Achieving a perfect stand of deep-green, healthy alfalfa begins with selecting the right alfalfa variety. These four tips are designed to help you choose top-shelf alfalfa genetics - a simple but vital step:1. Know the company you keep. Get connected with a reputable seed company that provides the best genetics and cares enough to help you make those genetics succeed on your farm. Your representative should help you find ways to cut costs, evaluate the potential of new products and identify value-added opportunities for your forage operation.
2. Build a complete package. The best alfalfa package will addresses all of your needs. Factors to consider when building a seed package include high-risk weather, disease potential, soil type, strong standability, forage quality, leafhopper pressure, weeds and harvest window.
3. Demand proven performance. University yield trials and seed company data provide insights into the yield potential of alfalfa varieties. Look for varieties that consistently rise to the top of the tests across multiple years and locations. Additionally, company-provided data can help you confirm an alfalfa variety's performance and reliability.
4. Understand the bag's tag. The alfalfa seed tag provides information you need to make good value choices. Most university research verifies that alfalfa stands can be established with or without heavy-clay seed coatings. Clay- or limestone-based seed coatings do not provide enhanced germination rates. Stand establishment is best achieved with high-germination seed that has a seed-applied fungicide and nitrogen-fixing rhizobium bacteria. Avoid high levels of hard seed that do not contribute to stand establishment.
The Right Seed Is Just the Beginning
Once you've chosen an alfalfa variety or varieties right for you, other factors determine the success of your crop. Planting into a firm seedbed allows good seed-to-soil contact and helps ensure quick, uniform germination. Additionally, planting for maximum seedling establishment, maintaining good weed and pest control, and addressing soil pH and fertility needs of your crop can help ensure it reaches its full potential.
For more information, read the full article in Progressive Forage Grower.
2.9.2015