Additional comments

REFORMA was one of the projects selected by the ERA-NET ARIMNet for funding in the context of its 2011 call for transnational agricultural research targeted to Mediterranean regions. The project ended in 2016



Currently there is a lack of drought-tolerant varieties of alfalfa, and these are expected to gain importance in the future. REFORMA is developing these varieties, which will be available within a next years. Fur further information, please contact the project coordinator.

Additional information

One of the outcomes of the project is a handbook useful for farmers, breeders and seed companies, with practical information about growing lucerne (alfalfa) in drought-prone environments.

In average conditions alfalfa is easy to manage and in fact it can be used for hay production or silage, dehydration or grazing. However, under severe water stress its yield drops, it cannot be cut as frequently and weed control can be problematic. This handbook is the result of the compilation of previous knowledge available and new findings from field tests carried out during the REFORMA project.

The guidelines include a list of commercial varieties suitable for Mediterranean environments and some recommendations and good practices. For example, although some local varieties could be suitable, is advisable to choose certified seed, ensuring their quality and that they’re free of pests or diseases. Another advice is to consider inoculating and coating the seed to favour germination. Seed coating or pelletising enhances soil adhesion and seed moisture uptake. Inoculation is essential in soils with pH<6.

A fine seed bed is highly recommended in heavy soils, to guarantee proper and quicker germination.

Concerning productivity and yields, the field experiments of the project have provided some useful results. For example the combination of four species showed better yields than the cultivation of alfalfa in pure stands or binary mixtures. Even so, if opting for some of these, best choices to enhance productivity are to combine tall fescue with lucerne (when planting a binary mixture) or to choose erect lucerne rather than semi-erect, for pure stands.

The handbook is available in English, French and Arabic.