Lucerne/Alfalfa

A medium sized evergreen shrub that also helps with wind and water erosion control, land rehabilitation and fuel wood. It does best in high rainfall areas (350-1,600 mm a year) but can survive in areas with as low as 200 mm a year due to its deep rooting habit, but cannot survive frost.  It does well in light, well-drained sandy soils on slopes and hillsides, but also on gravels, loams, and limestones.

Trees can be pruned at the end of the first year to promote a bushy,multi-stemmed habit. The plant should be maintained at a minimum one metre. It responds well to frequent cutting, but re-growth is slow for
the first week after harvest. It can persist for up to 30 years if well managed and has been proven to meet 40-60 per cent of the nutritional requirements of animals especially of the protein responsible for increased milk production.

Commercial Value
One cow is fed 500 leaves of Tree Lucerne, which can be mixed with dairy meal or bran commercial feed or can be fed alone. A cattle consumes 6kilos in a day. It delivers an annual increase in milk production worth Sh15,000 to Sh20,000 per animal, according to research.