FELD 1/2025

Advantages of alfalfa

Advantages of alfalfa Alfalfa has the highest drought tolerance of all field crops. JOHANN BACHINGER fertilizers is energy-intensive. Alfalfa can therefore not only reduce fertilizer costs at present, but protect against price increases as well. Mykorrhizal fungi are among the tiny helpers that attach themselves to the roots of alfalfa. Their very thin root filaments can absorb nutrients and water even more effectively than the plant itself, explains ZALF expert Bachinger. As a result, the fungi improve the living conditions for the plant. According to Bachinger, alfalfa has the highest potential for infection with mycorrhizal fungi of all cultivated plants. In other words, alfalfa is best at ensuring that the fungi thrive in the soil and that other crops in the crop rotation can benefit from the symbiosis with the fungi. ACCUMULATE HUMUS WITH ALFALFA The fruitful properties of alfalfa contribute to humus formation in the soil. Bernd Starick has the numbers to prove it: on recultivated soil, growing alfalfa increased the humus content by around 0.1 percent per year. Normally, the sandy soils in this region of Brandenburg have an average humus content of 1 to 4 percent. Johann Bachinger is not surprised by this humus growth. »Alfalfa has the highest humus reproduction of all crops,« he confirms. And in the end, this pays off at harvest time as well. Alfalfa offers the highest protein yield with the best quality feed protein, according to his data. However, it is not that easy to turn alfalfa into a »superfood« for animals. »Alfalfa is not easy to handle. It is also one of the more difficult plants to ensalige,« reports Starick. 08

Advantages of alfalfa Cooperation with ZALF was indispensable for the farms in optimizing cultivation and utilization. The researchers advised cutting the plant a good 10 centimeters above the ground at an early growth stage. This allows it to sprout again quickly. The farm now uses alfalfa in two specific ways: the upper parts of the plants are used for feed, and the fibrous part is processed for use in the company’s own biogas plant. Around three-quarters of the alfalfa is used for feed and one-quarter is converted into biogas. Making the qualities of alfalfa as a soil improver and feed known - in this respect, the FUFAPRO project is a success. However, Starick and Bachinger also have bigger goals in mind for the cooperation. Both no longer see the role of agriculture just in securing food security, but also as a supplier of biobased raw materials for industry. Bachinger confirms that, particularly in the packaging industry, more and more companies want to use materials that are as sustainable as possible. Interest is also growing among cellulose manufacturers. The ZALF expert sees one reason in changing forest management in Germany: In moving away from fast-growing conifer monocultures toward mixed forests, an important source of raw materials for the cellulose industry is disappearing, Bachinger says. It took some trial and error for the farmers in Lusatia to figure out how best to harvest and transport alfalfa so that it retains its qualities as a high-performance feed for dairy cattle. »Alfalfa can deliver more in feed than laboratory values suggest,« concludes Bernd Starick. 09