Growing lucerne as a fodder crop
Lucerne is an essential crop for livestock farmers and anyone with a small piece of land can grow it to provide essential crude protein and fibre to their livestock, especially during periods when all forage material on the rangeland is dry.
This according to Agribank’s technical advisor for crops and poultry Hanks Saisai, who said lucerne is a fodder crop grown worldwide for its high-quality protein and fibre content, making it a preferred choice for livestock feeding - including cattle, goats, sheep and pigs.
Lucerne can be grown either as an intensive high-production crop under irrigation or as a dryland fodder crop in areas with an annual rainfall of less than 500 millimetres, he said.
“Lucerne is well-adapted to a wide range of climatic conditions, particularly in terms of acidity and drainage, which farmers should take note of.”
He said to grow lucerne, a farmer needs to loosen the soil with a digging fork to a depth of 25 to 30 centimetres, or utilise a disc plough to loosen the soil to a depth of 30 to 45cm.
“The soil must be well drained with a pH of about 6.0 to 7.0. The farmer should sow the lucerne seeds at a depth of 0.5 to 1cm, spacing them out at 15cm between rows and 5cm within each row. For a one hectare plot, it is recommended to use between 12 to 18 kilograms of seeds.”
Saisai added that farmers should plant semi-dormant varieties that are more suitable for grazing and have a longer lifespan of five to seven years in the field.
Harvest
When lucerne is grown in well-fertilised soil that is rich in nitrogen and has a neutral soil pH, it grows its foliage (leaf zone) vigorously, ensuring that more grazable material is available for hay production.
“Farmers should keep in mind that the optimal time for planting lucerne is usually between February and May. By July, the crop is ready to be harvested, either with a mower mounted onto a tractor or by using a slasher to reduce it to a length of 10cm.”
Saisai said after harvesting, it is dried for about four days before it is racked and baled.
According to him, care must be applied after cutting and baling to ensure that regrowth is rapid.
Applying nitrogen fertilisers such as urea in the irrigation setup is essential, and if cutting frequency is about every 42 days, it may result in farmers cutting and baling lucerne about eight times in a year, he said.
Saisai highlighted that weeds can be controlled by using eco-friendly pesticides that restart the growth of grasses, and with lucerne being tolerant to frost and dry spells, farmers can control weeds by using Glyphosate SC sprayed over the field of production.
Profitable enterprise
“Lucerne production is a profitable enterprise for livestock-oriented farming nations. In particular, supplying lucerne during the dry season between May to November of the year can generate income for farmers,” Saisai said.
On a small-scale plot of about 0.5 hectares, farmers can support a small number of cattle or sheep by fulfilling their daily needs during tough times such as drought, he said.
Furthermore, lucerne is a legume that can convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form for other crops to use after its lifespan, Saisai added.
This according to Agribank’s technical advisor for crops and poultry Hanks Saisai, who said lucerne is a fodder crop grown worldwide for its high-quality protein and fibre content, making it a preferred choice for livestock feeding - including cattle, goats, sheep and pigs.
Lucerne can be grown either as an intensive high-production crop under irrigation or as a dryland fodder crop in areas with an annual rainfall of less than 500 millimetres, he said.
“Lucerne is well-adapted to a wide range of climatic conditions, particularly in terms of acidity and drainage, which farmers should take note of.”
He said to grow lucerne, a farmer needs to loosen the soil with a digging fork to a depth of 25 to 30 centimetres, or utilise a disc plough to loosen the soil to a depth of 30 to 45cm.
“The soil must be well drained with a pH of about 6.0 to 7.0. The farmer should sow the lucerne seeds at a depth of 0.5 to 1cm, spacing them out at 15cm between rows and 5cm within each row. For a one hectare plot, it is recommended to use between 12 to 18 kilograms of seeds.”
Saisai added that farmers should plant semi-dormant varieties that are more suitable for grazing and have a longer lifespan of five to seven years in the field.
Harvest
When lucerne is grown in well-fertilised soil that is rich in nitrogen and has a neutral soil pH, it grows its foliage (leaf zone) vigorously, ensuring that more grazable material is available for hay production.
“Farmers should keep in mind that the optimal time for planting lucerne is usually between February and May. By July, the crop is ready to be harvested, either with a mower mounted onto a tractor or by using a slasher to reduce it to a length of 10cm.”
Saisai said after harvesting, it is dried for about four days before it is racked and baled.
According to him, care must be applied after cutting and baling to ensure that regrowth is rapid.
Applying nitrogen fertilisers such as urea in the irrigation setup is essential, and if cutting frequency is about every 42 days, it may result in farmers cutting and baling lucerne about eight times in a year, he said.
Saisai highlighted that weeds can be controlled by using eco-friendly pesticides that restart the growth of grasses, and with lucerne being tolerant to frost and dry spells, farmers can control weeds by using Glyphosate SC sprayed over the field of production.
Profitable enterprise
“Lucerne production is a profitable enterprise for livestock-oriented farming nations. In particular, supplying lucerne during the dry season between May to November of the year can generate income for farmers,” Saisai said.
On a small-scale plot of about 0.5 hectares, farmers can support a small number of cattle or sheep by fulfilling their daily needs during tough times such as drought, he said.
Furthermore, lucerne is a legume that can convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form for other crops to use after its lifespan, Saisai added.
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