Lucerne Research Report - July to October 2013

Nitrogen leaching under Lucerne: data for period from July to October 2013 (Lucerne research is ongoing)

The Lake Taupo Protection Trust (LTPT) is currently funding a rigorous field trial on Nitrogen (N) leaching under cut-and carry lucerne on a Taupo Lake Care’s (TLC) member’s farm in Tihoi. At this site an underground facility is used to collect leachate from large diameter lysimiters.  The leaching data will be used by the Overseer ® Committee to validate the lucerne module within Overseer ®.  Because of the large volume of the lysimiters (needed because lucerne has such deep roots), further time is required to collect the proportionately large volume of leachate, and the research is now being funded by LTPT and the Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) through TLC.  Read more ….