28 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM L ucerne, also known as alfalfa, is one of the most cultivated forage crops in the world with a high content of proteins, minerals and vitamins. The global market for lucerne seed is approximately 80,000 tons and it is a major forage crop in many regions of the world; this includes Central Eastern and Southern Europe, Russia, Middle East, China, South Africa, North America, South America and Australia, where lucerne is more drought tolerant than most forage grasses. The crop is a widely used species for various climatic con- ditions – from Nordic to hot and dry conditions in the South. Lucerne can be cultivated alone or in mixtures with grasses for silage and hay production. In the past, lucerne was also culti- vated for dehydration and pellet production. Due to a high protein content, lucerne is often mixed with maize and cereals to make balanced protein –sugar rate feeding mixtures. Due to its deep root system (2-20m), lucerne is able to grow in extremely hot and dry conditions as it can make use of soil water in deeper soil layer. In such conditions, it is the main crop for cattle feeding. Lucerne seed is primarily used for growing animal feed, which is generically referred to as ‘forage’. Seed is planted to produce lucerne that is then used for grazing, “greenchop” (fresh lucerne cut in the field without drying), silage, baled hay, cubes or pellets as a primary food stock for the livestock industry, which includes dairy and beef cattle, horses and sheep. It is time for European Seed to learn more about this crop, so we sat down with Dan Gardner and Mark Smith of S&W Seed Company and Vladimir Cernoch of DLF. STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE Cernoch mentions that in 2016, DLF succeeded in creating a greater platform in the lucerne seed business. Lucerne is a strategically important high-value crop for co-distribution with forage grass and clover seed in many areas, where DLF strives to develop the seed business. “While DLF has one of the most extensive plant breeding program in grasses, the goal has been to strengthen the activities in lucerne. DLF recently invested in the well-known genepool and the breeding program in lucerne from Florimond Desprez in France.” Producing high protein content under all conditions A CLOSER LOOK AT LUCERNE BREEDING BY: MARCEL BRUINS Photo provided by DLF