Most forage production in eastern Canada is comprised of species mixtures, but there is limited research on identifying the best species to include within forage mixtures. Our objective was to identify binary legume-grass mixtures with high forage yield and nutritive value under both frequent clipping and cattle grazing. Binary legume-grass mixtures (18) of one of 6 grass species and one of 3 legume species were studied in a split-plot layout at 3 sites (Levis, QC; Normandin, QC; Nappan, NS) over 5 post-seeding years. The forage dry matter yield and total digestible nutrients were measured at each harvest and the milk production was estimated using the spreadsheet Milk2013. The 6 grass species grown in mixture with a legume species persisted well, but white clover grown in a binary mixture with a grass species did not perform well under frequent cutting or rotational grazing. Meadow bromegrass-based binary mixtures were overall the best performing in terms of seasonal dry matter yield; although its nutritive value was average, they provided one of the best combinations with alfalfa or birdsfoot trefoil for the estimated milk production per hectare. The greatest estimated milk production per hectare was obtained with birdsfoot trefoil mixed with meadow bromegrass followed by the alfalfa-timothy and the alfalfa-meadow bromegrass mixtures. Table 1.

In the forage binary mixture		5-yr averageestimated milk (Mg/ha/yr)
Legume	Grass
White clover	Timothy	8.52
	Kentucky bluegrass	8.12
	Tall fescue	8.79
	Orchardgrass	8.12
	Meadow fescue	7.91
	Meadow bromegrass	9.28
Birdsfoot trefoil	Timothy	10.30
	Kentucky bluegrass	10.05
	Tall fescue	9.76
	Orchardgrass	10.35
	Meadow fescue	9.22
	Meadow bromegrass	11.23
Grazing-type alfalfa	Timothy	10.56
	Kentucky bluegrass	9.51
	Tall fescue	9.01
	Orchardgrass	8.85
	Meadow fescue	8.65
	Meadow bromegrass	10.39
SEM		0.245