Alfalfa (Latin name: Medicago sativa L.), is a genus of alfalfa in the legume family. Perennial herb, multi-branched, 30-100 centimeters high. Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets obovate or oblanceolate, 1-2 cm long, ca. 0.5 cm wide, apex rounded, midribs slightly prominent, upper leaf margins serrate, both surfaces white villous; petiolules ca. 1 mm long, hairy; stipules lanceolate, apex pointed, pilose, ca. 5 mm long. Racemes axillary; calyx pilose, calyx teeth narrowly lanceolate, acute; corolla purple, longer than calyx. Pods spiral, sparsely hairy, apex beaked, with several seeds; seeds reniform, yellow-brown. Cultivated in China; now cultivated worldwide. For excellent fodder plants; can also be used as green manure; seeds contain about 10% oil

Cultivation points

Pre-sowing

Selection

Imported alfalfa varieties introduced, these varieties of yield, quality, suitable for planting in the plots of sufficient water and fertilizer, soil quality is better, but the climate,

growing environment requirements are strict. The seeds should be cleaned and dried in the sun so that the purity of the seeds reaches 90%.

Fixing the ground

Alfalfa seeds are fine, the young shoots are weak, and the topsoil force is poor, so the fixing of the ground must be fine, requiring the ground to be level, the soil is fine, there are no weeds, and the moisture is good. Alfalfa root system is developed, deep into the soil, the sowing land should be deep turning, in order to make the roots fully developed.

Fertilizing

Organic fertilizer 1500~2500 kg per mu, calcium superphosphate 20~30 kg as the bottom fertilizer. For the soil fertility is low, sowing and then apply ammonium nitrate and other fast-acting nitrogen fertilizer to promote seedling growth. Each time after mowing to carry out follow-up fertilizer, per mu need calcium superphosphate 10 ~ 20 kg or diammonium phosphate 4 ~ 6 kg.

Sowing

The seeds should be sun-dried for 2~3 days before sowing to break the dormancy and improve the germination rate and seedling neatness.

Inoculation

When sowing seeds in land that has never been planted with alfalfa, it is necessary to inoculate alfalfa rhizobacteria, use 5 grams of fungus per kilogram of seed to make a fungus solution sprinkled on the seed, mix it thoroughly, and mix it with sowing.

Sowing period

Spring, summer and fall sowing can be, spring sowing March to May should pay attention to weed removal. Summer sowing often have high temperature burns, affecting seedling growth. Fall sowing in September is the best.

Sowing method

Alfalfa sowing is generally used in strip sowing or ridge sowing, strip sowing row spacing 30~60 cm. Rouge sowing is used in dense ridge sparse planting, row spacing 15~20 cm, both to increase the cover, improve yield, but also to facilitate field management. The amount of seeds used per mu is 0.75~1.00 kg, and the amount of seeds sown can be increased or decreased according to the quality of seeds and different plots. Alfalfa seeds are very small, the depth of mulch is appropriate at about 2 cm. If the soil is loose, pressurize it once before sowing, so that it is easy to grasp the depth; pressurize it again after sowing, which is conducive to moisture conservation.

Field management

Irrigation and drainage

After sowing, it is necessary to timely check the seedling replenishment to ensure that the planting density. Conditional places in the drought can be irrigated, irrigation with furrow irrigation, sprinkler irrigation can be best spray

Irrigation. Alfalfa's root system does not tolerate flooding, flooding for 24 hours will cause death, rainy season low-lying areas should pay attention to timely removal of water in the field. Organic fertilizer should be applied before sowing to make the bottom fertilizer, and some phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be applied appropriately.

Weeding

Alfalfa seedling growth is extremely slow, vulnerable to weed infestation, seedling period, after the return of green, before and after mowing should be weeded. Chemical herbicides are divided into soil treatment herbicides applied before sowing, herbicides applied before seedlings, and herbicides applied after seedlings. However, it should be noted that the drug effect expires 2 to 3 weeks before mowing to avoid livestock poisoning.

Fertilization

Heavy application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, generally do not apply nitrogen fertilizer, every mowing, mu of ammonium diammonium 10 kg, potassium sulfate or potassium chloride 15 kg, or 100 kg of grass ash, or Tsui-mu potassium dihydrogen phosphate 5 kg, no need to follow up the application of nitrogen fertilizer.

Mowing

Alfalfa can be mowed 2~3 times a year. The first mowing in the early flowering period is most suitable, when the protein content is the highest. The latest can't be later than the blooming period, otherwise the leaves will fall seriously, the stalks will be fibrous, and the quality will be reduced. Stubble height is generally about 5 cm. The last mowing should be about 30 days before the early frost, and the stubble height should be 7~8 cm to facilitate overwintering. The mowed alfalfa should be dried and timely bundled for storage, otherwise over-drying will cause defoliation and affect the quality of grass.