The place of lucerne in dry-land farming
Abstract
Lucerne as a dry-land fodder plant is centuries old. It is used in
most lands subject to dry summer conditions. Its deep rooting
characteristic, its winter dormancy, and its rapid growth in high
temperatures fit it for use in a wide range of climatic and soil
conditions. It is readily eaten as hay or in the green state by all
classes of stock. It will, however, not tolerate waterlogged or acid
soils.
To establish the place of lucerne in dry-land farming it is
necessary to examine a number of factors, the most important
being the seasonal nature of its growth, the grazing management
to which it must be subjected, and the effect a large area of
lucerne can have on the overall carrying capacity of the farm.
Finally, to demonstrate more clearly the place of lucerne on a
ploughable dry land farm, it is necessary to construct a farm unit
with the maximum area in lucerne.... [Show full abstract]
Keywords
lucerne; dry-land farming; farm managementFields of Research
070101 Agricultural Land Management; 0703 Crop and Pasture ProductionDate
1962Type
Conference Contribution - Published (Conference Paper)Collections
Copyright © The Authors and New Zealand Grassland Association.