2017苜蓿筆記5

5. 苜蓿可當綠肥：

Alfalfa was not only a useful crop which could be cut and stored, as a legume it also improved soil quality and could feed the subsequent crop planted in a rotation system. Its benefits seem to have been forgotten in Europe before returning through Spain, perhaps with the Muslims. The Italians referred to its Spanish and Hungarian origins during the Renaissance.

古代歐洲本來已運用苜蓿的綠肥功能，但是中間很長一段時間歐洲人似乎忘記苜蓿的好處，直到文藝復興時期，西班牙和匈牙利人開始再利用苜蓿綠肥，有一說法可能是透過穆斯林再度引進苜蓿綠肥。