Lucerne

Lucerne is another useful high protein forage with potential to improve performance and reduce costs. It is a more specialist crop than other leguminous species and requires higher management input. Being a legume, it has the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, so it is of particular interest to organic producers as well as conventional producers.

Lucerne provides a source of rumen degradable protein and, unlike red clover, it has a relatively high fibre level. It provides an opportunity to improve forage quality in terms of protein, which will help increase farm self sufficiency, reducing the need for purchased feed inputs. Being a home grown feed, Lucerne also provides producers with a fully traceable product. Lucerne is a versatile crop allowing a flexible harvesting strategy. The only draw back is the limitation to the type of ground on which lucerne can be grown. It is not well suited to all areas of the UK. Lucerne must be well managed if high yields from multiple cuts are to be achieved.

The use of an effective additive such as axphast or axcool will prevent the breakdown of the protein and provide stability in this quality, high protein crop.