Alfalfa Autotoxicity

Reseeding alfalfa following alfalfa is not a recommended crop rotation practice because of autotoxicity, seedling diseases and insect pests that can build up in the old stand. Alfalfa autotoxicity occurs when established alfalfa plants produce toxins that reduce establishment and growth of new alfalfa plants. Autotoxicity can occur when alfalfa is reseeded into an old […]

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Alfalfa Fall Rest Period

The fall rest period (sometimes called “critical fall harvest period”) for alfalfa is 450 growing degree days, base 5°C (where plant development occurs at 5°C or higher), or approximately 6-weeks before the average date of the first killing frost (-4°C for several hours), when alfalfa stops growing. Not cutting during this period allows alfalfa plants […]

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Alfalfa Termination

Cutting places stress on an alfalfa plant. Consider terminating healthy stands after 9-12 cuts, as they become very susceptible to disease and winterkill. Maintaining alfalfa past this point may not be as economical as terminating the stand, rotating the field into a different crop and establishing a new alfalfa stand elsewhere. Harvest is the most […]

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Harvesting Hay

Fast drying is key to successful haymaking. In this part of the world, good haymaking periods without rain are frequently narrow. It is often a struggle between getting the hay dry enough to bale before the next rain or baling before the hay is quite dry enough and getting mouldy, dusty hay. Conditioning and raking […]

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Harvesting Silage

The stages of silage harvest prepare the crop for efficient fermentation in storage. Efficient fermentation preserves forage quality and minimizes dry matter losses and spoilage. Wilting Wide swath haylage to achieve “haylage-in-a-day” and improve forage quality is becoming a popular management practice. This is contrary to the more typical practice of using the mower-conditioner to […]

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Silage Fermentation

When forage is first put into a silo, conditions are aerobic (oxygen is present in the silage). Plant respiration and aerobic bacteria convert carbohydrates into carbon dioxide, water and heat, and use up the oxygen present. This phase should be as short as possible. The silage then becomes anaerobic (without oxygen). The growth of anaerobic […]

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Silage Inoculants

When forages are harvested for silage, anaerobic bacteria (i.e., lactic acid and acetic acid) are involved in the fermentation process. Weather, forage species, maturity, and harvest conditions can impact fermentation. The goal of using an inoculant may be to improve fermentation efficiency in storage, improve aerobic stability once the silo is opened or both. Silage […]

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