Use
Lucerne is a long term, drought resistant and high yielding legume which is
grown mainly for silage. Typically it will produce 3 or more
cuts per year. It has a high protein content of around 18-22% and is a good
source of vitamins and minerals. The majority of lucerne is grown pure or
with a small inclusion of non-aggressive grass as it has little tolerance
of competitive ryegrass.
Although lucerne is usually ensiled it can also be made into hay. It should
be handled carefully during the hay drying process as it is very delicate.
It is a popular forage for horses and can therefore be a useful cash crop.
A further possibility is to feed lucerne green. The risk of bloat is very
real and for this reason the best way to feed fresh is to cut and leave for
24 hours prior to feeding.
Yield
Dry matter yields are likely to be 14t/ha. It will require adequate phosphate
and potash levels to achieve this and a pH of 6 is considered the minimum.
Variety
The selection of the correct variety is important. We recommend Vela as being
the best for this year. This offers good resistance against Verticillium wilt,
a disease which is soil borne and must be avoided if lucerne is to be grown
regularly.
Field Choice Only grow lucerne on free draining soils, it will perform
badly on waterlogged ground. The range of suitable soil types is considerable
from clay loam to a light chalk or limestone and it is on the latter that
lucerne has been usually grown. Lucerne is very sensitive to poor drainage
and compacted soil conditions that restrict root growth, nor will it tolerate
acid soils.
Sow
with a small seeds drill or broadcast 8 kg per acre (20 kg/ha).
Lucerne
Four Year Cutting Crop
Grass
Option
Ref.
MIXLUC65% ORGANIC
We recommend the use of a non-competitive grass mixture to be sown with Lucerne.
The grass assists the silage fermentation process, contributes to yield and
fills the base of the crop, therefore providing some competition against weeds.
Sow grass and lucerne seed at 10 mm.
2.60 kg certified LAURA ORGANIC meadow fescue
0.40 kg certified ROSSA or similar meadow fescue
1.00 kg certified PROMESSE timothy
4.00
kg per acre £15.22 (10 kg/ha £38.05)
£8.00 per sachet plus VAT
The
use of culture to provide the correct type of bacteria to initiate nodulation
is considered essential. This relatively simple process is done on the day
of sowing. We supply small sachets of culture which you mix with seed. One
size is available which treats 25 kgs of lucerne seed.
Culture
NON ORGANIC
Sowing
& Establishment
It is advisable to sow either in the spring or summer. Late autumn sowing
is risky as the seedlings being slow growing at first do not have time to
develop before the onset of winter.
For spring sowings it is popular to undersow a spring cereal. Priority has
to be given to the lucerne. Sow the cereal at half the recommended sowing
rate. Ideally cut the cereal, usually spring barley, for silage at the milky
stage.
When sowing in the summer it is usual to follow an early harvested cereal
such as winter barley. The middle of August is the latest date for sowing
provided a good seedbed can be made and there is sufficient moisture available.
