The influence of weather on lucerne hay quality
Apr 09, 2021
4 minutes
In order to understand the factors that influence lucerne hay quality and yield, it is necessary to have a basic understanding of the biology of the lucerne plant.
As the plant matures, the stems become more lignified in order to support the plant as it grows heavier during flowering. The stems, rather than the leaves, also begin to make up a greater proportion of the plant. This results in higher yield, but lower quality.
The lucerne also takes longer to dry due to the thicker stems, which in turn causes increased leaf loss due to shattering (lucerne leaves dry out three to five times faster than the stems). The main objective of lucerne hay production
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