苜蓿是草食动物的优质饲草, 被誉为“牧草之王”。发展苜蓿产业对提升我国草食畜牧业具有重要意义。该研究采用定性调研与定量分析相结合的方法, 从创新链角度, 研究了全球苜蓿科技产出、代表性国家苜蓿产业格局和全球苜蓿市场贸易等状况及我国苜蓿产业存在的问题, 旨在为我国苜蓿产业发展提供参考。分析发现, 美国是全球最重要的苜蓿生产国, 在苜蓿基础研究、技术开发、品种培育和商业化种植等方面均具有很强的优势, 引领了全球苜蓿产业的发展。欧美等跨国企业掌控着全球苜蓿产业链的各个关键环节, 是苜蓿产品的主要出口市场, 而亚洲苜蓿产品消费缺口最大。近10年来, 我国在苜蓿科技领域表现活跃, 科技成果产出呈快速增长趋势, 但在成果数量和影响力方面与欧美国家差距明显, 且苜蓿育种进程缓慢, 优质苜蓿产品对外依存度仍然较高。综合来看, 我国应持续加大苜蓿的研发力度和科技投入, 推进苜蓿产业化发展, 提升苜蓿产品的自给率, 保障草食畜牧业健康、稳定发展。

Known as the ‘king of forage crops', alfalfa is an important high-quality forage for dairy cattle and other her- bivores. It is of great significance to improve China's grass products and livestock products. In order to provide deci- sion-making reference for China's alfalfa industry, this work analyzed the scientific and technological output, industrial patterns and market trade of the global alfalfa from the perspective of innovation chain, as well as the problems present in China's alfalfa industry by qualitative and quantitative evaluation. The United States of American (USA) is the most im- portant alfalfa producer around the world, and has strong competitive advantages in basic research, technology deve- lopment, variety breeding and commercial planting of alfalfa, and leads the development of global alfalfa industry. The international multinational enterprises of Europe and USA hold the key industry chains of global alfalfa, which are the major export markets of alfalfa, while Asia has the largest consumption gap of alfalfa products. Although China has become active in the field of alfalfa R&D recently, it has still a significant gap with USA and European countries in terms of the quantity and influence of achievements in scientific research on alfalfa, the progress of alfalfa breeding is slow, and high dependence of high-quality alfalfa products on external factors. Therefore, China needs continue to increase investment in alfalfa R&D, and further promotes the industrialized development of alfalfa, so as to steadily improve the self-sufficiency rate of alfalfa products and ensure the healthy and stable development of animal husbandry.