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The paper presents the results of a two-year research on influence of development phase on production characteristics of lucerne, with a view to determining the optimal harvest time. The research was conducted in the Zetsko-Bjelopavlicka Valley's agro-environmental conditions (Ljeskopoljski Lug) using irrigation (irrigation norm 250 - 300 l/m-2 and irrigation rate 50 l/m-2) and three variants of mowing (four-cut, five-cut and six-cut mowing system). Mowing was done at the following phenological phases: boot phase, beginning of flowering and full flowering (seeding pods), while observing the occurrence and development of buds on the crown roots. Based on these results we can conclude that the intensity of exploitation, that is, the number of cuts and phenological phases in which mowing is conducted has a very significant influence on production properties, primarily on the yield and nutritive value of the lucerne fodder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]