alalfa

[GMN]

Whats a good type of alfalfa to plant in our area? SO W MO?

 

[Angus Cowman]

Whats a good type of alfalfa to plant in our area? SO W MO?

None basically because most times you can buy better alfalfa cheaper than you can raise it

I beleive there is a variety with the number 403T I beleive that is supposed to be pretty good

 

[Stocker Steve]

Whats a good type of alfalfa to plant in our area? SO W MO?

None basically because most times you can buy better alfalfa cheaper than you can raise it

What is the price per ton in your area?

 

[GMN]

That may be but I want to plant a field this fall, with winter wheat, as we surely can't afford to buy a semi load of alfalfa, and I know many people around us that plant it and get 4-5 cuttings each summer-so i think it would be worth it. I'll just call Nixa seed and ask them.

GMN

 

[Angus Cowman]

That may be but I want to plant a field this fall, with winter wheat, as we surely can't afford to buy a semi load of alfalfa, and I know many people around us that plant it and get 4-5 cuttings each summer-so i think it would be worth it. I'll just call Nixa seed and ask them.

GMN

call Kleiers at Seymour they can help ya they used to raise alot of alfalfa

the main cost is the multiple applications per yr of fert,and spraying to keep the bugs and the other grasses out

have you already done your soil test and what was the ph of the soil ??

 

[ga.prime]

I planted a small patch of alfalfa last fall and it didn't do too good. Still green though. It was the kind you buy at the hardware store for planting deer food plots. I'd be asking those getting 4-5 cuttings a year what kind they plant.

 

[dun]

That may be but I want to plant a field this fall, with winter wheat, as we surely can't afford to buy a semi load of alfalfa, and I know many people around us that plant it and get 4-5 cuttings each summer-so i think it would be worth it. I'll just call Nixa seed and ask them.

GMN

Might want to check with your local NRCS office to and see what they would recommend

 

[bandit80]

Buy a good quality alfalfa after talking to your local extension, or someone else who might know. Don't buy some just because it is cheap.

If you wait until spring, you will likely be able to plant roundup ready alfalfa for eaiser control of weeds through the life of the stand.

 

[smuff76]

The first thing you need to do when planting Alfalfa is to get a soil test done. If your ph is off then the second thing you should do is add the appropriate amount of lime now and wait till the spring to retest the soil and if the ph is fine you should then plant it. Alfalfa simply will not grow well in a soil with a low ph.

The 403T is an America's Alfalfa product that is very good. There are other improved varieties on the market, Venus 4plus T, etc. that you will be very happy with as well. I would stay away from the common's, vernal's, cody's, buffalo's, etc. as those are old, old, varieties that won't be as good.

My next question would be what are you feeding the alfalfa to? If it's cattle (or anything really) then there is really no point in planting alfalfa by itself. A cow, horse etc. cannot physically process all the nutrition in straight alfalfa...... to be honest your wasting money doing that as a good portion of it is left on the ground behind the animal. Dairy's do it because those cows require a very high nutrient diet, but for a beef producer or horse there really is no point.

For a beef operation I would plant an improved Alfalfa with a late maturing orchardgrass like Warrior or Crown Royal. The late maturing orchardgrass won't go reproductive before the second cutting which is better and it will also out yield the older varieties like Hallmark or Potomac. Planting an alfalfa/orchardgrass mix will also greatly improve your yields and by the third to 4th cutting will be mostly alfalfa which you can sell to horse owners who think they need straight alfalfa.

 

[smuff76]

oh, and roundup ready alfalfa should be available in the spring of 2011. The EIS was done at the beginning of 2010, it went out for public comment etc. etc. etc. The moral to the story is that lawsuits and getting straight with the feds takes a while! As with my above post, I don't see the huge need for it as I would personnally plant a companion grass with alfalfa, but to each their own.

 

[dun]

oh, and roundup ready alfalfa should be available in the spring of 2011. The EIS was done at the beginning of 2010, it went out for public comment etc. etc. etc. The moral to the story is that lawsuits and getting straight with the feds takes a while! As with my above post, I don't see the huge need for it as I would personnally plant a companion grass with alfalfa, but to each their own.

GMN runs a dairy.
Straight alfalfa would be a good money crop.
I talked with Monsanto shortly after the last judgement and they still had no idea when it would be availble. They said they're waiting to see what other lawsuits crop up before they do it. They said they were hoping for spring 2011 but weren;t sure and might even have a limited amount fall of 2010. Limited amount being the operative term for very, very expensive.

 

[smuff76]

oh, and roundup ready alfalfa should be available in the spring of 2011. The EIS was done at the beginning of 2010, it went out for public comment etc. etc. etc. The moral to the story is that lawsuits and getting straight with the feds takes a while! As with my above post, I don't see the huge need for it as I would personnally plant a companion grass with alfalfa, but to each their own.

GMN runs a dairy.
Straight alfalfa would be a good money crop.
I talked with Monsanto shortly after the last judgement and they still had no idea when it would be availble. They said they're waiting to see what other lawsuits crop up before they do it. They said they were hoping for spring 2011 but weren;t sure and might even have a limited amount fall of 2010. Limited amount being the operative term for very, very expensive.

Well, the dairy takes care of that! That's about the only situation where I think straight alfalfa or RR alfalfa makes sense.

Talked to America's Alfalfa a couple weeks ago and they were fairly confident it would be spring 2011. It is going to be pricy however....... what was it before $6-7 per lb.?

 

[dun]

Well, the dairy takes care of that! That's about the only situation where I think straight alfalfa or RR alfalfa makes sense.

Talked to America's Alfalfa a couple weeks ago and they were fairly confident it would be spring 2011. It is going to be pricy however....... what was it before $6-7 per lb.?

You mucst not have the weed problems like we have around here. If you can;t spray to kill the marestail, bull nettle, invasive fescue, rag weed, etc. you wouldn;t have a crop. The neighbor does alfalfa and johnson grass. The last 2 years (that would be the second and third years since planting) the hay is 90% marestail and ragweed.

 

[Angus Cowman]

Well, the dairy takes care of that! That's about the only situation where I think straight alfalfa or RR alfalfa makes sense.

Talked to America's Alfalfa a couple weeks ago and they were fairly confident it would be spring 2011. It is going to be pricy however....... what was it before $6-7 per lb.?

You mucst not have the weed problems like we have around here. If you can;t spray to kill the marestail, bull nettle, invasive fescue, rag weed, etc. you wouldn;t have a crop. The neighbor does alfalfa and johnson grass. The last 2 years (that would be the second and third years since planting) the hay is 90% marestail and ragweed.

I haven't had ragweed in mine at all since I started using post the only thing I still have is Johnson grass and I don't think you can kill it out not even with roundup as we spray our beans with it and we still have some Johnson grass

 

[dun]

Well, the dairy takes care of that! That's about the only situation where I think straight alfalfa or RR alfalfa makes sense.

Talked to America's Alfalfa a couple weeks ago and they were fairly confident it would be spring 2011. It is going to be pricy however....... what was it before $6-7 per lb.?

You mucst not have the weed problems like we have around here. If you can;t spray to kill the marestail, bull nettle, invasive fescue, rag weed, etc. you wouldn;t have a crop. The neighbor does alfalfa and johnson grass. The last 2 years (that would be the second and third years since planting) the hay is 90% marestail and ragweed.

I haven't had ragweed in mine at all since I started using post the only thing I still have is Johnson grass and I don't think you can kill it out not even with roundup as we spray our beans with it and we still have some Johnson grass

Friend of mine grows a lot of alfalfa and he claimed that after the first cutting hen the ragweed and mares tail gets cut off that it won;t go to seed. The problem is the qulity/depth of the seed bank. Unless I use Grazon the cap sprouts within a week or 2. With Grazon it waits a couple of months and then sprouts.

 

[smuff76]

I'm in Rolla, MO. There's lots of alfalfa around that doesn't have huge weed problems, but you have to spray everything twice before you plant it and then no till it without working the ground. Once you work the ground you uncover a hornet's nest of weeds! The guy I work for has had alfalfa for years, usually 50 acres or so, and he doesn't seem to have too many weed issues. You do have to spray it multiple times though to kill everything.

 

[dun]

The standard spray for around here is paraquat. After vietnam I still have a hard time trying to justify to myself using the stuff. That's he reason I was originally looking to RR alfafa

 

[Angus Cowman]

I have had good luck with Post

 

[dun]

I have had good luck with Post

What is post or who makes it

 

[Angus Cowman]

I have had good luck with Post

What is post or who makes it

it is actually Poast
is made by BASF
and is sethoxydim