Background
Lucerne is a key forage crop for many New Zealand pastoral systems, providing high-quality feed throughout the growing season. Improving early-season lucerne growth can significantly increase total dry matter harvested and improve feed availability during critical periods.
Plant-Stim® is a biologically active plant extract containing natural growth compounds designed to stimulate root development, enhance nutrient uptake, and support rapid regrowth after cutting. This trial assessed the effect of Plant-Stim® on lucerne green matter yields across two harvest cuts.
Trial Design
- Plot size: 0.5 m²
- Replicates: 4 per treatment
- Treatments:
- Control (untreated)
- Plant-Stim® (applied as foliar spray)
Measurements:
- Fresh green matter yield recorded immediately after cutting
- Cut 1 harvested into paper bags (bag weight removed)
- Cut 2 harvested directly without bags
Both cuts were analysed separately and combined to assess seasonal performance.
Cut 1
(Early Crop Response)Plant-Stim® produced a strong yield increase in the first cut:
➡️ +57.6% yield increase
➡️ Difference exceeded the LSD (155.8 g) and was statistically significant (p ≈ 0.05).
Cut 2
➡️ +24.4% increase, consistent directionally with Cut 1
➡️ Not statistically significant (difference < LSD)
Cumulative Yield (Cut 1 + Cut 2)
Total Production Gain
🌿 Plant-Stim® delivered +4.8 t/ha more lucerne
🌿 +45.4% total seasonal yield increase
Combined ANOVA showed a significant treatment effect (P < 0.05) across both cuts.
Key Findings
Strong early response: Plant-Stim® significantly lifted Cut 1 yields, helping lucerne recover faster and produce more bulk early in the season.
Consistent performance: Both cuts showed higher yields with Plant-Stim®, demonstrating reliable crop stimulation.
Meaningful total gain: Across two harvests, Plant-Stim® added nearly 5 t/ha of fresh green matter.
Supports resilience and regrowth: The enhanced performance aligns with Plant-Stim’s mode of action—stimulating root activity, nutrient uptake, and plant hormone pathways.
Conclusion
Plant-Stim® substantially improved lucerne productivity under Canterbury growing conditions. The treatment produced significant early-season gains and a consistent improvement across both cuts, resulting in a total seasonal yield advantage of 45% over the untreated control.
These results reinforce Plant-Stim® as an effective biological tool for improving lucerne growth, regrowth speed, and total feed availability.
