ALFALFA

Alfalfa — a perennial herbaceous plant from the legume family, possessing high fodder value and significant productivity. Alfalfa stems are erect, quadrangular, and reach heights of 30 to 90 cm, densely leafed. During the growing season, it is capable of regrowing 3-4 times, providing tender and nutritious feed. The green mass and hay of alfalfa are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, making it indispensable for growing green feed, hay, and silage. The yield of green mass can reach 400-600 c/ha, while hay yield can reach 50-120 c/ha and more. Thanks to its properties, alfalfa is also an excellent nectar-producing plant, ensuring up to 300 kg of honey per hectare under favorable conditions in irrigated farming districts. One of the key features of alfalfa is its ability to enrich the soil with nitrogen due to symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. In the 2nd-3rd year of plant life, it accumulates in the soil a quantity of nitrogen equivalent to the content in 40-60 tons of manure, which significantly increases soil fertility and improves its structure. The biomass of alfalfa after decomposition turns into easily digestible fertilizer, promotes the formation of humus, reduces soil acidity, and improves water and aeration. The powerful and deep root system of the plant contributes to the accumulation of humus and improves conditions for the life of soil microorganisms and worms, which in turn reduces plant disease and increases yield. Alfalfa also plays an important role in agronomy as a phytosanitary crop, resistant to various diseases and nematode damage. With a dense grass cover, it helps to clear fields of weeds, which improves conditions for subsequent cotton, cereal, and other crops. The effect of alfalfa on soil and yield manifests itself over several years, making it a valuable component of crop rotations and grass mixtures.