Luba is a lucerne variety, a forage crop widely used for animal feed and as microgreens, which are a true vitamin bomb and belong to superfoods. Lucerne microgreens are not only consumed as food but also used in making masks, decoctions, and compresses. Germination of seeds occurs in a warm, dark place under a cover for 3-5 days at soil moisture comparable to that of a squeezed sponge. After the appearance of leaves, the seedlings are moved to a well-lit area, as lucerne loves light and requires regular ventilation and active turning of the tray for even illumination. The Luba variety was developed through family selection from the collection sample K-32861 using open pollination of high-yielding varieties from the VIR collection and single selection based on root systems. It is characterized by high winter hardiness, drought resistance, and above-average resistance to seed pests, medium resistance to fungal diseases, and high resistance to root rot. During summer on a fallow, the variety yields 2-3 cuttings, while under irrigation, it yields 4-5 cuttings. A biological feature of the variety is its high yield of green mass in the first cutting. Over the years of testing, the average yield of the Luba variety was 642 centners per hectare of green mass, 142.5 centners per hectare of hay, and up to 7 centners per hectare of seeds. High seed yields are achieved with irrigation and spring or summer sowing. Due to its characteristics and productivity, the Luba variety is a reliable choice for forage production and obtaining high-quality raw material for microgreens.
