LUCERNE SEED PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND - ACHIEVEMENTS AND POTENTIAL

Abstract

For New Zealand's lucerne seed industry to develop it must reliably produce seed at a price competitive with seed produced overseas. To achieve this will require increased specialisation and co-operation from all parts of the industry including breeders, growers and merchants. Recent research has resulted in a management package which will allow specialist growers to achieve consistently high yields and financial returns that will make seed production a specialist industry rather than a "catch crop" as in the traditional pastoral system. A trial at Lincoln to investigate the seed production capabilities of different cultivars showed there were no significant differences in yield between any of the cultivars currently being grown for seed in New Zealand. With the introduction of more efficient pollinators of lucerne, seed production may shift away from the traditional areas of Marlborough and into areas with more moisture retentive soils and areas where irrigation is possible. It is speculated that if changes do not occur in the lucerne seed industry then all of New Zealand's seed will be imported by 1990. Key Words: lucerne, Medicago sativa, seed production, cultivar