Yield of lucerne seed in New Zealand is very low-less than onetenth that from areas of North America where pollinators are abundant, New Zealand lacks pollinators for lucerne and up to 90% of the florets are not tripped. Two species of bee are cultured in North America exclusively for lucerne pollination, the alkali bee, Nomia melanderi Cockerell, and the lucerne leafcutter bee, Megachile pacifica Panzer. Both species are now established in New Zealand and bee numbers are increasing. For the first time lucerne seed growers in New Zealand can begin to look forward to adequate pollination of their crops.
