Legumes do not fix nitrogen alone—they require the proper bacteria to get the job done. Some legumes share the same bacteria, like true clovers and alfalfa. Others use their own unique bacteria strains, like soybeans or peas and vetch. To ensure that legumes bring the most benefit to your pastures and cover crops, be sure to add inoculant to untreated seed. Coated legume seed already contains the inoculant and does not need to be added. If you have grown the same legume species on the land in the last 3-5 years, inoculant may not be needed. You can always check this by uprooting some of the plants when they get 6-8" and checking the roots for nodules. These nodules are the "house" for the bacteria.