How long does it take to grow lucerne?
How long does it take to grow lucerne?
Lucerne’s extensive root system enables the crop to produce good yields even under relatively dry conditions. It’s perennial nature means that once successfully established reliable production could be expected for the following 3 to 4 years.
How do you plant lucerne?
Lucerne does not establish well from being sown too deep. The seed should be covered by 1-2 cm of soil. Using a roller after sowing is important to get good seed soil contact on lighter soils. Treating lucerne seed is recommended in any situation for successful establishment.
How do you prepare soil for lucerne?
The main cause of unsuccessful lucerne establishment, however, is poor seed bed preparation. Lucerne seed is very fine, and large clods must be crushed to ensure a fine seed-bed. If the soil is very loose, compact it slightly with a roller to ensure better contact between seed and soil.
How do lucerne seeds grow in Kenya?
Sow the seeds shallowly at a depth of 5 to 15mm and cover with light soils because they may not emerge if sown deeper than 20mm and covered with deep soil. Lucerne need sufficient moisture to germinate therefore sow the seeds at the beginning of the rainy season or when you are sure that enough rains will follow soon.
How much water do you need to grow lucerne?
The research determined that for flood irrigation in the defined region an irrigator requires between 7 and 14 ML of water for every hectare irrigated for lucerne seed production.
How often should lucerne be watered?
Lucerne requires about 1200 mm water/yr to give good production. The volume of water given during irrigation should be sufficient to wet the soil to its full potential (maximum that soil can absorb = field water capacity) while the frequency of irrigation (time between irrigations) should be left as long as possible.
Does lucerne need a lot of water?
Lucerne can survive with a minimum of 300–400mm of annual rainfall for environments ranging from Tasmania to northern New South Wales. A fodder production enterprise will require an irrigation water requirement of 7–13ML/ha, depending on location.
How many times can you harvest lucerne?
You can cut lucerne five or six times a year.
How often do you cut lucerne?
The optimal time to cut lucerne is when 5-10% of the plants are flowering (early bloom). At this moment more than half of all plant should have a new sprout coming from the crown. When aimed for the maximal quality, harvest occurs in pre-bloom or late-bud stage.
How much does it cost to grow lucerne?
LABOUR REQUIREMENTS: – labour is not costed in this budget. According to the above operations, labour required is 2.39hrs/ha. Then multiplying this by 1.25 to allow for machinery repair time etc, and using a basic labour cost of $21.00/hr, the cost of labour is $62.67/ha, increasing the costs to $271.94/ha.
How often should Lucerne be watered?
