Increasing alfalfa

[StickersNKickers]

Kind of a general farming question here...I have about 1.5 acres alfalfa/red clover/brome grass mix that is cut for hay. If I want to increase the % of alfalfa in it, what is the best way? Does it need to be tilled up and started over?

 

[Notch]

How old is the stand? Alfalfa produces autotoxins that inhibit the growth of new seedlings. This is the main reason why inter seeding alfalfa is seldom successful. If you can, it is best to rotate the field away from alfalfa for one year, to allow the toxins to break down.

 

[Sligh1]

Yep- you gotta kill it & start over. Your only other option is to frost seed clover in it and spray clethodim & crop oil later on to kill grasses in it.

 

[StickersNKickers]

Thanks. Not sure on the age of the stand. Just bought it last year. Neighbor has been mowing it several years, so could probably ask him. It has plenty of clover in it now and think it is a good mix overall. Just thought I might try to increase the alfalfa % for higher dollar hay.

 

[Notch]

With the drought, there is a serious shortage of forage out there. If it's still a relatively good stand of brome/alfalfa/clover, I would be a little hesitant to rip it up. Simply because hay should be high priced again this year. Of course, pure alfalfa will be priced higher, but even crappy crp hay is going for outrageous $$$ up here this year.

 

[StickersNKickers]

You're right about the price of hay being high. Good time to be selling! Probably won't be ripping it up for now, just had thought if I could get more in without tilling, it might be a good option. It produced probably around 225 bales (avg weight 45-50 lbs) on about 1-1.5 acres last summer.

On related note, what fertilizer, if any, would be best to increase yield as it sits?

 

[jlarson007]

Fertilizer, depending on what you want to spend an acre. But your going to be looking at roughly $100 per acre for a good amount.

Couple hundred pounds of Potash, hundred pounds of dap/map and 120 pounds of gypsum (if they have it) or use elemental sulfur for the sulfur source. And you could throw three pounds of boron at it too.

Hope this helps