Chapter 1 . Global Status and Development Trends of Alfalfa

Alfalfa (scientific name Medicago sativa L.), also called lucerne, is the “king of forages”. Its wild relatives (Medicago spp.) are distributed in vast regions, from Spain to China and from Sweden to North Africa. Alfalfa has a cultivation history of more than 4000 years. It was first cultivated in Iran, Turkmenistan and Caucasus in 2000 BC as verified by archaeological evidence, and in Babylon in 700 BC as recorded in written documents. It was described by Greek writers, in 490 BC, introduced to China in 126 BC, and clearly recorded in Greek and Roman writings in 500 AD. Subsequently, alfalfa was spread from Iran to Spain and the Near East in 1100 AD, from Spain to France in 1550, and then to Belgium and Holland by 1565. Alfalfa arrived to the UK in 1650, and came to Germany and Austria in 1750, reached Sweden in 1770, and finally arrived in Russia in the 19 th century.