ECO-REGULATING ALFALFA GRASS

The alfalfa grass, referred as medicago sativa as biological terminology and is also called as lucerne is a perennial flowering plant in the pea family. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries across the world and is widely used and harvested in North America and Australia. The crop is said to be the largest fodder source for cattle feeding and other livestock animals. The alfalfa grass cultivation and survival is compatible in warmer temperature climate such as of Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Iran. It has been known to have originated in Iran. The history of alfalfa is linked to the ancient era of Greeks and Romans when they used to cultivate it for their livestock fodder in large scales to cater their varied needs.

The alfalfa is widely cultivated throughout the world as forage for cattle and is largely harvested as hay to make it readily available for livestock feeding; well it can be harvested in multiple forms of silage, grazed or green chopped pieces. Alfalfa is no doubt contains a high feeding value as compared to other common fodder crops. If alfalfa crop is cultivated with in well adapted, well nutrient-enriched and favorable climatic and environmental conditions than it gives highly appreciable yields per hector. The main efforts in proper cultivation of this crop are mostly concentrating the availability of high nutritious quality. The finest alfalfa grass contains high protein content and highly digestible fiber, that it is targeted for high producing dairy cows and as secondary fodder for goats, sheeps, beef producing livestock and horses. Alfalfa hay is also used for poultry diets and is also utilized in dehydrated for pigmenting eggs and meat, due to their high content in carotenoids, which are efficient for coloring egg yolk and body lipids. We humans, too consume the fresh leaves and sprouts of alfalfa plant in the sandwiches, salads and curries for correcting fiber needs.

The root system of alfalfa grass/plant has nitrogen locking abilities that induces the high quality nitrogen instead of present nitro-nutrients in soil which further help soil become high nitrogen enriched that indirectly is beneficial for next crop cultivation in terms of highly fertile and opportunistic soil conditions for winning yields and outcomes.

The alfalfa grass not only produce quality forage crop for world’s cattle and livestock entitles but it performs several unnoticed functions that significantly do good to our ecosystem and environment altogether by retaining and attracting beneficial insects and bugs that pollinate our dietary and edible plants naturally and they also help preserve the balance among all the vital elements of the ecosystem.

Alfalfa grass is a perennial forage legume which normally lives four to eight years, but can live more than 20 years which depends on temperature and climatic conditions. It erect up to 3 feet followed with extensively stretched root structure and can spread on over many meters in range that makes it a self sufficient and resilient against multiple drought-like situations.

Alfalfa can be sown in spring or fall, and does best on well-drained soils with a neutral pH of 6.8 – 7.5. Alfalfa requires sustained levels of potassium and phosphorus to grow well. It is subtly sensitive to salt levels in both the soil and irrigation water, although it continues to be grown in the arid southwestern United States, though now many other countries our now growing and cultivating quality alfalfa crop after assessing the targeted land climatic feasibilities. In most climates, alfalfa is mowed three to four times a year, but it can be harvested up to 12 times per year in Arizona and southern California regions of NA. Worldwide production was around 436 million tons in 2006. In 2009, alfalfa was grown on approximately 30 million hectares (74,000,000 acres) worldwide; of this North America produced 41% (11.9 million hectares; 29,000,000 acres), Europe produced 25% (7.12 million hectares; 17,600,000 acres), South America produced 23% (7 million hectares; 17,000,000 acres), Asia produced 8% (2.23 million hectares; 5,500,000 acres), and Africa and Oceania produced the remainder.[47] The US was the largest alfalfa producer in the world by area in 2009 while Argentina came up as runner up and Canada, Russia, China and Italy as alfalfa producers in linear order.