Lucerne Feed Quality Trial

The Lucerne Feed Quality Trial was conducted with the aim of assessing the standing forage quality of various commercial lucerne varieties as two-year-old stands.

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Trial Data
Lucerne Feed Quality Trial

Overview

The Lucerne Feed Quality Trial was conducted with the aim of assessing the standing forage quality of various commercial lucerne varieties as two-year-old stands. The trial took place from May 25, 2015, with three replicates sown for each variety.

The focus was on evaluating forage yield, crude protein (CP) percentage, metabolizable energy (ME) as megajoules per kilogram (MJ/kg) of dry matter (DM), and digestibility characteristics. The trial was irrigated and treated as a high production trial, aiming for multiple cuts per year.

Download more information on this trial here

Relative Feed Value (RFV)
Calculation and Results

The trial calculated the RFV of each lucerne variety, which serves as an index value to rank the feed based on potential digestible dry matter intake. The RFV is determined by comparing the digestible dry matter using the percentage of acid detergent fibre (ADF) with the dry matter intake estimate using the percentage of neutral detergent fibre (NDF).

The RFV does not consider the percentage of CP or other nutrient factors but provides a reliable indicator of forage quality in terms of digestibility. Varieties such as Q31 Lucerne and Q75 Lucerne demonstrated their high-quality traits and maintained higher RFV values due to their excellent leaf holding characteristics.

Impact of Mechanical
Harvesting on RFV

The trial noted that the RFV values obtained from fresh cut pasture samples before mechanical hay making differ from those obtained after the haymaking process. Varieties with better leaf holding traits, such as Q31 Lucerne, exhibited higher RFV values due to minimal leaf loss during mechanical harvesting.

It is important to consider the impact of mechanical losses, ranging from eight to 45 percent, when targeting high-quality lucerne hay. The ability of green cut lucerne to retain its leaf in the bale significantly affects the overall quality of the hay. Q31 Lucerne demonstrated excellent leaf retention, making it a suitable choice for premium quality hay production.

Summary

The Lucerne Feed Quality Trial evaluated the forage quality of various commercial lucerne varieties, considering factors such as RFV, CP percentage, ME values, and digestibility characteristics.

The trial highlighted the importance of selecting lucerne cultivars with high leaf holding capacity, as demonstrated by Q31 Lucerne, to achieve higher RFV values and superior hay quality.

The findings provide valuable insights for farmers and hay producers aiming to optimize forage quality and select suitable lucerne varieties for their specific requirements.

Important Update

S&W Seed Company Australia Announces New Name Under Avior Capital Partners

With over 40 years’ experience in the Australian seed industry, leading supplier S&W Seed Company Australia is excited to announce a new chapter in its journey, as it transitions to AlfaGen Seeds following Avior Capital Partner’s recent purchase of the company.

The acquisition will see AlfaGen Seeds become a wholly Australian owned business, with Avior Capital Partners acting as non-operational financial owners.

AlfaGen Seeds CEO, Cameron Henley says this new chapter will be firmly focussed on the future, where communication and customer service will be a priority and implementing new grower contracts will be paramount.

“I acknowledge the past few months have been an extraordinarily difficult period, particularly for those who’ve been financially impacted,” said Mr Henley.

“But I’d like to take this opportunity to thank staff and creditors for their continued support, and I look forward to this exciting new chapter of AlfaGen Seeds and its future.”

AlfaGen Seeds is made up of a team of experienced professionals with extensive knowledge of the agriculture industry, who are committed to working together to build a strong and successful business, as well as support the communities in which they operate.

The consolidation of multiple facilities into two primary locations in Keith, rural South Australia, and Deniliquin, in the Riverina region of NSW, will deliver greater efficiencies and new opportunities, as well as maximise production capability.

“AlfaGen Seeds will create employment opportunities at our primary facilities in Keith and Deniliquin, as well as provide existing staff with opportunities for career development.”

With a solid existing base of seed varieties, including lucerne, pasture legumes, ryegrass, forage sorghum, forage cereal and sunflowers, the company has also flagged new products are in the pipeline, for both the domestic and international markets.

“In the coming months, customers and industry will notice a gradual roll out of new branding, as we transition all products to AlfaGen Seeds,” said Mr Henley.

“Our priority is to ensure we’re delivering high-quality seed to the domestic market, as well as focusing on the export of quality, Australian grown seed to key international markets, including Africa, Asia and the Middle East.”