More about lucerne

Lucerne, also called alfalfa, is a species in the genus Medicago and is part of the legume family Fabaceae. It is a perennial flowering plant and can grow up to 1 m high, with a deep rooting system which typically reaches depths of 2-3 m.

The roots of this legume bear nodules containing the bacteria Sinorhizobium meliloti, which fix atmospheric nitrogen to produce a protein rich feed and increase soil nitrogen content.

Lucerne is best suited to warm temperate climates, having originated in South-Central Asia and first grown in ancient Iran. It is cultivated in many countries around the world, being an important forage crop for grazing, silage and hay, in addition to being used as a green manure and cover crop.

Lucerne has great potential as a high yielding and high protein forage feed for livestock but requires the correct growing conditions for its success. It does not perform well in areas of high rainfall, clay soils or where soil compaction is an issue. Therefore, it is best suited to warm, dry conditions in free-draining, more alkaline soils (pH 7). Lucerne is very resistant to drought and can last between 4 to 8 years under the right conditions.

Sow in the spring (and even through the summer months), as long as soil temperature is a minimum 8 ˚C. Lucerne can be cut several times over the growing season at six week intervals (although not in its first year of establishment) and produce up to 12 tons dry matter/hectare from multiple cuts. A well fermented lucerne silage should have a dry matter of 30 %, with a protein content of around 20 % and a metabolizable energy content of 10 MJ/kg DM, depending on the stage of maturity at cutting. It is usually favoured as a highly digestible, high protein forage feed for dairy cows but is also suitable for cattle, sheep, goats and horses.