Feasibility of using cattle to disperse cicer milkvetch ( Astragalus cicer L.) seed in pastures

Abstract

The passage of cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer L.) through the digestive tract of cattle was examined in relation to recovery, germination, and establishment. About 86% of seed ingested was recovered over a 4-d period. Most seed was excreted 24–48 h after ingestion and soft seed was reduced by about 3% for every 24-h period spent in the digestive tract. However, the field observation of 20 established plants indicates low efficiency of this method for dispersal of cicer milkvetch. Key words:Astragalus cicer, digestion, germination, soft seed, establishment, cattle