Lucerne Growers Guide - British Seed Houses

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Contents:IntroductionLucerne for the modern farming era3 Introduction• Lucerne for the modern farming era• Lucerne in comparison to red and white clovers4 Site selection and preparation• Seed bed preparation5 Sowing and establishment• Inoculation• Sowing with a nurse crop• Seed rates6 Crop management• Key points in lucerne persistency7 Pests and diseases• Common pests and diseases of lucerne8 Cutting, grazing and feeding lucerne• Lucerne cutting regimes• Cutting best practice• Ensiling best practice• Grazing best practice• Yields and Feed Quality10 Variety selection• Timbale11 Views from the field• TestimonialsInterest amongst UK livestock farmers in lucerne as a forage crop has increasedsignificantly in recent years. The crop’s potential to provide an economic source ofhomegrown protein whilst reducing reliance on bought-in fertiliser by up to300kgN/ha are good reasons for farmers’ willingness to revisit lucerne or grow it forthe first time.As a nitrogen-fixing legume, lucerne is commonly compared with white and redclover, and its similarities with the latter extend also to its ability to thrive in dryconditions, due to its deep tap root.Lucerne is most commonly grown as a stand-alone crop, primarily for cutting butwith limited grazing potential. Whether cut or grazed, the forage is highly digestibleand typically rich in minerals due to its deep rooting nature. With the correctmanagement, crops should persist for 4 – 6 years, producing 10-15 tonnesDM/ha at18-24% crude protein.Variety choice, as with any cropping option, is critical. For the UK grower, winterhardiness and disease resistance are key characteristics, and recent breedingprogress is now increasing the viability of lucerne as a mainstream forage crop.Lucerne is highly suited to organic systems.CHARACTERISTIC RED CLOVER WHITE CLOVER / GRASS LUCERNESoil type All types All types Well drainedIdeal pH 5.8-7.5 5.8-7.0 6.2-8.5Establishment rate Fast Medium MediumInoculation needed No No YesDrought tolerance High Medium Very highPersistence Low Very high MediumRegrowth rate High High HighYield 10-15 tonnes DM/ha 4-10 tonnes DM/ha 10-15 tonnes DM/haSilage quality ME 9.8-11 MJ/kg/DM ME 9.8-12 MJ/kg/DM ME 9.0-11 MJ/kg/DMCP 16-22% CP 16-20% CP 18-24%pH 4-4.5 pH 3.5-5.5 pH 4.3-4.4Other features High PPO* Low PPO Low PPOSources: Legume Silages for Animal Production, R.J. Wilkins; Legumes for Milk and Meat, R. Shedrick, G. Newman and D.J. Roberts* PPO (Polyphenol oxidase) is an enzyme that enables animals to utilise protein more efficiently.2 • LUCERNE GROWER’S GUIDELUCERNE GROWER’S GUIDE • 3
Site selection and preparationSowing and establishmentModern varieties of lucerne selected for their suitability to a northern Europeanclimate can be grown successfully on a wide range of fertile free-draining sites andsoil types. Lucerne will not thrive in waterlogged soils, so the general advice is toavoid heavier land and cold wet soils.For optimum performance and to minimise the threat of pests and diseases, a periodof five years should be allowed in the rotation between lucerne crops. Lucerne offersthe advantage of leaving significant residual nitrogen for following crops.Seed bed preparationLucerne is slow to establish so it is very important to ensure the correct balance ofsoil nutrients are in place and that any soil compaction and perennial weed issuesare remedied in advance.Soil nutrient testing should be carried out to assess requirements to achieve a pH inthe range 6.2 – 8.5 and soil indices of at least 2 for both phosphate and potash. Thetrace elements magnesium, sulphur, molybdenum and boron are particularlyimportant in the establishment phase.Calcium is essential for nodulation and nitrogen fixation; it is unlikely to be deficientif recommended pH levels are maintained.Annual P and K requirements for 3-cut System (kg/ha)SOIL P OR K INDEX 0 1 2 3 4P 130 105 80 20 0K 340 290 250 90 0These guidelines are for red clover but are applicable to lucerne.Some of the P and K can be supplied in manures/slurry. Eg 40 m 3 /ha dairy cow slurrymay supply up to 48 kg/ha P and 140 kg/ha K.Source: IBERS Aberystwyth University.Lucerne should be sown when soils are warm into a fine and firm seedbed to adepth of 0.5 – 1cm. Seed can be drilled (10 cm rows) or broadcast and fields must berolled well before and after sowing to ensure good soil-to-seed contact andoptimum soil moisture retention.Spring sowing (from late April) tends to be more common with lucerne as thisensures strong plants going into the first winter. However, lucerne can be sownsuccessfully up to the middle of August in the southern half of England.InoculationLucerne seed should always be inoculated with a culture of live Rhizobia melilotibacteria to ensure successful root nodulation and efficient nitrogen-fixing. Inoculantcan either be mixed with the seed immediately before sowing or can be drilled intothe seedbed no deeper than 1cm.Sowing with a nurse cropNurse crops are sometimes used to assist in the establishment of lucerne, helping toout-compete weeds. Lucerne can be undersown with a spring cereal (sown at50% rate) and cut as arable or wholecrop silage, or is sometimes grown withcompanion grasses including Perennial Ryegrasse, or Timothy, Cocksfoot andMeadow Fescue. Do not use quick growing species such as Italian and HybridRyegrasses as they out-compete lucerne seedlings.Seed ratesCROPPING SYSTEM SEED RATES NOTESPure lucerne standLucerne in mixture withPerennial RyegrassLucerne in mixture withTimothy/Cocksfoot/FescueLucerne at 20 - 25kg/haLucerne at 15 - 20kg/haPerennial at 10kg/haLucerne at 15 - 20kg/haGrass seed at 8kg/haMaximum protein crop.Target plant population of200-300 plants/m 2 .Grasses provide improved groundcover without over-competing.Grasses provide improved groundcover without over-competing.Lucerne undersown withCereal nurse cropLucerne at 20 – 25kg/haCereal seed at half rate (125kg/ha)Cereals act as a nurse cropwithout over-competing.4 • LUCERNE GROWER’S GUIDELUCERNE GROWER’S GUIDE • 5
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Lucerne Growers Guide - British Seed Houses

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