Alpha 1 Lucerne

Yes. Our Alpha 1 Lucerne is highly winter active, so it can be sown from early winter through to early spring. Sow at 1 to 2 cm, inoculate with Group AL at sowing, and lightly roll afterwards to conserve moisture. It suits both dryland and irrigated lucerne growing areas.

We recommend Alpha 1 Lucerne for areas with 400mm+ rainfall, so for 350mm country we suggest our Sceptre Lucerne, which suits 350mm+ at 4–10 kg/ha dryland. For Alpha 1 in 400mm+ country, sow 4–15 kg/ha dryland, matching the rate to your rainfall, or 15–25 kg/ha under irrigation. Sow 1–2cm deep and lightly roll.

We recommend choosing a free-draining paddock 12 months before sowing and soil testing it. Apply lime if pH is below 5.5 (CaCl2), and plan weed and pest control the year before, for example by cropping it first. This is the approach we recommend for Alpha 1 Lucerne to get a clean, strong start.

Our Alpha 1 Lucerne is rated Highly Resistant to blue green aphid and pea aphid, and Resistant to spotted alfalfa aphid. It's also Highly Resistant to Fusarium, Resistant to Phytophthora root rot and Moderately Resistant to anthracnose. That profile helps stands stay productive under pest and disease pressure.

Alpha 1 Lucerne works well as a longer-term break crop. It fixes high levels of nitrogen for following crops and can help reduce disease risk by breaking the cereal disease cycle. It can also be under-sown with cereals or used as a rotation crop, and it provides grazing while it's in.

Yes, Alpha 1 Lucerne is suitable for under-sowing cereals. Being highly winter active, it establishes quickly and grows strongly through autumn, winter and spring. Sow it shallow at 1 to 2 cm with Group AL inoculant. Once the cereal comes off, you have a lucerne stand ready for grazing or cutting.

We recommend Alpha 1 Lucerne, which shows vigorous recovery from cutting or grazing, an advantage in close-grazed pastures and intensive forage cutting programs. Its finer stems and higher leaf-to-stem ratio also mean higher protein and digestibility. Rotational grazing with rest periods still gives the best long-term persistence.

Lucerne's deep taproot helps it keep producing as conditions dry off. In a replicated independent dryland trial at Ballarat in Victoria, our Alpha 1 Lucerne was one of the best yielding varieties during extreme dry conditions. It suits dryland areas with 400mm+ rainfall, sown at rates matched to your rainfall.

Yes, lucerne is excellent feed for sheep and cattle, and our Alpha 1 Lucerne has finer stems and a high leaf-to-stem ratio for higher protein and digestibility. Lush lucerne carries a risk of bloat in cattle and red gut in sheep, so introduce stock gradually and avoid turning hungry animals onto a fresh stand.

Choose Alpha 1 Lucerne for intensive grazing or cutting in 400mm+ rainfall, and Sceptre Lucerne for shorter 2 to 4 year cropping rotations, including drier country from 350mm. Both are highly winter active (rating 9) and can be sown from early winter to early spring. Alpha 1 offers fast establishment, finer stems and strong aphid and Fusarium resistance; Sceptre is an older, widely adapted variety.