in sample No. 4, particularly methionine (512.8 mg/100 g), phenylalanine (890.1 mg/100 g), threonine (418.7 mg/100 g) and histidine (4453.3 mg/100 g), compared to Almaty 2 and previously reported data for wheat seeds. Some amino acids in wheat protein are considered limiting, supporting the classification of the studied Kazakhstan sainfoin varieties as sources of high-quality protein suitable for food supplements and combined food and forage use.