Irrigation Of Lucerne

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 16, Issue 27, 1 December 1950, Page 5

Irrigation Of Lucerne

Lucerne for hay should be grown on all irrigation areas, in the opinion of the Department of Agriculture, and irrigation should be carried out throughout the growing season. The usual practice is to irrigate twice before the first cut, again after each cut is cleared; and to give a further application of water during the growth period of each crop. Under these conditions four cuts a season can be .obtained from a good stand. The number of irrigations necessary depends on the rainfall during the growing season, but on well-bordered areas there is little danger of over-irrigation, and irrigators tend to give insufficient water rather than too much. Irrigators and research workers have not yet worked out competely reliable methods for applying water to root and green forage crops, but the Department considers that experience to date suggests that irrigation of the land before sowing gives considerable benefit and should be carried out at least a week before the crop is sown. Sometimes two applications of water are made before sowing, the first early in the season when the land is still in the furrow.