A jugerum of it is abundantly sufficient for three horses all the year. The crop may be cut four or six times a year. Alfalfa cultivation is discussed in the fourth-century AD book Opus Agriculturae by Palladius, stating: "One sow-down lasts ten years.
According to Pliny (died 79 AD), it was introduced to Greece in about 490 BC when the History Īlfalfa seems to have originated in south-central Asia, and was first cultivated in ancient Iran. The word alfalfa is a Spanish modification of the Arabic word al-faṣfaṣa ultimately from an Old Persian compound *aspa-sti- meaning horse food. It has been cultivated as livestock fodder since at least the era of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Alfalfa is native to warmer temperate climates. It has clusters of small purple flowers followed by fruits spiralled in 2 to 3 turns containing 10–20 seeds. Later in maturity, leaflets are elongated. The plant superficially resembles clover (a cousin in the same family), especially while young, when trifoliate leaves comprising round leaflets predominate.
The name lucerne is more commonly used in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. The name alfalfa is used in North America. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as well as a green manure and cover crop. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. A close up of alfalfa sprouts, which are commonly used as a garnish on soups or as a filling in sandwiches and salads.Īlfalfa ( / æ l ˈ f æ l f ə/) ( Medicago sativa), also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae.
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