Sainfoin is a very nutritious forage legume that provides the essential protein source to livestock worldwide. The crop also manifests resilience to a number of biotic and abiotic stress factors, such as pests and drought and has a wider adaptability. Unlike alfalfa, sainfoin does not cause bloat due to the presence of the tannins. Sainfoin deposit a large amount of nitrogen and the roots penetrate to great depths preventing soil erosion. Sainfoin has been found to increase the sequestration of nutrients such as phosphate.

Sainfoin has a long history of cultivation across the globe, including Asia, Europe, and North America. Although sainfoin is cultivated globally as a fodder crop, the main centers of species diversity are in Anatolia (a total of 52 species), Iran (about 53 species) and Caucasia (up to 39 species)

About 150 species are currently considered within the genus Onobrychis. The cultivated sainfoin populations are largely derived from the species Onobrychis viciifolia which has earlier been referred to as Onobrychis sativa. The two closely related taxa, Onobrychis transcaucasica and Onobrychis arenaria are also cultivated in different locations. Similarly, a number of different Onobrychis speciesthat have basic chromosome numbers of x=7 and x=8 with the 2n= 14, 28, 16, 32 were reported.

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/13836_2021_90