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

7. Control weeds during the first 60 days after establishment

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

9. Harvest first cutting of established stands by quality

10. Variation in forage quality among years
Fond du lac

11. Forage Quality Stick

12. Cutting Height Effect on Forage Yield by Cutting
Clark and Wood County, WI

13. Total Forage Yield (3 cuts)
Clark and Wood County, WI

14. RFV by Cutting
Clark and Wood County, WI

15. Effect of mower type on alfalfa stand and yield
Average First
Cut Yield
(t/a)
Stand Persistence
Plants per sq ft
Sickle Cutterbar
1.47
6.2
Disc mower
1.49

16. Conditioner types
Flail/impellers
Rubber Rolls

17. Rollers vs flail (impeller) conditioners

18. Conditioner drying rates
Alfalfa
Grass

19. 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

20. Adjust conditioner properly
Tension on rollers
Spacing of rollers

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

22. Put hay into wide swath
Dries faster
Higher TDN

23. Minimize wheel traffic damage
No traffic
Traffic

24. Minimize wheel traffic damage

25. 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

26. 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

28. Assess stands and replace when thin

29. 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

30. 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.

31. Yield of alfalfa as stand ages (% of 1st production year)
Data from MN, IA, MI, and WI fro 1985 to 2002

32. Stand assessment –

33. 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
On average in Midwest, alfalfa yields declines 10% in third year and 24% in 4th year.
Root worm insecticide is frequently not needed on corn following alfalfa but is needed on corn following corn

34. Alfalfa Legume Credits
Med, Fine Soils
Sandy Soils
-----Regrowth after last cutting------
>8 inches
<8 inches
Stand Density
lb nitrogen/acre------
Good, > 4 plt/ft2
190
150
140
100
Fair, 1.5 to 4 plt/ft2
160
120
110 70
Poor, < 1.5 plt/ft2
130 90 80 40

35. Alfalfa Stem Count and Yield Potential
Yield = (0.10*stems)