Lucerne (Medicago sativa)

Ref: LUCE

Lucerne is a very popular plant in the US, used in the UK primarily for silage and hay. Lucerne is also known as Alfalfa when sown as hay to the equine market. It is a high protein nitrogen fixing legume which thrives on free draining, non-acidic soil and requires no fertiliser. The selection of the correct Lucerne variety is important due to winter dormancy and resistance against Verticillium wilt, a disease which is soil-borne and must be avoided if lucerne is to be grown regularly. Sow with a small seeds drill or broadcast. Lucerne can be used as part of your greening measures, as a 'pasture legume' or a 'nitrogen fixing crop' option.Lucerne requires a particular bacteria (rhizobium) to be present in the soil for it to nodulate successfully. Nodules on the roots allow the plants to fix nitrogen and develop correctly.