Alternative Crops: Is Lucerne Worth a Second Look?
Nutritional value and benefits of lucerne
Let’s start with the most important factor: Does lucerne make good feed for your herd? Overall, the answer to that is a strong yes, but with some caveats.
Lucerne is:
- High in protein. Around 18–22% crude protein (higher than grass silage, and much higher than maize)
- Rich in digestible fibre, making it good for digestive health.
- High in vitamins and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamins A, D and E.
It’s also a highly palatable feed. Lucerne silage increases dry matter intake (by around 2.2 kg/day compared with grass silage), and there are proven benefits to milk yields in dairy cows. However, lucerne has lower concentrations of some minerals, such as phosphorus (which is important for milk production), lower energy levels than grass silage and lower amounts of structural fibre. This means that lucerne should be fed as part of a balanced ration. Feeding lucerne silage alongside maize silage is a popular practice that can help balance the nutritional limitations of each feed.
Growing lucerne
Lucerne is a legume, so the correct soil conditions are essential for forming root nodules and ensuring optimal growth. Preferred conditions for planting lucerne include:
- pH 6.2–7.8
- Good drainage (waterlogged fields will kill the crop)
- Soil temperatures above 8°C (sow in spring or summer)
It’s worth saying up front that this can be a tricky crop to establish (the AHDB offers some useful tips). But once it gets going, the crop will form a deep taproot, making it drought-resistant and quick to regrow after mowing. In the first year, you can expect to take one or two cuts. After that, four cuts a year is normal, with the majority of the yield coming from the first two cuts. Very dry summers or a cold spring can reduce the yield.
Harvesting and baling lucerne
Harvesting lucerne comes with some special considerations. The biggest lesson many inexperienced growers learn the hard way is that the crop is highly susceptible to leaf shatter during drying and baling. And because 70% of the protein and 90% of the vitamins and minerals are in the leaves, losing them can severely reduce nutritional value.
For this reason, some growers recommend specialised equipment to preserve as much leaf matter as possible.
DM content of lucerne silage
The correct DM (dry matter) level for your lucerne depends on whether it’s destined for the clamp or bale:
- For clamps, aim for a DM of 30–40%
- For baled lucerne silage, aim for a DM of 40–50%
In either case, rapid ensiling and proper anaerobic fermentation conditions are essential. Because lucerne has low levels of soluble carbohydrates to feed anaerobic bacteria, some growers also recommend using a silage inoculant.
Trying out lucerne: final tips
- As with any new crop, start small. A trial patch gives you a chance to get to grips with the more challenging aspects of growing lucerne.
- For baling lucerne, high-quality silage stretch film, such as Tama’s Polybale Pro range, is recommended. It protects the baled crop from damage during handling and ensures it stays oxygen-free and nutritious for your herd.
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