Sodium concentration in lucerne, phalaris, and a mixture of the 2 species

Lucerne ( Medicago sativa L.) and phalaris ( Phalaris aquatica L.) were grown as pure species or in a mixture in a pot trial on a yellowbrown pumice soil. Sodium (Na) concentration in lucerne grown alone was low but was increased to an adequate level for grazing animals by adding a large amount of Na fertiliser. Herbage with a similar and adequate Na concentration was produced by growing phalaris as a companion grass with lucerne, without the need to apply Na fertiliser. A field trial confirmed that a lucerne‐phalaris mixture contained adequate Na for sheep and beef cattle, and ways of further increasing the Na concentration are discussed. We concluded that lucernephalaris mixtures could be grown on the pumice soils to improve the Na intake by grazing animals.