1. Dr.WaqasNawazPMAS AAUR

2. Scientific name: Medicago sativa Common name: In Arab known as alfalfa In Europe called as lucerne Belongs to Leguminosae family ( soluble CHO & CP) Origin: Introduced from the Mediterranean region LUCERNE wasprobably the It is called asfirst crop to beQueen of forage cropscultivated for WHILE hayKing of fodder crops is berseem 3. First cut after 3month ofsowing.(March)Later cuts afterinterval of 5-6 Perennial forageweeks. Nitrogen-fixer Highly palatable Because of its high level of Digestible and nutritious PROTEIN Lucerne probably the worlds best fodder ENERGY Extremely drought tolerant MINERALS Fast growing (can be cut after 30 days VITAMINSof 1st cutting) Frost tolerant Susceptible to a range of pests and diseases Rabi fodder crop(sown in winter, october to november) 4. 5-6 m in height with a crown diameter of a similar size Long softly-hairy/serrated leaves (sawtooth) Leafy branches Leaves dull trifoliate Leaflets narrowly rhombic with entire margins upto 7 cmlong. Petiole upto 2 cm long Stipules minute 5. Plants An erect 2-3 ft 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.Flowers Flower blue but can purple or yellow (while Barseem haswhite) Flowers are a typical pea shape 12 15 mm long Develop in dense clusters of 20 30 flowers at the tips ofthe branches 6. Soil Deep loamy soils rich in phosphorus, calcium and potashare very good for lucerne crop Upland sandy soils are not suitable for it as they have lowwater 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 applicationClimate - Lucerne crop is highly sensitive to climatic changes During seedling stage a cool and dry weather isconducive for their development while hot, dry conditions with normal soil moisturecontents are required for quick vegetative growth Therefore, its cultivation extends from sea level to lowerhills up to an elevation of 2500 meter It tolerates short spell of drought 7. Sowing the seeds at proper time, rate and method increasesthe yield1. 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: 8. Trifoliate FlowerLucerne Field Lucerne Field 9. There are now more than 30varieties of lucerne available. Vernal (cultivars) used in past These varieties have a widea variety of a plant developedrange of pest and diseaseresistances and growthfrom a natural species andpatternsmaintained under cultivation Two types are used 1) Dormant (growth reduced in winter due to lowtemp/shorter days) 2) Non-dormant (grow through the winter, named as Winteractive) M. falcata a wild variety of alfalfa that naturally hybridizeswith M. sativa to produce Sand Lucerne This species may bear either the purple flowers or yellow 10. 1. Sundar2. Misasirsa Punjab3. Pioneer Type 8 and 9 , Synthetic784. Sanora5. Illunico6. Type 8/9 Sindh7. Powera Type 8 and 9 Seven exotic varieties of NWFP lucerne were evaluated in Type 8 and 9 , No18 different zones during 1993- 1995 GILGIT, CHALAS, SKAUDU. Balochistan Type 8 and 9 ,Quandari NARC 11. Perennial forage and lasts for many years In Pakistan, (total production) 3978601 t/144984 h(2010)NARC On average ,in six cuts per year,o Punjab35-40t/ao Sindh 15-20t/ao NWFP15-20t/aThe number of cuts depends on theo Balochistan 25-30t/alocal climate; in low-altitude areas, 6 to 8 cuts are possible where water isadequate; in the high areas,over 2000 m, 3 cuts are usual 12. The world wide production was around 500+ milliontonnes in 2010 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% NortheasternProduction: 40%in Western states 100 to 125 t/ha inPunjab and 50 to75t/ha in sindh 13. Alfalfa is high in Protein, calcium, plus otherminerals, vitamin A , vitamins in the B group, vitaminC, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K And Carotin aswell. The sun-dried hay of alfalfa (also known as Lucerne) hasbeen found to be a source of vitamin D CP 19%(On DM DMbasis)23-35% Ca+1.3 g/Kg P+ 0.3g/Kg CHO11%TDN65.8% Ash8% CF 29.6% Fat8.5% NDF< 42% Minerals 8% Fiber30% NFE36%EE 1.6% 14. Bloat Foam Bloatproducing production formation proteins Disadvantage is As a multi-purpose fodder; bloating BLOAT MEANS As a high quality fodderACCUMULATION OF GASES Palatable fodder Non-toxic fodder Lucerne meal is used for livestock andpoultry As an ornamental Windbreak Fuel-wood Biogas 15. CropsSowing time Method of sowingHarvesting Time MOSTLYBerseem 21st Sept- end of Oct. Broadcast in standingNov.----May waterLucerne Mid Oct.- mid Nov. 45 cm apart in lines.Permanent yield fromDecember for 3 years,after every 45 day KING OFQUEEN OF FODDERFORAGECrops CPLEAVES FLOWER protien Green fodder TDN LifeCF yield (t/ha)cycleBersee 18-24% roundwhite18-20%125-15064.9% Annual30.3%mLucern 15-24% Almost Blue-20-24%110-12565.8% Perinneal 29.6%e flat yellow 16. NARC Prof. Dr. Talat Naseer Pasha, (Dean, Faculty of AnimalProduction and Technology, University of Veterinaryand Animal Sciences, Lahore::::FODDER) Poineer::::: Manual of livestock form operations(supervised by Dr. Tanveer & Dr. Kashif) www.Pakistan agriculture.com Crop Production by Shafi Nazir Animal Husbandry by S. Iqbal Shah Notes on lucerne varities written by Dr. M.dost &Dr.afzal Some others....