Lucerne as a crop for grazing and zero-grazing for ruminants

Cilj rada bio je istražiti hranidbenu vrijednost lucerne kao pašne kulture, prinose krme i proizvodnost životinja na ispaši lucernom. Istraživanje je provedeno pregledom literature. Svježa zelena lucerna se pokazala visokokvalitetnom voluminoznom krmom bogatom sirovim bjelančevinama, ali nedovoljno bogata energijom za visoku proizvodnost preživača (mliječnost i priraste tjelesne mase) te sa značajno višim sadržajem sirovih vlakana, NDF-a i ADF-a negoli u suvremenim TMR-obrocima. Zbog toga se očekuje niska proizvodnost stoke hranjene ispašom na lucerni. Ipak, hranidbeni pokusi u raznim dijelovima svijeta pokazali su da se uz manji ili uobičajen dodatak koncentriranih krmiva uz ispašu na lucerni ili njenoj smjesi s travama može postići dobra proizvodnost tovnih, pa čak i mliječnih goveda. Lucerna se može smatrati vrlo interesantnom pašnom kulturom zbog boljeg prirasta biljne mase tijekom ljeta negoli ga imaju livadne i pašnjačke trave, a projicirana cijena koštanja ispaše lucerne je niža od najzastupljenijih voluminoznih krmiva – silaže nadzemne mase kukuruza i sijena lucerne. Osim ekonomskih prednosti, napasivanje na lucerni donijelo bi i ekološke jer lucerna omogućuje veću bioraznolikost negoli silažni kukuruz, i manju emisiju CO2 i pesticida negoli silažni kukuruz. Prelaskom na ispašu na lucerni i smjesi s travama, ostala bi potreba uzgoja kukuruza za proizvodnju zrna kojim bi se korigirala energetska vrijednost lucerne. Prije čvrste preporuke uvođenja lucerne u praksu napasivanja, gore navedene zaključke bi trebalo trebalo provjeriti u poljskim i hranidbenim pokusima. Osobito važno je provjeriti sigurnost izbjegavanja nadama koristeći u radu opisane mjere prevencije.The aim of the study was to investigate the nutritional value of lucerne as grazing crop, forage yields and production of animals grazing lucerne. The research was conducted by literature review. Fresh green lucerne has proved to be a high-quality voluminous fodder, rich with crude protein, but not rich enough with energy for high production in ruminants (milk production and body mass gain) and also with significant higher crude fiber content, NDF and ADF than in modern TMR meals. Therefore, low production in livestock grazing on lucerne is expected. However, experiments worldwide have shown that with a minor or the usual addition of concentrated fodder to lucerne grazing or its mixture with herbs, a good production in both beef and dairy cattle can be achieved. Lucerne can be considered as a very interesting grazing crop because of its better plant mass growth during summer than in meadows and pasture grass. Also, the projected cost of grazing lucerne is lower than cost of the most common voluminous fodder - silage of aboveground mass of maize and lucerne hay. Besides the economic benefits, grazing lucerne would also have environmental benefits because lucerne provides larger biodiversity, less CO2 emission and pesticides than maize silage. By switching to lucerne grazing and mixture with herbs, there would still be the need to grow maize for grain production to correct the energy value of lucerne. Before strongly recommending the introduction of lucerne as grazing crop, the conclusions above should be more experimentally tested. It is especially important to test the security of avoiding tympany by using the prevention methods described in this study