Javascript is required to use this website.

When should producers replace an alfalfa field

By TERRI ADAMS For Farm & Ranch Guide
Apr 23, 2011
Apr 23, 2011

cutting alfalfa — Dennis Cash, forage specialist with Montana State University, gives producers tips for deciding when to replace an alfalfa field.

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

By TERRI ADAMS For Farm & Ranch Guide

This spring, as alfalfa stands begin to grow and turn green after a long cold winter, producers will have the perfect opportunity to assess their fields and decide whether to maintain the stand or tear it out for something else.

kAm“u@C J62CD E96J 92G6 5@?6 2 A=2?ED\A6C\DBF2C6\7@@E >6E9@5[ 3FE 92J 3692G6D 5:776C6?E=J :? E96 7:6=5 56A6?5:?8 @? H96E96C :ED 5CJ=2?5 @C :CC:82E65[ D@ x AC676C FD:?8 2? 64@?@>:4 E9C6D9@=5 E@ 56E6C>:?6 :7 J@F D9@F=5 C6A=246 2 7:6=5[” D2:5 s6??:D r2D9[ 7@C286 DA64:2=:DE 2E |@?E2?2 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ] “%92E’D 2 36EE6C >6E9@5]”k^Am

kAm%96 A=2?ED\A6C\DBF2C6\7@@E >6E9@5 C6BF:C6D E96 AC@5F46C 4@F?E E96 A=2?ED :? E96 7:6=5] %92?<7F==J E96J 5@?’E 92G6 E@ 4@F?E 6G6CJ A=2?E] #2E96C[ E96J ;FDE ?665 2 4@F?E:?8 9@@A >256 7C@> 2? @=5 A:4EFC6 @C H:?5@H 7C2>6[ D@>6 A:646D @7 D4C2A H@@5 @C 2? @=5 H:C6 EH:DE65 :?E@ 2 D92A6 E92E H:== 4@G6C C@F89=J @?6 DBF2C6 7@@E] ~?46 E96:C 4@F?E:?8 9@@A :D 4@>A=6E65[ E96J D:>A=J =2J :E 5@H? @G6C 2? 2C62 @7 E96:C 7:6=5 2?5 4@F?E E96 ?F>36C @7 A=2?ED :? E92E 9@@A] qJ C6A62E:?8 E9:D AC@46DD :? D6G6C2= 5:776C6?E 7:6=5 =@42E:@?D[ E96J 42? 86E 2? :562 @7 E96 56?D:EJ @7 E96:C 4C@A]k^Am

kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ 2 DEF5J 86?6C2E65 :? E96 |:5H6DE 2?5 FD65 3J |@?E2?2 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ[ :CC:82E65 D:EF2E:@?D D9@F=5 D66 `d E@ ad A=2?ED A6C DBF2C6 7@@E 5FC:?8 2 D665:?8 J62C]k^Am

kAmp 7:CDE\J62C 92J 7:6=5 D9@F=5 92G6 `_ E@ `d A=2?ED[ H9:=6 2 D64@?5\J62C 92J 7:6=5 H:== ?665 E@ 42CCJ D:I E@ `_ A=2?ED A6C DBF2C6 7@@E E@ 36 64@?@>:42==J DE23=6] p 7:6=5 E92E :D E9C66 J62CD @=5 @C @=56C D9@F=5 92G6 E9C66 E@ D:I >2EFC6 A=2?ED A6C DBF2C6 7@@E]k^Am

kAm“qFE E96C6 :D E@@ >F49 G2C:23:=:EJ H:E9 4@F?E:?8[” D2:5 r2D9] “x? >@DE 7:6=5D J@F H:== 92G6 AC@3=6> 2C62D H:E9 ?@E >F49 8C@H:?8 D@ :E :D 92C5 E@ FD6 E96 E9C6D9@=5 4@F?E]”k^Am

kAm%96 <6J E@ <?@H:?8 H96? E@ E62C @FE :D?’E <?@H:?8 9@H >2?J A=2?ED 2C6 :? E96 7:6=5 @C H96C6 E96 AC@3=6> DA@ED 9@H] r2D9 D2:5 E96 <6J :D 7@C AC@5F46CD E@ <?@H E96:C @H? A6CD@?2= 64@?@>:4 E9C6D9@=5 – E96:C 3C62<6G6? 4@DED]k^Am

kAm“u@C 2? :CC:82E65 7:6=5[ AC@5F46CD D9@F=5 <?@H E96:C AF>A:?8 4@DED 2?5 76CE:=:K6C 4@DED] (:E9 5:6D6= 7F6= D@ 6IA6?D:G6 ?@H[ E96 E9C6D9@=5 7@C 2== 4C@AD :D AC6EEJ 9:89[” 96 D2:5] “p A2CE:4F=2C D>2== 8C2:? 8C@H6C >:89E C6BF:C6 2 7:6=5 E@ AC@5F46 aa 3FD96=D 2? 24C6 ;FDE E@ 3C62< 6G6?] w2J 72C>6CD ?665 E@ 5@ E96 D2>6 7@C E96:C 92J 7:6=5D]”k^Am

kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ DEF5:6D 2E |$&[ 2 8@@5 :CC:82E65 DE2?5 @7 2=72=72 :? |@?E2?2 H:== J:6=5 7:G6 E@ D6G6? E@?D A6C 24C6[ J6E E96 2G6C286 J:6=5 :? E96 DE2E6 :D @?=J b]b E@?D A6C 24C6] %92E >62?D E96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 F?56C\AC@5F4:?8 7:6=5D :? E96 DE2E6]k^Am

People are also reading…

Bison may not have future on Great Plains
Morel hunting sees varied success
Northwest Missouri brothers get late-April start
Central Iowa family works through wet, chilly spring together
Discoveries advance dairy-cow fertility
Sale barn math: the high cost of high prices
Sandhills cowboy committed to land, cattle, community
Build portable milking parlors
Needed rain delays Iowa planting
Beware changes in disease risk
Ahead of schedule in northwest Iowa
USDA unveils conservation program
Solar power helps keep Illinois farms alive
Online tool helps take guess-work out of planting
After drought, rain keeps central Illinois planting on hold

kAmp86 42? 27764E E96 AC@5F4E:G:EJ @7 2? 2=72=72 7:6=5[ ;FDE =:<6 2?JE9:?8 6=D6] x? D@>6 92J 7:6=5D[ E9C66 J62CD @7 64@?@>:42==J 962=E9J AC@5F4E:@? :D 2== E96J H:== 249:6G6] ~E96C 7:6=5D[ 6DA64:2==J :? 5CJ=2?5 4@?5:E:@?D[ 42? 8@ =@?86C]k^Am

kAmr2D9 D2:5 @=56C 7:6=5D 2C6 >@C6 4@>>@? :? 5CJ=2?5 4@?5:E:@?D H96C6 @?=J @?6 4FEE:?8 :D 249:6G65 6249 J62C]k^Am

kAm“x? 5CJ=2?5 4@?5:E:@?D J@F <66A E9@D6 7:6=5D =@?86C] xE 4@DED 2 =@E @7 7F6= >@?6J E@ C6?@G2E6 E96 7:6=5] x7 J@F 925 E@ A=@H 2?5 E:== :E 7@FC E:>6D[ J@FC 4@DED H@F=5 36 Sd_ E@ Se_ A6C 24C6 ;FDE 7@C 7F6= 2=@?6] $@ J@F 92G6 E@ <?@H J@FC 64@?@>:4 E9C6D9@=5 7@C 5CJ=2?5 7:6=5D[ E@@[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmx7 2 7:6=5 :D E@C? @FE[ r2D9 C64@>>6?5D AC@5F46CD C@E2E6 4C@AD @? E96 7:6=5 7@C EH@ J62CD 367@C6 C6A=2?E:?8 H:E9 2=72=72[ 2=E9@F89 >@DE AC@5F46CD ECJ E@ D9@CE4FE E92E 2?5 C6A=2?E 27E6C @?=J @?6 J62C]k^Am

kAm“x H@F=5 ?6G6C E9C@H 2=72=72 D665 :?E@ @=5 DE2?5 2?5 6IA64E :E E@ 5@ E9:?8D[” 96 D2:5] x?DE625[ A=2?E C@E2E:@? 4C@AD 2?5 >2<6 >@?6J 7C@> E92E]k^Am

kAm“#:89E ?@H[ H:E9 8C2:? AC:46D D@ DEC@?8[ 2 8@@5 C6A=246>6?E 4C@A 7@C 2? 2=72=72 7:6=5 H@F=5 36 H962E[” 96 D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E :7 7@C286 :D DE:== ?66565[ 92J 32C=6J 2?5 (:==@H rC66< H962E 2C6 8@@5 @AE:@?D]k^Am

kAm“%96 C62D@? 7@C C@E2E:@? :D 3642FD6[ :? 2=72=72 7:6=5D[ D@:=\3@C?6 5:D62D6D 42? 364@>6 2 AC@3=6>j 2=D@ H665D 2?5 8C@F?5 DBF:CC6=D[” 96 D2:5] “rC@AD FD65 :? 2=72=72 C@E2E:@? 2==@H E96 FD6 @7 5:776C6?E 96C3:4:56D 7@C A6C6??:2= H665 AC@3=6>D DF49 2D r2?252 E9:DE=6 2?5 52?56=:@?D] %92E H2J E96 H665D 8@ 2H2J 2?5 8C@F?5 DBF:CC6=D 8@ =:G6 2E E96 ?6:893@CD]”k^Am

kAm|2?J ?6H 2=72=72 G2C:6E:6D 2C6 2G2:=23=6 6G6CJ J62C :? |@?E2?2]k^Am

kAm“(6 E6DE 23@FE a_ ?6H G2C:6E:6D 6G6CJ J62C 2?5 H6’C6 @?=J E6DE:?8 23@FE `_ A6C46?E @7 H92E :D 2G2:=23=6] %96 ?6H E9:?8[ C:89E ?@H[ :D E96 #@F?5FA #625J EC2:E 2G2:=23=6 :? D6G6C2= 252AE65 G2C:6E:6D[” 96 4@>>6?E65]k^Am

kAmu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? @? 92J 7:6=5D 2?5 EC:2= C6DF=ED 8@ E@ k2 9C67l Q9EEAi^^HHH]2?:>2=C2?866IE6?D:@?]>@?E2?2]65F^Qm9EEAi^^HHH]2?:>2=C2?866IE6?D:@?]>@?E2?2]65F^k^2m] ~?46 E96C6[ 8@ E@ E96 =67E D:56 @7 E96 A286 2?5 4=:4< @? ‘7@C286’]k^Am