A forage crop, Medicago sativa, domesticated in the region of ancient Persia and Central Asia several thousand years ago, from where its cultivation spread with early empires and trade routes across the Mediterranean, Europe and eventually to the Americas. Alfalfa is grown chiefly as hay and forage for livestock, especially dairy cattle, valued for its high protein content and its deep root system, which can extend several meters into the soil, allowing the plant to draw water and nutrients unavailable to shallower-rooted crops and to survive drought conditions that damage many other forage plants. As a legume it also fixes nitrogen in the soil, and it remains one of the most widely grown forage crops in the world.
Facts
Alfalfa
Filter Results2 entries
Connections
Affected By
Source Pleospora herbarum (Wikipedia)
Source Reniform Nematode (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Era Of Origin
Also in History Atlas: the era this subject comes from.
Source Alfalfa (Wikipedia)HistoryQuote, History
it was introduced to Greece in about 490 BC when the Persians invaded Greek territory.
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Alfalfa (Wikipedia)
Lead
Native to warmer temperate climates, alfalfa has long been cultivated as livestock fodder, perhaps since antiquity.
Lead paragraph, life cycle
Medicago sativa, commonly known as alfalfa () in North America and lucerne () in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. Native to warmer temperate climates, alfalfa has long been cultivated as livestock fodder, perhaps since antiquity.
Lead paragraph, use
Medicago sativa, commonly known as alfalfa () in North America and lucerne () in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. Native to warmer temperate climates, alfalfa has long been cultivated as livestock fodder, perhaps since antiquity.
View the SourceReniform Nematode (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAffected By: Reniform Nematode, Article textQuote, Affected By: Reniform Nematode, Article text
It has a wide host range that includes fruit trees, lentil, cotton, pigeon pea, tea, tobacco, soybean, pineapple, banana, okra, coconut, cabbage, sweet potato, alfalfa, corn, asparagus, palm, cucumber, tomato, squash, cassava, radish, eggplant, guava, melon, chickpea, and ginger.
Pleospora herbarum (Wikipedia)
Affected By: Pleospora herbarum, Article textQuote, Affected By: Pleospora herbarum, Article text
It is a plant pathogen infecting several hosts including alfalfa, apples, asparagus, tomatoes, citruses and chickpea.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.