Iversen, Christen Edward2024-11-182024-11-181957-03https://hdl.handle.net/10182/17831During the course of a tour in 1954 I had the opportunity of observing some of the investigations being carried out with lucerne in Britain, Holland, France, United States and Canada. These observations were made because of the increasing importance of lucerne in drier districts of New Zealand. The area has roughly followed the years of the century, being approximately 20,000 acres in 1920, 32,000 acres jn 1930, 40,000 acres in 1940 and 50,000 acres in 1950. Since then, however, the area has increased to 90,000 acres in 1954. This increase has been made possible by a clearer understanding of the needs of the plant and has been made necessary by increased livestock production. A similar change has occurred in England and Wales where the former area of approximately 30,000 aeries recently rose to 112,000 acres. The increasing use of this plant in the United States has been phenomenal, the area changing from two million acres in 1900 to 10 million by 1925 and 19 million by 1952-40 per cent. of the world area. Further, they believe they have only started. If the plans of the plant breeders of Canada are achieved the change there could be even more startling. From information to hand from Spain, Palestine and Italy it appears that increased acreages of lucerne are fairly general. Why? Perhaps the two reasons given forthe increased area in New Zealand are of general application, but there is a third reason, equally important, and that is the choice of suitable strains. This reason becomes more and more important as lucerne cultivation is expanded from more suitable to less suitable environments.16 pages© Lincoln Collegealfalfalucernelivestock productionReportANZSRC::300499 Crop and pasture production not elsewhere classifiedANZSRC::300303 Animal nutrition