Kiwi Seed Co (Marlborough) Ltd
527 Old Renwick Road
Blenheim 7272
Marlborough, New Zealand
Phone +64 3 578 0468
Fax +64 3 578 0806
e-mail info@KiwiSeed.co.nz
Marlborough owned and Marlborough operated
Lucerne
The Drought Breaker
The Profit Maker
"The untold story"
Philip Geertson from Geertson Seed Farms (Greenleaf, Idaho, USA) is our mentor and consultant on matters regarding Lucerne. Philip and his family have a good knowledge of Lucerne, both for seed production and forage production. Philip has travelled to New Zealand several times, he is fond of the Kiwi lifestyle and the fishing. On his last visit he expanded on the history of Lucerne as follows:
"Many years ago lucernes were selected from wild eco types native to Eastern Asia fron China in the south to Russia in the north, the further north the selection the more winter dormancy to be expected."
Lucernes in New Zealand and overseas are graded on a level of winter dormancy inherited from these earlier selections.
Winter Dormancy
Winter dormancy 1 - very winter dormant.
Winter dormancy 10 - very winter active.
Most selections of Lucerne on the New Zealand market are pitched at a dormancy of 6. The winter dormancy factor is the key to the economic life and quality of a Lucerne stand. Philip explains "a winter active Lucerne has a prominent crown which protrudes above ground level, from this crown 3-6 good strong stems will establish, these stems are tall and robust. But the exposed crowns are prone to damage by grazing animals, truck and tractor wheels, hence
- a shorter stand life,
- thicker stems, reduces hay and balage quality,
- more open stand, winter weeds, chick weed, marshmallow.
- less dormancy, less storage of energy for the main growing period
A winter dormant variety has a much lower crown at or below ground level, this type of Lucerne will produce up to 15 slender, shorter stems than its winter active cousins, the low crown will protect the plant from grazing animals, truck and tractor wheel damage hence
- a longer stand life,
- faster dry down after cutting
- denser stand, less weeds, less costs,
- higher summer production cycle
Winter active or winter dormant a good modern Lucerne should have resistance to common disease problems as chemical control is both expensive and impractical. Healthy leaf and leaf to stem ratios will determine the quality of forage produced either saved or grazed."
Philip also impressed on us the need to improve the PH levels in New Zealand, raise the PH levels to 7 he says and Lucerne will last forever. Ensure good nodulation of the Lucerne roots, they should be in bunches and light pink in colour. Lastly, for those who can irrigate, apply plenty, 100 -150mm at one time, make the Lucerne roots chase the water down. Good practical advice and over several years we have proved this information to be true and correct.
The following farmer testaments confirm this:
RHINO LUCERNE (winter dormancy 3)
Rhino Lucerne field in Marlborough, 5th June 2008 Magnify 
Ewes grazing Rhino Lucerne in Marlborough, June 2008-08-18 Note the volume of product. Magnify
Russell Rudd of David Rudd Limited, Rapaura, Marlborough has this to say
"I can’t remember what other lucernes are like, we have grown Rhino Lucerne for several seasons. Rhino is very leafy, it makes excellent hay and balage and lambs are grazed well into the winter. The original stand is still strong with very good plant numbers. We spray every second year , mainly for marshmallow, and we have no good reason to change cultivars."
Steve MacKenzie, Birch Hill, Wairau Valley, Marlborough comments:
"Rhino behaves differently from other lucernes I have grown over the years, Rhino grows quicker between cuts, two cuts are taken prior to Christmas. The fine stems allow me to make consistently better hay than previously."
Runner II (winter dormancy 2)
Creeping Lucerne like perennial grasses have the ability to renew themselves by the development of new tilers or plants. Standard Lucerne varieties do not have this ability: consequently, Lucerne stands thin and become weedy and grass infested. Creeping Lucernes have this renewal ability by developing new plants from root buds. Runner is such a strong creeper that 23% of the plants will creep under thinly seeded conditions in the seedling year.
Where to use Runner IIUse for hay or rotational grazing where very long-term or permanent stands are desired, or for medium-to-long term rotations under these conditions:
- Under 2 cut management
- Where frost heaving is a problem
- Under drought conditions
- Where there has been a problem establishing or maintaining a stand (except where limited by pH or fertility)
Runner II is a winter-hardy, 2 dormancy, fine stemmed creeping Lucerne. Forage quality is high, with yields about equal to Vernal, according to University testing.
Runner II has resistance to bacterial wilt and Fusarium wilt, with moderate resistance to Phytophthora root rot. Standard Lucerne have resistance to only five or six diseases: Runner II has resistance to virtually all diseases by replacing diseased and dying plants. Forever renewing keeps stands young and productive.
Runner II is an excellent variety for grazing because of its ability to persist by renewing itself. Standard Lucerne, even those bred for grazing, generally does not last long under grazing conditions. When Runner II stands begin to thin, allow the last cutting to go to full bloom to thicken up the stands.
Runner II is not recommended for short rotations because there will not be enough time for the stand to thicken.
Runner II creeping Lucerne creeps best in these situations:
- When there is little stress from insects and competition from weeds is low
- When thinning stands are allowed to go into full bloom for long periods in the fall, which allows the plant to build up their root reserves for bud formation
The only specialised grazing Lucerne on the New Zealand market. Magnify
Runner II Magnify
Runner Lucerne in a Non-Ryegrass pasture, Marlborough. December 2007. Note the response of Lucerne after unexpected Summer Rain Lucerne sown at 2kg/ha only
The genetic material of Rhino and Runner II is from the USA, seed is produced for New Zealand sales by growers in Marlborough under contract to Kiwi Seed Co (Marlborough) Limited.
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For friendly advice and service call the grain and seed specialists Kiwi Seed Co (Marlborough) Ltd.