Dictionary:
al·fal·fa (ăl-făl'fə)  |
[Spanish, from Arabic al-faṣfaṣa : al-, the + faṣfaṣa, alfalfa (variant of fiṣfiṣa , from Persian aspist, clover).]
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The world's most valuable forage legume, Medicago sativa, known also as lucerne. It is grown for hay, pasture, and silage. Valued highly as livestock feed, alfalfa hay cut at a late bud or early bloom stage (and cured properly) contains 17–24% protein and is a good source of certain vitamins and minerals. See also Rosales.
Alfalfa is a herbaceous perennial legume characterized by a deep taproot, which shows a varying degree of branching. Erect or semierect stems, bearing an abundance of leaves, grow to a height of 2–3 ft (0.6–0.9 m). The number of stems arising from a single woody crown may vary from just a few to 50 or more. New stems develop when older ones are mature or have been cut or grazed. Flowers are borne on axillary racemes which vary greatly in size and number of flowers. Flower color is predominantly purple, or bluish-purple, but white, cream, yellow, green, lavender, and reddish-purple occur. The fruit is a legume, or pod, usually spirally coiled in M. sativa, but crescent-shaped or straight in M. falcata. Seeds are small and the color varies from yellow to brown.
Reproduction in alfalfa is mainly by cross-fertilization. Pollination is effected largely by bees. Seed production is favored by bright sunny days, cool nights, an abundance of bees, and dry weather for harvesting.
Alfalfa is widely adapted to temperate and subtropical climates and soils. It is grown from 40°S in Argentina and New Zealand to 60°N in Canada, Sweden, and Russia. It is not well adapted to humid tropical conditions.
Deep fertile loams are best and good drainage is essential. The water requirement for sustained high yields is great, and moisture deficiency often is a serious limiting factor in areas dependent on natural rainfall.
More than 80 improved cultivars of alfalfa are recognized as eligible for seed certification in the United States. These trace to three basic stocks: M. sativa, purple-flowered, narrow-crowned, and erect; M. falcata, yellow-flowered, somewhat prostrate, with deep-set crown and branching roots; and an intermediate form, often called variegated, derived from crossing M. sativa and M. falcata.
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Or lucerne, Medicago sativa, commonly grown for animal feed and silage; the seeds can be soaked in water to germinate and then eaten as sprouts.
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Description
Alfalfa is the plant Medicago sativa. There are many subspecies. It is a perennial plant growing up to 30 in (0.75 m) in height in a wide range of soil condition. Its small flowers range from yellow to purple. Alfalfa is probably native to the area around the Mediterranean Sea, but it is extensively cultivated as fodder for livestock in all temperate climates.
Alfalfa is a member of the legume family. It has the ability to make nutrients available to other plants both through its very long, deep (6–16 ft [2–5 m]) root system, and because it has a hosts beneficial nitrogen-fixing bacteria. For these reasons it is often grown as a soil improver or "green manure." The medicinal parts of alfalfa are the whole plant and the seeds. It is used both in Western and traditional Chinese medicine. In Chinese it is called zi mu. Other names for alfalfa include buffalo grass, buffalo herb, Chilean clover, purple medick, purple medicle, and lucerne.
General Use
Alfalfa has been used for thousands of years in many parts of the world, as a source of food for people and livestock and as a medicinal herb. It is probably more useful as a source of easily accessible nutrients than as a medicinal herb. Alfalfa is an excellent source of most vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K. Vitamin K is critical in blood clotting, so alfalfa may have some use in improving clotting. It also contains trace minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, and potassium. Alfalfa is also higher in protein than many other plant foods. This abundance of nutrients has made alfalfa a popular tonic for convalescents when brewed into tea.
In addition to using the seeds and leaves as food, alfalfa has a long history of folk use in Europe as a diuretic or "water pill." It is also said that alfalfa can lower cholesterol. Alfalfa is used as to treat arthritis, diabetes, digestive problems, weight loss, ulcers, kidney and bladder problems, prostate conditions, asthma, and hay fever. Alfalfa is also said to be estrogenic (estrogen-like).
Alfalfa is not native to the United States and did not arrive until around 1850. However, once introduced, it spread rapidly and was adapted by Native Americans as a food source for both humans and animals. The seeds were often ground and used as a flour to make mush. The leaves were eaten as vegetable. The main medical use for alfalfa in the United States was as a nutritious tea or tonic.
In China, alfalfa, or zi mu, and a closely related species tooth-bur clover, Medicago hispida or nan mu xu have been used since the sixth century. Alfalfa is a minor herb in traditional Chinese medicine. It is considered to be bitter in taste and have a neutral nature. Traditional Chinese healers use alfalfa leaves to cleanse the digestive system and to rid the bladder of stones.
The root of alfalfa is used in Chinese medicine to reduce fever, improve urine flow, and treat jaundice, kidney stones, and night blindness. Contrary to the Western belief that alfalfa will aid in weight gain, Chinese herbalists believe that extended use of alfalfa will cause weight loss.
Alfalfa contains hundreds of biologically active compounds, making it difficult to analyze and to ascribe healing properties to any particular component. In addition to the nutrients mentioned above, alfalfa contains two to three percent saponin glycosides. In test tube and animal studies, saponin glycosides have been shown to lower cholesterol, but there is no evidence that this cholesterol-lowering effect occurs in humans. In addition, saponin glycosides are known to cause red blood cells to break open (hemolysis) and to interfere with the body's utilization of vitamin E.
No modern scientific evidence exists that alfalfa increases urine output, effectively treats diabetes, aids kidney or bladder disorders, improves arthritis, reduces ulcers, or treats respiratory problems. Similarly, there is no scientific evidence that alfalfa either stimulates the appetite or promotes weight loss. There is no evidence that alfalfa has any estrogenic effect on menstruation. There is evidence, however, that although for most people alfalfa is harmless, for some people it can be dangerous to use.
Preparations
Although alfalfa is available as fresh or dried leaf, it is most often taken as a capsule of powdered alfalfa or as a tablet. When dried leaves are used, steeping one ounce of dried leaves in one pint of water for up to 20 minutes makes a tea. Two cups of this tea are drunk daily.
In traditional Chinese medicine, juice squeezed from fresh alfalfa is used to treat kidney and bladder stones. To treat fluid retention, alfalfa leaves are added to a soup along with bean curd and lard.
Precautions
Although alfalfa is harmless to most people when taken in the recommended quantities, people with the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) should not take any form of alfalfa. In a well-documented study, people with latent SLE reactivated their symptoms by using alfalfa. In another study, monkeys fed alfalfa sprouts and seeds developed new cases of SLE. People with other autoimmune diseases should stay away from alfalfa as a precautionary measure. In addition, some allergic reactions have been reported to alfalfa tablets contaminated with other substances.
Side Effects
No side effects are reported in healthy people using alfalfa in the recommended doses.
Interactions
There are no studies of the interactions of alfalfa and traditional pharmaceuticals.
Resources
Books
Chevallier, Andrew. Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
Peirce, Andrea. The American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1999.
PDR for Herbal Medicines. Montvale, New Jersey: Medical Economics Company, 1999.
[Article by: Tish Davidson]
| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: alfalfa |
For more information on alfalfa, visit Britannica.com.
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The cows grazed happily in the alfalfa.
| Wikipedia: Alfalfa |
| Alfalfa | |
|---|---|
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| Medicago sativa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Tribe: | Trifolieae |
| Genus: | Medicago |
| Species: | M. sativa |
| Binomial name | |
| Medicago sativa L.[1] |
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| Subspecies | |
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Medicago sativa subsp. ambigua (Trautv.) Tutin |
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Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop. In the UK, Australia, and New Zealand it is known as lucerne and as lucerne grass in south Asia. It resembles clover with clusters of small purple flowers.
Contents |
Alfalfa is a cool season perennial legume living from three to twelve years, depending on variety and climate. The plant grows to a height of up to 1 metre (3 ft), and has a deep root system sometimes stretching to 4.5 metres (15 ft). This makes it very resilient, especially to droughts. It has a tetraploid genome.
This plant exhibits autotoxicity, which means that it is difficult for alfalfa seed to grow in existing stands of alfalfa. Therefore, it is recommended that alfalfa fields be rotated with other species (for example, corn or wheat) before reseeding.
Alfalfa is one of the most important legumes used in agriculture. It is widely grown throughout the world as forage for cattle, and is most often harvested as hay, but can also be made into silage, grazed, or fed as greenchop. Alfalfa has the highest feeding value of all common hay crops, being used less frequently as pasture. When grown on soils where it is well-adapted, alfalfa is the highest yielding forage plant.
Its primary use is as feed for dairy cattle—because of its high protein content and highly digestible fiber—and secondarily for beef cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. Humans also eat alfalfa sprouts in salads and sandwiches. Tender shoots are eaten in some places as a leaf vegetable. Human consumption of fresh mature plant parts is rare and limited primarily by alfalfa's high fiber content. Dehydrated alfalfa leaf is commercially available as a dietary supplement in several forms, such as tablets, powders and tea. Alfalfa is believed by some to be a galactagogue, a substance that induces lactation.
Like other legumes its root nodules contain bacteria, Sinorhizobium meliloti, with the ability to fix nitrogen, producing a high-protein feed regardless of available nitrogen in the soil. Its nitrogen-fixing abilities (which increases soil nitrogen) and its use as an animal feed greatly improved agricultural efficiency. (The nitrogen comes from the air, which is 78 percent molecular nitrogen.)
Alfalfa can be sown in spring or fall, and does best on well-drained soils with a neutral pH of 6.8 – 7.5. Alfalfa requires a great deal of potassium to grow well. It is moderately sensitive to salt levels in both the soil and in irrigation water, although it continues to be grown in the arid southwestern United States where salinity is an emerging issue. Soils low in fertility should be fertilized with manure or a chemical fertilizer, but correction of pH is particularly important. Usually a seeding rate of 13 – 20 kg/hectare (12 – 25 lb/acre) is recommended, with differences based upon region, soil type, and seeding method. A nurse crop is sometimes used, particularly for spring plantings, to reduce weed problems. Herbicides are sometimes used in place of the nurse crop, particularly in Western production.
In most climates alfalfa is cut three to four times a year but is harvested up to 12 times per year in Arizona and southern California. Total yields are typically around 8 tonnes per hectare (4 short tons per acre) but yields have been recorded up to 20 t/ha (16 short tons per acre). Yields vary with region, weather, and the crop's stage of maturity when cut. Later cuttings improve yield but reduce nutritional content.
Alfalfa is considered an 'insectary' due to the large number of insects it attracts. Some pests such as Alfalfa weevil, aphids, armyworms, and the potato leafhopper can reduce alfalfa yields dramatically, particularly with the second cutting when weather is warmest. Chemical controls are sometimes used to prevent this. Alfalfa is also susceptible to root rots including Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, and Texas Root Rot.
When alfalfa is to be used as hay, it is usually cut and baled. Loose haystacks are still used in some areas, but bales are easier to transport and store. Ideally, the first cutting should be taken at the bud stage and the subsequent cuttings just as the field is beginning to flower, or one tenth bloom for the reason that carbohydrates are at their highest. When using farm equipment rather than hand-harvesting, a swather cuts the alfalfa and arranges it in windrows. In areas where the alfalfa does not immediately dry out on its own, a machine known as a mower-conditioner is used to cut the hay. The mower-conditioner has a set of rollers or flails that crimp and break the stems as they pass through the mower, making the alfalfa dry faster. After the alfalfa has dried, a tractor pulling a baler collects the hay into bales.
There are several types of bales commonly used for alfalfa. For small animals and individual horses, the alfalfa is baled into small "square" bales — actually rectangular, and typically about 40 x 45 x 100 cm (14 in x 18 in x 38 in). Small square bales weigh from 25 – 30 kg (50 – 70 pounds) depending on moisture, and can be easily hand separated into "flakes". Cattle ranches use large round bales, typically 1.4 to 1.8 m (4 to 6 feet) in diameter and weighing from 500 to 1,000 kg, (1000 to 2000 lbs). These bales can be placed in stable stacks or in large feeders for herds of horses, or unrolled on the ground for large herds of cattle. The bales can be loaded and stacked with a tractor using a spike, known as a bale spear, that pierces the center of the bale. Or they can be handled with a grapple (claw) on the tractor's front-end loader. A more recent innovation is large "square" bales, roughly the same proportions as the small squares, but much larger. The bale size was set so that stacks would fit perfectly on a large flatbed truck. These are more common in the western United States.
When used as feed for dairy cattle alfalfa is often made into haylage by a process known as ensiling. Rather than drying it to make dry hay, the alfalfa is chopped finely and fermented in silos, trenches, or bags, anywhere where the oxygen supply can be limited to promote fermentation. The anaerobic fermentation of alfalfa allows it to retain high nutrient levels similar to those of fresh forage, and is also more palatable to dairy cattle than dry hay. In many cases, alfalfa silage is inoculated with different strains of microorganisms to improve the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of the silage.
Alfalfa is the most cultivated legume in the world. Worldwide production was around 454 million tons in 2002 (FAO). The US is the largest alfalfa producer in the world, but considerable area is found in Argentina (primarily grazed), Australia, South Africa, and the Middle East. Known as Kudre Menthe in Kannada and Kuthirai Masal in Tamil, alfalfa is mostly grown in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, southern India.
Within the United States, the leading alfalfa growing states are California, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The upper Midwestern states account for about 50% of US production, the Northeastern states 10%, the Western states 40%, and the Southeastern states almost none. Alfalfa has a wide range of adaptation and can be grown from very cold northern plains to high mountain valleys, from rich temperate agricultural regions to Mediterranean climates and searing hot deserts.
Alfalfa seed production requires the presence of pollinators when the fields of alfalfa are in bloom. Alfalfa pollination is somewhat problematic, however, because Western honey bees, the most commonly used pollinator, are not suitable for this purpose; the pollen-carrying keel of the Alfalfa flower trips and strikes pollinating bees on the head, which helps transfer the pollen to the foraging bee. Western honey bees, however, do not like being struck in the head repeatedly and learn to defeat this action by drawing nectar from the side of the flower. The bees thus collect the nectar but carry no pollen and so do not pollenate the next flower they visit.[2] Because older, experienced bees don't pollinate alfalfa well, most pollination is accomplished by young bees that have not yet learned the trick of robbing the flower without tripping the head-knocking keel. When western honey bees are used to pollinate alfalfa, the beekeeper stocks the field at a very high rate to maximize the number of young bees.
Today the alfalfa leafcutter bee is increasingly used to circumvent this problem. As a solitary but gregarious bee species, it does not build colonies or store honey, but is a very efficient pollinator of alfalfa flowers. Nesting is in individual tunnels in wooden or plastic material, supplied by the alfalfa seed growers.[2] The leafcutter bees are used in the Pacific Northwest, while western honeybees dominate in California alfalfa seed production.
A smaller amount of alfalfa produced for seed is pollinated by the alkali bee, mostly in the northwestern United States. It is cultured in special beds near the fields. These bees also have their own problems. They are not portable like honey bees; and when fields are planted in new areas, the bees take several seasons to build up.[2] Honey bees are still trucked to many of the fields at bloom time.
Considerable research and development has been done with this important plant. Older cultivars such as 'Vernal' have been the standard for years, but many better public and private varieties are now available and better adapted to particular climates. Private companies release many new varieties each year in the US.
Most varieties go dormant in the fall, with reduced growth in response to low temperatures and shorter days. 'Non-dormant' varieties that grow through the winter are planted in long-seasoned environments such as Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California, whereas 'dormant' varieties are planted in the Upper Midwest, Canada, and the Northeast. 'Non-dormant' varieties can be higher yielding, but they are susceptible to winter-kill in cold climates and have poorer persistence.
Most alfalfa cultivars contain genetic material from Sickle Medick (M. falcata), a wild variety of alfalfa that naturally hybridizes with M. sativa to produce Sand Lucerne (M. sativa ssp. varia). This species may bear either the purple flowers of alfalfa or the yellow of sickle medick, and is so called for its ready growth in sandy soil.
Most of the improvements in alfalfa over the last decades have consisted of better disease resistance on poorly drained soils in wet years, better ability to overwinter in cold climates, and the production of more leaves. Multileaf alfalfa varieties have more than three leaflets per leaf, giving them greater nutritional content by weight because there is more leafy matter for the same amount of stem.
Modern alfalfa varieties have probably a wider range of insect, disease, and nematode resistance than many other agricultural species. The North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference records new varieties and encourages communication between breeders.
Roundup Ready alfalfa is a genetically modified variety, patented by Monsanto Company, that is resistant to Monsanto's glyphosate. Although most broadleaf plants, including ordinary alfalfa, are sensitive to Roundup, growers can spray fields of Roundup Ready alfalfa with Roundup, and so kill the weeds without harming the alfalfa crop. Roundup Ready alfalfa was sold in the United States from 2005-2007 and more than 300,000 acres (1,200 km2) were planted with it, out of 21,000,000 acres (85,000 km2). However, in May 2007, the California Northern District Court issued an injunction order prohibiting farmers from planting Roundup Ready alfalfa until the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) completed a study on the genetically engineered crop's likely environmental impact. In response, the USDA put a hold on any further planting of Roundup Ready alfalfa. The key issues of the lawsuit were the possibility that Roundup Resistance could be transmitted to other plants, including both other crops and weeds, making major pest species resistant to an important herbicide, Roundup.
The California Alfalfa Workgroup [1] (UC Davis) has an up to date listing of Alfalfa Variety Trial Data [2] by location as well as Agronomy Progress Reports for each year.
Alfalfa, like other leguminous crops, is a known source of phytoestrogens.[3] Grazing on alfalfa has been suspected as a cause of reduced fertility in sheep.
Alfalfa has been used as an herbal medicine for over 1,500 years. Alfalfa is high in protein, calcium, plus other minerals, vitamin A, vitamins in the B group, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K.
In early Chinese medicines, physicians used young alfalfa leaves to treat disorders related to the digestive tract and the kidneys. In Hindu societies, ayurvedic physicians used the leaves for treating poor digestion. They made a cooling poultice from the seeds for boils. At the time, alfalfa was also believed to be helpful towards people suffering from arthritis and water retention.
It is used in homeopathic preparations worldwide. Today, alfalfa is suggested by homeopaths for treating anemia, diabetes, to extend appetite and contribute towards weight gain, as a diuretic for increased urination, for indigestion and bladder disorders, and can also be used as an estrogen replacement in order to increase breast milk and to mitigate premenstrual syndrome, a dietary supplement, to lower blood cholestrol levels, and to lower the chances of severe heart conditions.[4] However, claims of homeopathy's efficacy beyond the placebo effect are unsupported by the collective weight of scientific and clinical evidence.[5][6]
Alfalfa is commonly used as plant fertilizer in the form of granular pellets. Alfalfa is also used to make Alfalfa tea, which contains Triacontanol, a plant growth stimulant.
Blocks of compressed alfalfa hay are often one of the layers used in no-dig gardening, where they decompose to form a nitrogen-rich and fibrous growing medium.
 Medicago sativa |
 Medicago sativa |
 Medicago sativa |
 Medicago sativa |
 Flowers |
 Yellow flowers |
 Light violet flowers |
 Seeds |
 Lucern field |
 Bee on alfalfa flower |
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| Translations: Alfalfa |
Nederlands (Dutch)
luzerne (soort groente)
Français (French)
n. - luzerne
Deutsch (German)
n. - (bot.) Luzerne, Alfalfa
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (φυτολ.) αλφάλφα, ήμερο τριφύλλι
Italiano (Italian)
erba medica
Português (Portuguese)
n. - alfafa (f) (Bot.)
Español (Spanish)
n. - alfalfa, mielga
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - alfalfa
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
紫花苜蓿
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 紫花苜蓿
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - アルファルファ, ムラサキウマゴヤシ
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) فصفصه
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - אספסת (צמח), זן קטניות אמריקאי
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Sci-Tech Encyclopedia. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Food and Nutrition. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2005 by A. E. Bender and D. A. Bender. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Food Lover's Companion. Food Lover's Companion. Copyright © 2001 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Alternative Medicine Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Copyright © 2005 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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