Lucerne has certainly made a comeback in recent years. Now is the time to sow lucerne in the high rainfall areas to take advantage of sub-soil moisture and follow up rains.

Lucerne helps to diversify farming enterprises as it can be reapt for seed, cut for hay or grazed. A number of farmers who had lucerne last year said that it helped them financially through the dry season. Lucerne like any other crop needs to be managed well to maximise production and profitability.
 
Lucerne due to its deep root system is also an effective plant in reducing water leakage into the groundwater.  Lucerne dries out the soil profile and prevents water tables from rising. Lucerne planted in strategic areas can help to reduce waterlogging and minimise dryland salinity.

The keys to the successful establishment of lucerne include a good weed control. Lucerne should be sown into a paddock where weeds were controlled last year through the cropping program or a spray topping program. 

There are a range of lucerne varieties and these should be chosen on the basis of the intended use of the stand. It is important that the seed is tested for germination and purity so that undesirable weeds are not introduced and a high germination percentage is assured. The seed should be inoculated for successful plant establishment.

Lucerne does not require a finely worked seed bed but it does require accurate seed placement and a good seed-soil contact, which is important for moisture and nutrient uptake by the seed.

Lucerne does well on sandy soils, however many of these are often water repellent.  To improve establishment on these soils there are a number of options such as sowing in the furrow, soil wetters or clay spreading. Clay spreading has become increasingly popular in recent years.

It is essential that lucerne stands are monitored for insects and sprayed to ensure that plant losses are kept to a minimum.

In a number of areas farmers have sown lucerne in the autumn-early winter with a cover crop to provide protection against wind and water erosion. The cover crop can compete with the lucerne and this can be a major factor in the failure of lucerne establishment. Spraying out the cover crop now or in early spring with a grass selective herbicide will help to conserve moisture and maintain success.

In the first year of establishment the stand should be lightly grazed which will allow the plants to become fully established.

AUTHOR: Andrew Harding, Senior Soil and Land Management Consultant, Rural Solutions SA 

CONTACT: Andrew Harding, Rural Solutions Clare Office, Telephone 08 8842 6231