Lucerne

A high yielding drought tolerant crop that provides an excellent source of home-produced protein. Lucerne has a deep tap root so it is able to mine minerals from the soil, pulling them up from depth and making them available to livestock via the forage. It is grown primarily for cutting with three to four cuts per year, followed by end of season grazing potential. With the correct management, Lucerne should persist for up to five years. In order to grow Lucerne successfully, it is essential that the correct site is selected. Fertile soil, which is weed-free and free-draining is ideal for growing Lucerne and will allow for yield and quality to be maximised. Yield, winter hardiness (dormancy rating) and disease characteristics are very important when deciding on which variety to grow. • One of the highest yielding legumes (up to 12T DM/ha) • High protein content (18%-24%) • Low input – no N required as fixes N in the soil • Helps improve soil structure • Drought resistant • Palatable forage crop • High fibre content • Rich in provitamin A, which aids fertility

LUCERNE

Site

• Deep, free draining soils • Soil pH range of 6.5-7 • Correct pH status allows for N fixation • Adequate pH ensures activity of N fixing Rhizobium bacteria within root nodules

Establishment

• Sow between April and mid-August (must be a warm seedbed) • Choose a variety with a dormancy rating of 4-5 • Seed rate: 9 million seeds/ha • Loamy soils: sow at a depth of 5-12mm • Sandy soils: sow at a depth of 12-25mm • Must be inoculated with a culture of live Rhizobia Meliloti bacteria – ensures N fixing • Timothy / meadow fescue can be sown as a nurse crop to out-compete weeds

Utilisation

Harvesting

• Four cuts/year to be taken May-Mid Oct • Mid-late bud is best timing indicator for cutting • Must build root reserves before re-harvesting (allow 4-5 weeks between cuts) • Do not cut too early – reduces the persistency of the crop • Avoid cutting too late (first flowering stage) – reduces the quality of the crop/increases indigestible cellulose content • Allow plants to flower once a year. This ensures storage of nutrients in the tap root to improve winter hardiness and boost spring growth

Grazing

• Grazing can reduce persistency – a minimum sward height of 6-7cm is advised to prevent damage to the crown • Graze rotationally at 5-6 week intervals • Once crop has stopped growing in the winter, graze lightly to minimise crop damage • Stock should be controlled by an electric fence to limit access and to prevent back-grazing of regrowth – as this will increase bloat dramatically