This disease can also be a problem if excess slurry is applied. More reasons to grow legumes friday may 27 2016 members of the public admire climbing beans crop during a tour of exhibition stands at a. For good persistence it must be grazed or cut on rotation. Lucerne is a legume and as such is able by association with bacteria to fix nitrogen into the soil for its own use. Lucerne, also known as alfalfa is a perennial flowering plant in the pea family. It is valued for its drought tolerance, high yield, protein content and digestible fibre and as such makes good forage for ruminants. Feeding your animals need not cost an arm and a leg due to rising prices of commercial feeds.
The four subfamilies of the legume family, leguminosae, are discussed. Farmer perceptions of legumes and their functions in. This document was compiled as part of the better returns programme to provide best practice advice on growing and feeding lucerne to cattle and sheep. Jul 29, 2014 lucerne is the king of fodder, yielding a large volume of high quality hay thats rich in protein. There are numerous benefits of growing lucerne and if done well, it significantly reduces the need to. Livestock kenya legume species commonly used as pasture or. Why establishing lucerne crop is a very good investment for the dairy farmer written by maurice rangoma. Lucerne for pasture and fodder nsw department of primary. Lucerne has a taproot that can grow down to over 3m in depth. Lucerne is one of the few crops which will thrive on a soil with a high ph. Lucerne is the king of fodder, yielding a large volume of high quality hay thats rich in protein. Production and utilization of these 3 legumes for animal production will provide adequate. Lucerne, also known as alfalfa, is the single most important fodder crop that a dairy farmer should always have in the farm. Lucerne is a useful source of protein for feeding to cattle and sheep.
Every effort must be made to retain the maximum amount of leaves. Lucerne belongs to the legume family, which means that, working. Legume species commonly used as pasture or fodder in kenya. Nov 18, 2014 techniques for lucerne grass and alfalfa cultivation paadi pantalu express tv telugu. Production and utilization for livestock production an overview is given of three legume pastures with potentials as sources of.
Widely grown perennial legume with its main growth in spring, summer and autumn. This also means there is a requirement to leave a gap of five to six years between crops. Lucerne exhibits autotoxicity, which means its seeds will not grow in a field of established lucerne, so it is impossible to topup thinning crops. Very high resistance to the major disease phytophora root rot makes it the ideal option across soil types that are. Express tv the 247 telugu news channel dedicated to infotainment content. Lucerne for beginners part 1 when is lucerne ready for baling. Why spend more when you can grow highly nutritious animal. Lucerne is a legume that is able to fix atmospheric. Click here to view the lucerne booklet afrikaans and english lucerne is a perennial summer legume which is well adjusted to perform in almost all areas of south africa. Legume species commonly used as pasture or fodder in kenya kaaa.
Lucerne is a perennial legume with a taproot that gives the plant access to water and nutrients deep in the soil profile. In june 2010, two dualpurpose promiscuous varieties, tg x 17402f and tg x 189533f and one grain variety sc1 were released. For a cheaper and better alternative that produces higher yields, farmers are advised to grow their. Care should be exercised to avoid damaging the plant crown growing points as this can induce lucerne crown rot. Trends in the production, trade, and consumption of foodlegume crops in subsaharan africa by comlanvi sitou akibode food legumes in subsaharan africa play a vital role by being a source of livelihood for millions of people. International crops research institute for the semi arid tropics. Tomato grow in a self watering tree pot on the roof youtube. Below we provide farmers with guidelines on how to grow some of the legumes to help improve fodder quality. A highyielding legume, its roots naturally fix nitrogen making it a cost effective crop to grow either on its own or with carefully selected companion grasses or cereals.
Most of the farmers had some knowledge of legumes and their characteristics. Lucerne or alfalfa medicago sativa is a deeprooted, temperate, perennial pasture legume which is well adapted to mixed farming systems in. Techniques for lucerne grass and alfalfa cultivation. Lucerne or alfalfa medicago sativa is a deeprooted, temperate, perennial pasture legume which is well adapted to mixed farming systems in southern western australia.
Soil adapted to a wide range of soils from sands to clay loams and tolerates slight acidity but not salinity. The amount of water that should be applied depends on the length of the growing season, the number of cuts, climatic factors such as temperature, evaporation and rainfall and the degree of infiltration of the water in the soil. Download pdf l56 is a high yielding variety with excellent forage quality and greater persistence on all soil types. Fertiliser in general lucerne requires no nitrogen either in the establishment or subsequently.
Think about it a machine that takes up just 200 square feet produces 200 tons of feed per year. Lucerne, the wonder fodder your cow needs daily nation. However, they had little knowledge of some key functions, including. Cultivars of lucerne have been developed, during the crops long. How to grow lucerne lucerne alfalfa is a major forage crop both in new zealand and around the world. Drawings of legume flowers, leaves, and pods should help identification in the field. Legume species are important supplements for livestock and at times ca completely replace purcha. Lucerne lucerne is one of the largest forage crops utilized across the world. Lucerne farming in kenya, it significantly reduces the need to supplement dairy rations with the costly commercial concentrates. Lucernes extensive root system enables the crop to produce good yields even under relatively dry conditions. The term alfalfa is an arabic word meaning best fodder because of its palatability and high feeding value. A comprehensive table gives the subfamilies, species, common names, habits, uses, and geographic areas of.
Why lucerne might be the wonder crop for your dairy. More reasons why you should grow legumes daily nation. It is widely adopted but prefers deep, well drained soils with neutral to high. An established lucerne pasture provides an alternative source of forage for animal production, especially outside the growing season of annual crops and pastures. Pdf benefits of rhizobial inoculation and phosphorus application. Benefits of rhizobial inoculation and phosphorus application on growth of lucerne medicagosativa in kenya. Why lucerne might be the wonder crop for your dairy farming. This aggressive taproot system allows it to survive in rainfall zones as low as 250mm. When lucerne is grown with an annual winter growing legume, its high summerautumn feed value combines with similar winterspring feed values to give high. Seed colour range from pale blown, red to black and varies. This was used widely in commercial dairy farming in western kenya, usually in. Jun 28, 2016 legume species are important supplements for livestock and at times ca completely replace purchased feeds if used properly. Click here to view the 2016 agricol lucerne pamphlet in afrikaans only. Growing maize for food and fodder home kenya agricultural.
A profitable stand is the result of careful selection of welldrained paddocks, the addition of lime and required nutrients, good weed control, a proven variety and the use of good planting practices to ensure germination and establishment. Lucerne belongs to the legume family, which means that, working with soil bacteria called rhizobia, it is able to fix nitrogen to make it available for plant growth. There are many legumes species commonly used for pasture or fodder in kenya but only a few are important. Oct 11, 20 the use of the technology has been growing rapidly in australia over the past decade, as well as africa and india over the past 23 years. Cultivation climate desmodium does well in warm, wet regions at altitudes of 800 m to 2500 m that receive at least 875 mm of rainfall per year.
Growing maize for food and fodder kenya agricultural research institute p. Livestock kenya why establishing lucerne crop is a very. Lucerne medicago sativa is a nitrogen fixing legume commonly known as alfalfa. It offers greater management flexibility than winter active varieties and excellent seedling vigour for quick establishment. Common lucerne medicago sativa lucerne is a high yielding perennial forage legume that grows upright to about 1 metre. Inoculating and pelleting pasture legume seed 4 nsw department of primary industries, april 2017 inoculant preparation and quality inoculants consist of finely ground peat soil impregnated with a single strain of rhizobia.
Techniques for lucerne grass and alfalfa cultivation paadi. When the lucerne is dry enough, you can begin baling. Commonly known as the king of fodder, it is a deep rooted perennial plant. Lucerne cultivation lucerne field lucerne close up lucerne cut field lucerne hay bales well established lucerne field well established lucerne field high yielding field good hay storage. Improving fodder quality with legumes the organic farmer. Legume species are important supplements for livestock and at times can completely replace purchased feeds if used properly. Kenya plant health inspectorate services kephis, targeting specific growing areas with a yield potential of up to 2. Selected, highly effective, tested strains of rhizobia are first grown in nutrient broth which is then injected into. This requires great care, as the wrong baling techniques may lead to severe losses. Centro centrocema pubescens this is a creeping and twinning perennial legume which climbs on anything nearby. These include lucerne, desmodium, sweet potato vines and even root crops such as beetroot, radish and turnips. This gives the plant superior drought tolerance and preference over grasses in lower rainfall areas. Lucerne is highly imported in botswana and we have very few number of lucerne producers in botswana, about 4 farmers and they cannot meet the demand of lucerne locally.
It has a deep rooting system and prefers a neutral soil, growing best in a ph range 6. Request pdf lucerne, lablab and leucaena leucocephala forages. It is also known as lablab bean, fiwi bean, dolichos lablab or simply lablab. Lucerne the plant and its establishment agriculture and food. The channel delivers breaking news, live reports, exclusive interviews, political. Adequate lime levels are essential for a successful crop and liming to ph 7 is advised. Pdf benefits of rhizobial inoculation and phosphorus. Lucerne can use up to 80 per cent of the available soil moisture without any detrimental effect. This means there is more land available for grazing or growing other crops. This means there is an opportunity in this market as our botswana government is able to stop imports of lucerne until the one produced locally is finished. Lucerne can be grown on a wide variety of sites and soil types. When lucerne is grown with an annual winter growing legume, its high summer autumn feed value combines with similar winterspring feed values to give high.
Why spend more when you can grow highly nutritious animal feed. Fact sheet lucerne growing in tasmania suitability factors for assisting in site selection irrigation lucerne is a highly valuable fodder crop as it can be either grazed or made into high nutritive value hay. Legume species commonly used as pasture or fodder in kenya written by maurice rangoma. This is a summer growing, vigorous herbaceous annual or shortlived perennial legume. In south africa, lucerne is grown under irrigation and as a dryland crop. Acidic soils can be improved by applying manure at the rate of. Profitable lucerne production is based on a rapidly growing, dense stand.
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