Alfalfa Best Practices

1. Alfalfa Best Practices Dan Undersander University of Wisconsin

2. Select varieties with increased Winterhardiness • Less winterkill • Less winter injury – more yield

3. Choose best establishment method • Direct Seeding • Oats with Poast Plus or Roundup • With Companion crop • Oats • Ryegrass

4. Causes of Seeding Failure • Low soil pH • Loose soil • Seeding too deep

6. Control weeds during the first 60 days after establishment

7. Harvest first cutting of new seeding early • Take first cutting at 60 days after planting • More additional cuttings – higher tonnage • Less weed problems

8. Harvest first cutting of established stands by quality

9. Variation in forage quality among years

10. Forage Quality Stick

11. Cutting Height Effect on Forage Yield by Cutting Clark and Wood County, WI 1999-2000

12. Total Forage Yield (3 cuts) Clark and Wood County, WI 1999-2000

13. RFV by Cutting Clark and Wood County, WI 1999-2000

14. Effect of mower type on alfalfa stand and yield

15. Conditioner types Flail/impellers Rubber Rolls

16. Rollers vs flail (impeller) conditioners

17. Conditioner drying rates Alfalfa Grass

18. Conditioner field losses Flail conditioners have 2 to 3 % higher field losses with alfalfa. The loss is all leaves so forage quality is significantly reduced. Stems Leaves

19. Adjust conditioner properly • Tension on rollers • Spacing of rollers

20. Adjust conditioner roller spacing Measure clearance where “Crimp” or smallest clearance occurs

21. Put hay into wide swath • Dries faster • Higher TDN

22. Minimize wheel traffic damage No traffic Traffic

23. Minimize wheel traffic damage

24. Managing to Reduce Wheel Traffic Loss • Minimize driving on field • Use smallest tractor for equipment • Merge windrows where possible • Go to larger equipment • Take most direct route to edge of field • Make road to drive on

25. Managing to Reduce Wheel Traffic Loss • Minimize driving on field • Do driving on field soon after harvest • Manage to dry forage quickly • Harvest for haylage or baleage • Use preservative and harvest wet hay • Use of duals not recommended • Apply manure quickly after cutting

27. Assess stands and replace when thin

28. Yield is the most important component of profitability • Fixed costs same regardless of yield • e.g. taxes, land costs, machinery depreciation • Production costs similar • Harvesting costs similar • Slightly higher for extra fuel and labor to harvest higher yield and haul to barn

29. Alfalfa Yield and Dollar Return from Wisconsin Green-Gold Program Profitability increases with yield because fixed inputs remain constant and variable inputs increase only slightly as yield increases.

30. Yield of alfalfa as stand ages (% of 1st production year)

31. Stand assessment –

32. Benefits of shorter rotations are great: • Increased alfalfa yield from younger stands • Increased corn silage yield following alfalfa • 10 to 15% higher corn yields following alfalfa • More legume credits • Less rootworm insecticide needed following alfalfa

33. Alfalfa Legume Credits

34. Alfalfa Stem Count and Yield Potential