All About LUCERNE crop....

2. • GROUP MEMBERS :
MUHAMMAD WAJAHAT
MUHAMMAD ZEESHAN
RANA
JAHANZAIB
HAMID
REHMAN
HAMZA
ALI AFSAR
2

3. Introduction:
 Scientific name: Medicago sativa
 Common name: In Arab known as alfalfa
 In Europe called as Lucerne
 Belongs to Leguminosae family also known as Fabaceae.
 Origin: Introduced from the Mediterranean region.
 It is called as ;
“Queen of forage crops”
WHILE
“King of fodder crops is berseem”
• LUCERNE was
probably the
First crop to
be cultivated for
Hay.
3

4. History:
 Alfalfa was first introduced to the Americas by Spanish and
Portuguese.
 Alfalfa is originated in Middle East (IRAN) and it has been used as a
fodder crop since Roman times.
 The largest producer of alfalfa today is North America, South
America and Asia.
 Alfalfa is grown in many other parts of the world, from China
to Spain, Sweden to North Africa. Outside of cultivation alfalfa
occurs as a weed throughout Asia, Europe and America.
4

5. General Characteristics :
• Perennial forage
• Nitrogen-fixer
• Highly palatable
• Digestible and nutritious
• The world’s best fodder crop.
• Extremely Frost and drought tolerant.
• Fast growing (can be cut after 30 days of 1st cutting)
• Rabi fodder crop (sown in winter, October to November).
5

6. General Characteristics :
First cut after 3 month of sowing (March).
Later cuts after interval of 30 days.
Because of its high level of ;
 PROTEIN
 ENERGY
 MINERALS
 VITAMINS
6

7. Trifoliate Flower
Lucerne Field
Lucerne Field
7

8. Morphological Discription :
• 5-6 m in height.
• Long softly-hairy/serrated leaves (saw tooth)
• Leafy branches
• Leaves dull
• Trifoliate
• Leaflets narrowly rhombic with
entire margins upto 7 cm long.
• Petiole upto 2 cm long
• Stipules minute
8

9. BENEFITS :
 Attracts wildlife.
 Nitrogen fixation.
 Alfalfa replaces high N-requiring crops.
 Alfalfa provides N to a subsequent crop.
 Improves Soil Tilth.
 Protect groundwater.
 Also benefits in humans and animals.
9

10. PLANT :
• An erect shape.
• 2-3 feet tall.
• Multi-branched perennial plant with a very deep
tap root.
• Plants develop a woody crown at ground level.
• Stems rising from the crown to around 1 m height.
10

11. FLOWER :
 Flower blue but can purple or yellow (while Barseem has
white).
 Flowers are a typical pea shape 12 – 15 mm long.
 Develop in dense clusters of 20 – 30 flowers at the tips of
the branches.
BARSEEM Flower :
ALFALFA Blue
Flower : 11

12. Soil :
• Deep loamy soils rich in phosphorus, calcium and potash
are very good for Lucerne crop
• Upland sandy soils are not suitable for it as they have low
water holding capacity
• Well drained soil with PH 6.5 to 7.00
• It cannot thrive on alkaline soils
• But can be grown on acid soils with lime application
12

13. Climate :
• Lucerne crop is highly sensitive to climatic changes
• During seedling stage a cool and dry weather is
conductive for their development
• while hot, dry conditions with normal soil moisture
contents are required for quick vegetative growth
• Therefore, its cultivation extends from sea level to lower
hills up to an elevation of 2500 meter
• It tolerates short spell of drought
13

14. Sowing Time , Rate , Method:-
1. Time of sowing:
• The optimum time of sowing of Lucerne is from 1st week , of October to
middle of November
• However, middle of October is the best time for sowing Lucerne.
2. Seed rate:
• In case of broadcasting, 20-25 kg per hectare of seed should be sown
• while for line sowing 12-15 kg per hectare is sufficient.
3. Sowing method:
• Sowing of Lucerne can be done either by broadcaster or by line sowing.
14

15. Ecology :
 Alfalfa grows best in deep well-drained soils which
are neutral to slightly alkaline. It is a relatively
drought-tolerant crop. However, the crop’s yield is
reduced in times of water shortage. The optimum
temperature range is 15-25°C.
15

16. Varieties :
 Vernal (cultivars) used in past a variety of a plant developed from a
natural species and maintained under cultivation.
 There are now more than 30 varieties of Lucerne available.
 These varieties have a wide range of pest and disease resistances and
growth patterns
Two types are used:
1) Dormant (growth reduced in winter due to low temp/shorter days)
2) Non-dormant (grow through the winter, named as Winter active)
 M. falcata a wild variety of alfalfa that naturally hybridizes with M.
16

17. Yield :
Total Production : 3978601 t/144984 h , (2015)NARC
 On average , 6-8 tons per acre.
 no. of cuttings : 6-8
Punjab 35-40t/a
Sindh 15-20t/a
NWFP 15-20t/a
Balochistan 25-30t/a
17

18. Worldwide Production :
 • The world wide production was around 500+ million
tonnes in 2015
 • Produced in Punjab, Balochistan
 • US, Canada, Argentina,
 • Australia, South Africa and in Middle east
 • Upper Midwestern states account for about;
50% production in US
10% Northeastern
40%in Western states
Production:
100 to 125 t/ha in
Punjab and 50 to
75t/ha in Sindh.
18

19. Nutritional value :
 • Alfalfa is high in Protein, calcium, plus other
minerals, vitamin A , vitamins in the B group, vitamin
 C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K And Carotin as
well.
 • The sun-dried hay of alfalfa (also known as Lucerne) has
been found to be a source of vitamin D
19

20. Uses :-
 As a multi-purpose fodder ;
As a high quality fodder
Palatable fodder
Non-toxic fodder
Lucerne meal is used for livestock and poultry.
 • As an ornamental
 • Windbreak
 • Fuel-wood
 • Biogas
Disadvantage is
“Bloating”
-BLOAT MEANS
ACCUMULATION
OF GASES
20

21. Pests :
 1. Alfalfa caterpillar
 2. Army worm
 3. Aphids
 4. Alfalfa Weevil (Hypera postica)
 5. Egyptian Alfalfa Weevil( Hypera
Brunneipennis)
21

22. Pests Control :
 Insect and pest can easily be
controlled by dusting with ‘ BHC ‘
powder at the rate of 6-9 kg/acre
after cutting the crop.
22

23. Disease :
 A. Phytophthora – moisture related
 B. Nematodes – Sandy Soils
 C. Leafspot – spotted leaves
 D. Anthracnose – Leaf
 E. Rhizoctonia - crown; moisture
related.
 F. Fusarium – Wilt
23

24. Disease Control :
 Crop rotation
 Resistant varieties
 Site selection
 Increase fertility
 Harvest management
 High quality seed
24

25. Weed control in
established stand :
 Main weeds :
Fiddle neck, chickweed, foxtail, groundsel,
Malva, curly dock, ect..
 Control :
Depends on the time of year and type of
weed.
25

26. Fertilization of established
stand :
N : P : K
20 : 120 : 160
Zinc, boron, manganese use for
acidic soil 1 to 5 times per hac.
26

27. Harvesting :
 Flowering : February to April.
 Cuttings : 6 to 8 cuttings.
 Time interval : with 4 to 5 weeks of interval.
 Temperature : Plant material should be dried at an
average temperature of 30 o C to 40 o C.
27

28. Alfalfa as fooder :
 After chop mix with wheat hay or dry mater like peanut straw
 Direct green part feed.
silage
 Silage is a good conservation method even in harsh conditions.
Alfalfa has a carbohydrate content it has to be
supplemented with carbon sources, such as ground cereal grains like
wheat or barley
inoculated to start fermentation. Alfalfa silages can be
made using fresh alfalfa . The crop
should be at 50-70 % moisture before ensiling to prevent
nutrient leaching
28

29. 29
Dairy = 60%
Meat Animals = 25%
Horses = 15%
DRY matter : 36 to 56 %
Consume :

30. COMPARISON B/W
LUCERNE
&
BARSEEM
30

31. 31

32. 32

33. 33
THANK
YOU
FOR COOPERATION
? QUESTIONS
PLEASE ?