Sceptre Lucerne
(Medicago sativa)
Bred for Australian cropping and pasture rotations
Sceptre Lucerne was bred for Australian conditions by the South Australian Department of Agriculture and in earlier years was one of the most widely adapted Lucerne’s in WA and it performed very well across a wide range of soil types and climatic conditions.
Sceptre Lucerne is a tall, large leaved, highly winter active variety that exhibits a large number of fine, erect stems per plant and has a low crown making it suitable for grazing.
Ideally Lucerne should be sown in soils of pH 5.5, CaCl² and above. Ongoing applications of fertiliser are required to support good plant production.
Sceptre Lucerne key attributes:
- Highly winter active, (9 on a scale of 1 to 10), with good production in other seasons
- Vigorous seedling establishment provides strong robust plants
- Excellent disease and pest resistance profile
- Ideal for hay grazing and silage
- Ideal in legume component of a pasture mix
- Strongly tap rooted for enhanced drought tolerance
Highly recommended for shorter term, 2-4 years, cropping rotations in 280-500mm rainfall zones