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Biological Classification• Order:Fabales• Family: Fabaceae• Genus: Medicago• Spices: Medicago sativa L.• Sub-spices: sativa, caerulea,

falcata, glomerata, varia.• Common Name:

Lucerne, Lusan, Rijka, Alfalfa.

Introduction• Lucerne is known as "Queen of Forage Crops”, while Berseem is

“King of Fodder”.• It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries

around the world.• It is the most productive and nutritious forage crops, grown for hay,

silage and pasture.• The sub-species sativa of Lucerne is mostly cultivated . The sub-

species falcata is also cultivated, but on limited area.• It is an auto-tetraploid species (2n=4x=32).• Lucerne is allogamous (Cross Pollination) plant, generally self-

incompatible and pollinated by various insect species.

General Characteristics• Rabi Fodder Crop• Perennial Forage• Nitrogen-fixer• Fast Growing• Highly Palatable and Digestible• High Nutrient Value• Drought and Frost Tolerant

Morphology of Lucerne Plant• Lucerne is an erect, multi-branched,

perennial plant 2-3 feet tall.• Plant has deep tap root.• Leaves are long, dull, serrated (saw-

tooth) in shape.• Leaves are Trifoliate with petiole.

Floral Biology• Flowers are generally Purple.• They are typical pea shaped, 12-

15 mm long.• They develop in dense clusters of

20-30 flowers at the tips of the branches.

• Lucerne flowers have a tripping mechanism, which is triggered by bees visiting the flower to collect nectar or pollen. Tripped flowers generally cannot be fertilized again.

Origin• Alfalfa, including both cultivated alfalfa

and closely related subspecies, originated in Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, Turkmenistan, and Iran.

• Then it spread throughout the Mediterranean region, North Africa, the Middle East, most of Europe, Siberia, northern India, and China.

• The cultivated species of Lucerne (Medicago sativa subsp. sativa) is evolved from diploid species Medicago sativa subsp. caerulea.

Taxonomy and Cytology• M. sativa consists of several diploid and tetraploid inter-fertile

taxa.• These taxa may be discriminated from one another by• Ploidy (diploid, 2n=2x=16 or tetraploid,2n=2x=32)• Flower colour (yellow, purple or variegated)• Pod shape (coiled or falcate)• Presence or absence of glandular hairs.

Distinguishing Traits of Diploid and Tetraploid species of M. sativa

M. sativa (4x) and caerulea (2x)

• Purple Flowers

M. falcata (4x and 2x)

• Yellow Flowers

Distinguishing Traits of Diploid and Tetraploid species of M. sativa

M. sativa (4x) and caerulea (2x)

• Pods with Multiple Coils

M. falcata (4x and 2x)

• Falcate (Sickle Shaped) Pods

Breeding Objective• Forage Yield• Nutritive Value• Seed Yield• Cold Tolerance• Drought Tolerance• Salinity Tolerance• Disease and Insect Resistance

Breeding Procedures• Individual Plant Selection• Mass Selection• Inbreeding and hybridization• Phenotypic recurrent selection, with or without progeny

testing• Synthetic varieties• Composites varieties

Difference Between Lucerne and Berseem

Difference between Leaves of Berseem (On Left) and Lucerne (On Right)

Difference Between Lucerne and Berseem

Difference between Roots of Berseem (on left) and Lucerne (on right).