Farmers admire alfalfa (also known as lucerne) for its high yield, wide adaptation, disease resistance, and excellent feeding quality to a variety of livestock. There are many environmental benefits to alfalfa including food production, water protection, soil conservation, biodiversity, aesthetic value, and economic resiliency.
Alfalfa is vital to our food system
Alfalfa’s primary usage is to feed cattle and other livestock. However, it can also be consumed by humans as a supplement or herb. Alfalfa is a fiber-rich food, that helps to control blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of glucose into the intestines. It is a source of vitamins A, C, E, K4, and minerals calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and iron.
Alfalfa builds and protects soil
As a perennial crop, alfalfa offers unique benefits such as building organic matter for structure, stability and water holding capacity. Alfalfa promotes the formation of soil macroaggregates, which increase soil aeration, create paths for water, and are important habitats for beneficial soil microorganisms. As a cover crop all year round, alfalfa nourishes healthy soil biological activity and offers physical protection from wind and water erosion.
Many scientists believe that increasing perennial land cover is a promising avenue for reducing greenhouse has concentrations and stabilizing the global climate.
Alfalfa supports the whole farm
In a farm’s rotation, alfalfa can boost the yield of other crops while reducing the need for chemical inputs. The nitrogen fixed in alfalfa's roots make it an especially valuable crop for farmers using integrated pest management or organic practices.
Bill Biligetu, an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan and Chair in Forage Crop Breeding at the Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program (SRP) is focused on developing new forage crop varieties to the Western Canadian beef and forage industries. Western Canada, especially Southern Saskatchewan, experience salt salinity issues, causing crops to not grow. Biligetu is motivated to work with alfalfa, particularly on salt tolerance, to understand the underlying mechanisms and the physiology of salt stress.