Knowra Alfalfa Alfalfa Alfalfa is a perennial legume grown chiefly as forage and hay. Its root nodules host nitrogen-fixing bacteria, enriching soil while supporting repeated harvests.
Alfalfa hay : Dried alfalfa harvested and stored as livestock feed. Hay is one of alfalfa’s principal products, valued for protein and digestibility.
Rhizobium : A genus of soil bacteria that forms nitrogen-fixing symbioses with legume roots. These bacteria occupy alfalfa root nodules and convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable compounds.
Medicago sativa : The botanical species commonly known as alfalfa or lucerne. This species is the cultivated plant at the center of the topic.
Red clover : A perennial legume with red flower heads, cultivated for forage and soil improvement. It is another nitrogen-fixing forage legume, generally shorter-lived than alfalfa.
Biological nitrogen fixation : The production of usable nitrogen compounds by living organisms from atmospheric nitrogen. Alfalfa’s symbiosis can reduce reliance on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer in crop rotations.
Silage : Fermented, moist fodder stored without exposure to air. Alfalfa can be ensiled, often with other forage crops, for livestock feed.
Root nodule : A specialized swelling on a legume root that houses nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Alfalfa nodules are the sites where its bacterial partners fix nitrogen.
Legume : A plant in the family Fabaceae, often bearing seeds in pods and associating with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Alfalfa belongs to this plant family and shares its characteristic root symbiosis.
White clover : A low-growing perennial legume commonly used in lawns, pastures, and forage mixtures. Unlike upright alfalfa, it spreads close to the ground and tolerates grazing well.
Soil organic matter : The carbon-containing material in soil derived from living organisms and their remains. Root growth and crop residues can contribute organic matter to alfalfa fields.
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