Alfalfa

[dbltree]

Dbltree
Is that the alfalfa from russia that is greening up already? If I remember correctly that alfalfa is a one cut and stays green well into winter. Kinda thinking of maybe a fall planting of an acre to see how it goes...

Actually both the conventional alfalfa and the Siberian Falcata alfalfa are both greening up about the same.

The difference is that the falcata should not have to be mowed as frequently as conventional alfalfa. The other positive (in theory) is that the falcata supposedly is re-seeding and will last forever.

After I have had it growing on my place "forever" I'll know for sure...

Wind River Seed has a minimum order of $40 I think which will get you about 10#'s (roughly) I haven't checked 2009 prices.

So far it has done very well but this will be the second year so I'll keep you posted...

 

[ksbooner]

I'm going to have my farmer put in 15 acres of alfalfa for hay.

Normal rental rates for corn/soybeans are $165 an acre

Any ideas for rental rates for the alfalfa?

When is the last date I want him cutting so I can leave some feed for the deer?

Thanks For Any Feedback!

 

[dbltree]

I'm going to have my farmer put in 15 acres of alfalfa for hay.

Normal rental rates for corn/soybeans are $165 an acre

Any ideas for rental rates for the alfalfa?

When is the last date I want him cutting so I can leave some feed for the deer?

Thanks For Any Feedback!

Here's a link to rental rates by area but alfalfa ground isn't much different then corn ground rates.

2008 Iowa Farmland Rental rates

Alfalfa shouldn't be cut past Sept. 1st to allow it to rebuild root reserves for winter and that is perfect for nice lush fall re-growth.

Mid to late August is perfect then for a last cutting...

 

[ksbooner]

Thanks Very Much dbltree! You are one wealth of knowledge!

It says "established" alfalfa rental rates.

What do you think would be fair for this year. I was thinking that the farmers pays for the lime and fertilizer and the seed and gets this years cutting for free and stops cutting Sept. 1st

Then next year we figure out a rental rate?

Thoughts?

 

[dbltree]

Thanks Very Much dbltree! You are one wealth of knowledge!

It says "established" alfalfa rental rates.

What do you think would be fair for this year. I was thinking that the farmers pays for the lime and fertilizer and the seed and gets this years cutting for free and stops cutting Sept. 1st

Then next year we figure out a rental rate?

Thoughts?

My farm consists of mostly poor hill ground or bottoms that flood frequently so it doesn't exactly "command" high rental rates...

Having said that, my tenant pays ALL costs of putting in the alfalfa (seed, lime, fertilizer and planting) AND pays me rent too!

Your farmer will harvest 2-3 cuttings this year and then up to 4 cuttings per year for years so I wouldn't give it to him free this year, perhaps a 2/3 rate?

He pays for all the seed, fertilizer, and herbicide to put in corn and soybeans correct?

Why would alfalfa be any different??

 

[Outdoor Family]

Thanks

Thanks Dbltree.
I'll see how my 1/2 alfalfa arce field looks like next week. Wife picked up 3 3lbs bag of Tecomate chicory for $7 each. Will likey add some to clover and alfalfa fields next week. I think I will try the falcata this fall. If I remember correctly it can also handle ph in the 6ish range????

 

[dbltree]

Thanks Dbltree.
I'll see how my 1/2 alfalfa arce field looks like next week. Wife picked up 3 3lbs bag of Tecomate chicory for $7 each. Will likey add some to clover and alfalfa fields next week. I think I will try the falcata this fall. If I remember correctly it can also handle ph in the 6ish range????

I think it can get by in that range but be sure to seed a minimum of 6-8 weeks before killing frost which is roughly Oct 5th in our area.

 

[dbltree]

Our tenant planted a field of alfalfa at our our farm April 11th along with oats, so we'll watch progress of this new seeding this summer. Alfalfa seed takes roughly 10-15 days to germinate and start growing. Alfalfa Germination

When it comes to alfalfa, there is to my knowledge no alfalfa that deer "prefer", they love alfalfa...period! So when it comes to establishing alfalfa that will be used in a haying scenario, select the best variety for you area.

Dormancy rates determine how well alfalfa will surive colder winters so lower dormancy is for colder climates and here in Iowa the lower the number as you go northward the better.

If alfalfa does not go dormant it will likely die in cold weather so make sure you talk to your seed rep about an alfalfa that is right for your area.

Here's a link on the subject:

Alfalfa Dormancy Rates

Typically, alfalfa slows the growth of leaves and stems in the fall and starts storing carbohydrates in the roots. That stored energy helps the plant survive the winter. And, the reserve gives the plant a jump-start the next spring. However, if a plant goes dormant too early, forage production is lost. If it goes dormant too late, the plant might winterkill. The goal is to find a happy medium between production and persistence.

Alfalfa Variety Fall Dormancy Ratings

Alfalfa is too expensive to lose a new stand because of improper seed selection.

Factors That Improve Winter Survival in Alfalfa

• Winter-long snow cover of 4 inches or more
• Winter-tolerant variety
• Two or three summer cut harvest systems with good regrowth between cuttings
• Uninterrupted growth (5 to 6 weeks) during September and October
• All of the last growth of the season left in the field (no cutting or grazing)
• Management of insects (e.g., potato leafhoppers) during the growing season
• Good levels of potassium in the plant
• Young stands or older stands with no root or crown disease
• Fall harvest management of alfalfa

Alfalfa Variety Characteristics

Thru this link one can find out how various alfalfa varieties compared in successive tests here in Iowa.

ISU Alfalfa tests

Dormancy rates of 1-5 may alright here in Iowa but for the most part 1-4 will have a higher winter survivability rating.

 

[Sligh1]

I got 8 acres drilled in this weekend. I ended up killing off with round-up (gave it a bit of time- wish it would have been more BUT i'll just hit with Select if needed) and seeded 20 lbs to the acre of straight alfalfa.
I got it from Bwright (you can send him a PM) and what I ended up ordering was Maxigraze Grazing Alfalfa. The price was excellent.
I limed the field and spread plenty of potash. Drilled in last Friday and it rained Saturday. Hope it takes off! Good luck with your plantings!!!

 

[huntdoc]

Hey DB, is that new alfalfa seeding the field where corn and beans got hammered? If it is, I will be curious to see how many deer pile intothe field now!!

 

[dbltree]

Hey DB, is that new alfalfa seeding the field where corn and beans got hammered? If it is, I will be curious to see how many deer pile intothe field now!!

Nope..but I do have alfalfa in that field that was planted last year and it's holding up fine! I also planted the siberian one cut Falcata alfalfa there and it also is holding up fine.

Alfalfa produces a tremendous amount of forage and I have never seen deer decimate it like corn and soys...

 

[OHIOshedder]

Update and question

At the beginning of April, I plowed and disced under my grass covered former alfalfa plot. I did not spray first and estimate that post-discing I had about 65% bare ground and 35% live grass. I packed the field and broadcast alfalfa seeds and it rained that night and frequently since. I have a nice growth of young alfalfa seedlings coming in, but the grass is coming back fast. My thought is to spray with something like "Arrest" to kill the grass, but not the alfalfa, then once the alfalfa is big enough I'll mow the field. I"m not sure if the alfalfa seedlings are too young to withstand the spay though. I'm hoping that the 2nd growth alfalfa will smother out any grass which tries to grow post-spraying.

Sound like a good plan? I'm open to comments.

Thanks!

 

[dbltree]

At the beginning of April, I plowed and disced under my grass covered former alfalfa plot. I did not spray first and estimate that post-discing I had about 65% bare ground and 35% live grass. I packed the field and broadcast alfalfa seeds and it rained that night and frequently since. I have a nice growth of young alfalfa seedlings coming in, but the grass is coming back fast. My thought is to spray with something like "Arrest" to kill the grass, but not the alfalfa, then once the alfalfa is big enough I'll mow the field. I"m not sure if the alfalfa seedlings are too young to withstand the spay though. I'm hoping that the 2nd growth alfalfa will smother out any grass which tries to grow post-spraying.

Sound like a good plan? I'm open to comments.

Thanks!

It's too late for this advice but generally it's not advisable to seed alfalfa after alfalfa because the mature plants have some toxicity issues and can prevent alfalfa seedlings from germinating and surviving.

Best to plant it to something else for a year and then go back to alfalfa but for now we'll hope yours does alright.

Also better to nuke the grasses first with roundup and then plant but in your case I would use Select 2 EC (or generic versions such as Arrow or Volunteer) because clethodim is far more effective then sethoxydim (Poast Plus or Arrest)

Which ever you use make sure you add crop oil per the label and I believe in most cases it won't hurt seedling alfalfa or clover but double check the labels in the herbicide thread.

 

[OHIOshedder]

Thanks for the reply. I've heard about the toxicity issue, but I had 2 good years of alfalfa and then the past 2 years were mostly grass and weeds, so I hoped that would be long enough. I'll say the alfalfa sprouts are doing quite well. I wanted to roundup first, but it was pretty pricey and I was in a hurry to plant and was lucky to get a dry enough window to disc and plant much less wait on roundup.

I'll look into the herbicide you mentioned and see if our coop carries that.

Regards.

 

[lassig]

Ordered 9 pounds of Falcata yesterday to be planted in Aug. The plot is a little over 1/2 acre, Realize this is a little thick but I am not the best at broadcasting and would rather have a little too much than end up short. The plot was planted in buckwheat last Friday so should have decent weed control over the summer

 

[OHIOShedder at Work]

Update

I should have taken your advice and sprayed first. Our little alfalfa sprouts are less than 2 months old and are already getting over taken with tall aggressive grass growth. I think they are getting browsed by the deer too which is allowing the grass to quickly overcome the plot. I looked into the Select 2EC, but nobody around me carries it. Our herbicide dealer suggested a product called "Shadow" which contains clethodim for $120/gal. Have you heard of this product? He didn't think you could use it on alfalfa seedlings, but the Shadow website it can be used on post-emergent alfalfa. Since this seems to be my only option to salvage the plot, I'm thinking of a light spray in a test section....

 

[JNRBRONC]

I looked into the Select 2EC, but nobody around me carries it. Our herbicide dealer suggested a product called "Shadow" which contains clethodim for $120/gal.

You might ask about Poast herbicide.

 

[dbltree]

I should have taken your advice and sprayed first. Our little alfalfa sprouts are less than 2 months old and are already getting over taken with tall aggressive grass growth. I think they are getting browsed by the deer too which is allowing the grass to quickly overcome the plot. I looked into the Select 2EC, but nobody around me carries it. Our herbicide dealer suggested a product called "Shadow" which contains clethodim for $120/gal. Have you heard of this product? He didn't think you could use it on alfalfa seedlings, but the Shadow website it can be used on post-emergent alfalfa. Since this seems to be my only option to salvage the plot, I'm thinking of a light spray in a test section....

Shadow is just another generic version of Select containing the exact same amount of clethodim and should work just fine for you.

Shadow herbicide label

I do not reccomend Poast because it has proven ineffective against many tough cool season grasses that clethodim will wipe out and the cost per acre is the same.

Arrow and Volunteer are a couple more generic clethodim products all containing the exact same percentage of active product.

The source listed below can ship a gallon of clethodim for around a $100 so you might also give him a call.

Jim Bolding 919-462-1375 Crop Smart LLC

Our new spring seeded field of oats and alfalfa

Growing fine with all the spring rains!

2nd year Falcata alfalfa

Deer seem to be grazing it hard and overall it's doing fine

Curious about clipping needs and if it really can be a one cut alfalfa or not...stay tuned...

 

[dbltree]

Some comparison pics the first of June 2009 to help show why alfalfa can be difficult to manage unless it can be harvested for hay...

Gunner is a big ole Golden Retreiver just to give some idea how high it is...he was "bounding" thru it...

My Falcata siberian alfalfa isn't as tall at least at this point

The leaves look like regular alfalfa (there is red clover in the pic as well)

At this point the falcata is basically the same height as this stand of clover

Alfalfa is awesome stuff and a source of cash flow if you have enough acreage to interest a local farmer but for small plots it's looking like the Falcata might be a great option.

I'll know more as the summer progresses...stay tuned...

 

[lassig]

Looking good on the Falcata. I just recieved 9 pounds of seed last night for a 25K sqft plot to be planted in Aug.