Lucerne

[Global ovine]

Look up the recent thread; Who's looking at grazing lucerne as a drought resilient pasture? There are posts there offering good advice.

 

[sjt01]

Look up the recent thread; Who's looking at grazing lucerne as a drought resilient pasture? There are posts there offering good advice.

We had a Fab Farmers meeting near Snettisham last summer, a sheep farmer grazing lucene. Seemed to go OK on a pure stand but would not fit our dairy cow system.

 

[Bruce Almighty]

You have several problems in the situation described;

• Your heavy clay soils are very unsuited to lucerne which requires good drainage throughout the soil profile. Red Clover would be a better option.
• Spring sowing is recommended for this plant.
• Your organic status prevents normal selective herbicide use. Therefore only winter grubbing the top inch or two remains, but this can only be done on mature stands where a strong crown exists on a well developed tap root.

I suggest you go in with a direct drill with 2 clovers and the ryegrass recommended for your district and the length of life you desire. Do it once the soil moisture level guarantees a good seed strike. Check for slug numbers first.

That's what I was thinking, I didn't think Lucerne was suitable for heavy ground?

 

[ollie989898]

I am sure in the depths of my memory I have heard that once Lucerne is fully dormant it can be sprayed with roundup. My crop looks almost totally dead at the moment but has a fine crop of black grass, wheat, cranesbill and other assorted blw. Poppy was a big issue for the 1st cut last year.

My agronomist is on the case but I was wondering if anyone had actually done it? All I can find is from New Zealand or Australia using a paraquat and atrazine mix. Obviously that’s not possible for me.

Will only do it if legal and being sure it won’t kill the crop but it sounds like a possible opportunity.

Bg

Spray with clethodim??

Wonder if kerb works on it?

 

[ollie989898]

That's what I was thinking, I didn't think Lucerne was suitable for heavy ground?

It doesn't like land that hangs wet.

 

[Enry]

I am sure in the depths of my memory I have heard that once Lucerne is fully dormant it can be sprayed with roundup. My crop looks almost totally dead at the moment but has a fine crop of black grass, wheat, cranesbill and other assorted blw. Poppy was a big issue for the 1st cut last year.

My agronomist is on the case but I was wondering if anyone had actually done it? All I can find is from New Zealand or Australia using a paraquat and atrazine mix. Obviously that’s not possible for me.

Will only do it if legal and being sure it won’t kill the crop but it sounds like a possible opportunity.

Bg

Heard of it sprayed with paraquat in the past, that would kill the above ground material, surely roundup would kill the root?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Just curious to know what peoples thoughts are on Spring vs Autumn (August/September) drilling of Lucerne. To date we have only established in the spring, but no rain in May really slowed it down, the flip side is grass weed competition in the Autumn, being organic we don't have the option of a herbicide. Soils are heavy clay.

I would forget it and go with Red Clover , that will thrive on heavy land

 

[MattVal147]

It seems to be a crop that’s better in its 2nd year, takes a while to get going and can be out competed quite easily with weeds etc which is our problem being organic but when it does get going it really does and will grow like anything...

 

[Hesstondriver]

@Andrew yours is on heavy ground isn’t it ?!

 

[Andrew]

@Andrew yours is on heavy ground isn’t it ?!

Yep. Can’t get a lot heavier ground than ours and grows well. We have one field on some light brook land that never yields as well.

 

[organicguy]

We have grown lucerne for 10 years now.
The better the land the more it will grow, whilst it is deep rooting if there is no soil it will not produce anything in a dry time.
We have sown it on heavy but dry land as part of pollen and nectar mixes and it has out lasted red clover, only knapweed has lasted longer.