Alfalfa Varieties

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is the highest yielding, highest quality legume forage crop raised in Kentucky. This crop forms the basis of Kentucky\u27s cash hay enterprise and is an important component in dairy, horse, beef and sheep diets. In 1990, 320,000 acres of alfalfa were produced in Kentucky, averaging 3.4 tons of dry matter yield per acre. At $75 per ton, the value of this alfalfa to Kentucky farmers would be$81.6 million. This report will provide current yield data on alfalfa varieties currently in the Kentucky Alfalfa Variety Trials. Also, guidelines on selecting alfalfa varieties will be discussed

Advances in Alfalfa Variety Development and Testing

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is historically the highest yielding, highest quality forage legume grown in Kentucky. It forms the basis of Kentucky\u27s cash hay enterprise and is an important component in dairy, horse, beef and sheep diets. Over 300,000 acres of alfalfa are grown annually in Kentucky, with state yields averaging between 3 and 4 tons per acre. The development and testing of alfalfa varieties is a dynamic process that impacts all Kentucky farmers. The Kentucky Alfalfa Variety Testing program was re-started in 1990 and is carried out through the efforts of several people, including Leonard Lauriault, Linda Brown (Western Kentucky University), Garry Lacefield, Paul Vincelli, and John Parr. Alfalfa varieties are being studied for yield in 6 plot studies over 3 locations (Lexington, Bowling Green, and Princeton). Other research being conducted include the effect of aphanomyces root rot on variety yield and persistence and the effect of variety on forage quality

phosphorus and potassium fertilizer effects on alfalfa and soil in a non limited soil

Fertilization strategies for high-yielding alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) should take in account the increase in soil nutritional status that occurred during the last decades in areas with intensive agricultural use. A field study was conducted at the University of Padova, northeastern Italy, to determine the response of alfalfa yield and nutritive value to various combinations of P and K rates in a soil lacking nutrient deficiency. Alfalfa cultivar Delta was seeded in March 2005 on a silt loam soil having 38 mg kg -1 available P and 178 mg kg -1 exchangeable K. Nine treatments deriving from the combination of three P fertilization rates (0, 100, and 200 kg ha -1 P 2 O 5 ) and three K rates (0, 300, and 600 kg ha -1 K 2 O) were compared in a randomized complete block design. Plots were harvested at bud stage during three growing seasons (2005-2007) and dry matter (DM) yield, forage nutritive value, P and K contents, canopy height, and stem density were measured at each harvest. Soil samples were collected at the end of the research period for determination of available P and exchangeable K. The results demonstrated that P application had no impact on yield and did not interact with K in determining productivity, while K had a positive effect on yield. However, the 300 kg ha -1 K 2 O rate appeared sufficient to maximize yield, without adverse effects on the forage nutritive value. Data from soil analyses showed that alfalfa has a high K uptake even when it is fertilized at high rates

Managing Roundup Ready and conventional or organic alfalfa hay in nearby fields in New Mexico

Guide containing recommendations for controlling gene flow between the genetically modified Roundup Ready variety of alfalfa and nearby conventional and organic alfalfa varieties

Introduction to hay testing

Introduction to hay testing with list of National Forage Testing Association certified labs. Revised March 2001

Comparison of Surface Water or Treated Municipal Wastewater Irrigation on Alfalfa Establishment, Soil Fertility, and Soil Microbial Conditions

Water scarcity for agricultural irrigation is increasing globally while generation of treated municipal wastewater (TWW) is increasing due to urban expansion. Municipalities seek uses for their TWW, which is safe to apply to forage crops. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is the most important forage crop worldwide being adapted to a wide range of environmental factors, including irrigation with low quality water. A strip plot study with four replications at New Mexico State University’s Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari, NM USA, compared the effects of surface water (SW) and TWW on alfalfa establishment and soil fertility and microbial growth. Alfalfa established equally well when irrigated with equal amounts of TWW or SW. After one year, the application of TWW increased soil P and plant N and P more so than SW. Most microbial soil health indicators were positively increased by alfalfa establishment in virgin soil; however, the effect was greater with TWW compared with SW (1147, 1184, 1961, and 4991 nmol g−1 for total microbial biomass of soil irrigated with SW and TWW at seeding and after one year, respectively, LSD0.05 = 710). Thus, TWW irrigation could reduce applied fertilizer P to meet alfalfa’s requirement and increase soil health compared with SW

Relay Intercropping Winter Cover Crop Effects on Spring Forage Potential of Sweet Maize Stover and Yearling Cattle Beef Performance

Small landholders who grow sweet maize for the fresh produce market often also have cattle with little access to winter forage. Grazing cover crops with sweet maize stover can potentially increase the available nutritive value. A 3-year randomized complete block study with three replicates at New Mexico State University’s Alcalde Sustainable Agriculture Science Center compared sweet maize (Zea mays var. rugosa) with sweet maize relay intercropped at the V7–9 stage with cereal rye (rye: Secale cereale L.) or hairy vetch (vetch: Vicia villosa Roth) for early spring grazing. Intercropping the rye or hairy vetch into sweet maize did not influence the sweet maize stover biomass yield or nutritive value after the winter. The dry matter (DM) yield and crude protein (CP) concentration of hairy vetch biomass was greater (p < 0.01) than rye biomass (1.46 vs. 2.94 Mg DM ha−1 for rye and hairy vetch, respectively, and 145 vs. 193 g CP kg−1 for rye and hairy vetch, respectively). Average daily gains by yearling cattle were not different when grazing maize–rye or maize–vetch. Producers should consider the spring planting timing of the primary crop and the initiation of grazing in the winter or the spring to maximize the utilization of the previous crop’s residue (stover), as well as the cover crop itself

Selecting alfalfa varieties for New Mexico

Circular describing considerations for alfalfa production in New Mexico

Observations on how cowpea aphid (Aphis craccivora) affects alfalfa of differing fall dormancy categories and some possibly resistant varieties

Research report containing the results of a study to determine the effects of cowpea aphids on alfalfa varieties with different fall dormancy periods, and identify possible resistant alfalfa varieties