Value of Raising Alfalfa vs. Red Clover Mixes Today

[wstevenl]

I agree that without even adding manure back into the soil, it SEEMs impossible to continue year after year.
You can at least cut down on money spent on Nitrogen with legumes though. It's funny that the link 2 posts up seemed to discount legumes doing much of anything for the other plants around them, but this one doesn't agree. www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp/Enhan ... egumes.pdf

 

[novatech]

I agree that without even adding manure back into the soil, it SEEMs impossible to continue year after year.
You can at least cut down on money spent on Nitrogen with legumes though. It's funny that the link 2 posts up seemed to discount legumes doing much of anything for the other plants around them, but this one doesn't agree. http://www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cs ... egumes.pdf

What the site listed does not say is how the N is going back into the soil. It does not say it contrutes to the grass adjacent to it. The N goes back into the soil via manure, or from any leaf or stem not eaten. It is a common misconception that the nodules add N into the soil. It may but very little. I am sorry but I can find nowhere that this article disagrees with the others.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I don't know for sure what the alfalfa yields are for this year in the area, but so we have a 30 acre field of red clover and so far this year have baled 3100 square bales and 246 4x5 round bales off it. Frost seeded it into some wheat in early march of 2007 and baled 163 round bales off it last fall. So don't discount red clover because of the theory of small yields.

No tilling vigorous red clover into small grain or bean stubble sounds like the least expensive way to establish a stand.

If you look at the Wisconsin university averages red clover has a good first year and out yields alfalfa in the second year. The issue is production drops off pretty fast after year two (without inter seeding).

How are you conditioning your red clover?

 

[Weaver]

We have a New Holland 489 mower with roller conditioner. We try to make sure its set so that the stems are smashed. Its pretty easy to dry. The clover is spread over the top with a seeder on the back of our 4-wheeler. We overseed a wheat field every year.

 

[ALX.]

Lottsa BS, no content.

Some folks bale 40 lb s sqs some make 70.

1200 pound rounds or 500.

Tons per acre or hectare pls. Or it's just BS. And likely so anyways.

 

[bigbull338]

an some people dont know when to keep their mouth .so dont let your mouth overload your brain.

 

[Weaver]

ALX, was that comment directed towards our yields comment?

 

[ALX.]

ALX, was that comment directed towards our yields comment?

Not particularily, but - Posting an accurate yield doesn't involve bales, or single years or out of whack scenarios. Not doubting what you yielded, just trying to talk a language that means something.

It involves tons per acre in an "average " situation.

I have a new ( second year ) alfalfa timothy seeding that is 6 acres. 60 rounds, 1200 squares so far. 3rd cut coming. This means nothing. Record rainfall, heavily manured, certified seed, blah ,blah. What do the rounds weigh, what are the squares?

Well, I can say that I got 5,250 lbs/acre from that field, so far this year. Or 2.6 tons per acre. But that is likely 20% higher than average. Make any sense?

bigbull - you got nothing else to do, so go find another thread to make yourself look big on. Shove your bs.

 

[bigbull338]

your the 1 trying to look big by your whining an crying that i dont know squat about what im doing.i know all my meadows production histories for the last 30yrs or so.an i know what they make in the good years an bad years.i do not post on a thread to blow smoke.but now son if you dont like what i say.then dont read it,i dont have a collage degree to know when people are full of bull.as for my knowlage.alot of people ask my opion on what or how they should do something because they respect my knowlage.an they are a heck of alot older than me.

 

[ALX.]

your the 1 trying to look big by your whining an crying that i dont know squat about what im doing.i know all my meadows production histories for the last 30yrs or so.an i know what they make in the good years an bad years.i do not post on a thread to blow smoke.but now son if you dont like what i say.then dont read it,i dont have a collage degree to know when people are full of bull.as for my knowlage.alot of people ask my opion on what or how they should do something because they respect my knowlage.an they are a heck of alot older than me.

Get someone to explain yield to you.

Was your farm given to you?

Imagine what it could yield if you weren't fat n lazy.

You don't like what I write - take your own advice.

 

[bigbull338]

yes you finally got 1 thing right im fat.an i taken hitts an falls that would break peoples backs necks an legs an put them in a wheelchair.but ive gotten up shook it off an walked away.im enjoying talking to you to see what kind of crapp you can say.q for you will you be selling all your cows due to getting flooded or droughted out.or will you suck it up an buy hay to get through the winter.

 

[Weaver]

ALX, I know it would be more accurate to give tons per acre, but i have never weighed our round bales or square bales so that was the most accurate info I could give. True, we have had more rain than average around here this year, but i believe our clover out yielded much of the alfalfa in the area.