SIBIRSKY 2

The yellow melilot 'Sibirsky 2' variety is an erect bush, 80 to 120 cm or more in height, with non-woody stems and good foliation. The leaves are inversely lanceolate, green and dark-green, slightly hairy underneath, and covered with a waxy coating that increases their resistance to unfavorable conditions. The stipules have a awl-shaped form and are green in color.

The variety is characterized by high yields of both green and dry mass, as well as seeds. The protein content of the fodder mass reaches 19.6 % of dry matter, making it a valuable source of nutrients for livestock. The seeds are kidney-shaped, colored green-yellow and yellow; the proportion of hard seeds is 41 %. The variety belongs to a biennial yellow melilot of the Siberian ecological group.

'Sibirsky 2' possesses excellent winter hardiness, salt tolerance, and drought resistance. It is resistant to powdery mildew (weak to moderate), and seed damage by pests is weak. As a cover crop, this melilot actively restores soils, extracts nitrogen from the air, improves soil aeration and water retention, and upon decomposition enriches the soil with organic matter. Thanks to its neutral soil requirements and significant root mass, even with a relatively low yield of above-ground mass, its fertilizing value remains high.

The variety is also known as a honey plant: the melilot honey obtained from it is distinguished by high taste qualities and belongs to the best light varieties. Melilot 'Sibirsky 2' is usually sold in a colored polyethylene bag weighing 0.5 kg.