UWEX Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005 Alfalfa Best Practices Dan Undersander University of...
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Transcript of UWEX Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005 Alfalfa Best Practices Dan Undersander University of...
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Alfalfa Best Practices
Dan UndersanderUniversity of Wisconsin
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Select varieties with increased Winterhardiness
Less winterkill Less winter injury – more yield
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Choose best establishment method
• Direct Seeding
• Oats with Poast Plus or Roundup
• With Companion crop•Oats•Ryegrass
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Causes of Seeding Failure
Low soil pH
Loose soil
Seeding too deep
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Control weeds during the first 60 days after establishment
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Harvest first cutting of new seeding early
Take first cutting at 60 days after planting More additional cuttings – higher tonnage Less weed problems
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Harvest first cutting of established stands by quality
50
70
90
110
130
150
170
190
1 2 3 4 5 10 20 30
Days after Midbud
Rel
ativ
e Fe
ed V
alue
First Cutting
Second Cutting
Third Cutting
September growth
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Variation in forage quality among years
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
280
5/3 5/13 5/23 6/2 6/12 6/22
Date
RF
V
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Cutting Height Effect on Forage Yield by Cutting
Clark and Wood County, WI 1999-2000
2 3 4 5 6 7
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5 Cut 1Cut 2Cut 3Cut 4
Cut Height (inches above soil)
Yie
ld (to
ns D
M/a
c)
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Total Forage Yield (3 cuts)
Clark and Wood County, WI 1999-2000
2 3 4 5 6 7
2
3
4
5
6
y = 5.9 - 0.5x
R2 = 0.65
Cut Height (inches above soil)
Yie
ld (to
ns D
M/a
c)
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
RFV by Cutting
2 3 4 5 6 7
120
140
160Cut 2Cut 3Cut 4
Cut 1
Avg slope = 4
Cut Height (inches above soil)
Re
lati
ve
Fe
ed
Va
lue
Clark and Wood County, WI 1999-2000
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Effect of mower type on alfalfa stand and yield
Average First Cut Yield
(t/a)
Stand Persistence
Plants per sq ft
Sickle Cutterbar
1.47 6.2
Disc mower 1.49 6.2
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Conditioner types
Flail/impellers
Rubber Rolls
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Rollers vs flail (impeller) conditioners
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Conditioner drying rates
Alfalfa Grass
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Conditioner field losses
Flail conditioners have 2 to 3 % higher field losses with alfalfa.
The loss is all leaves so forage quality is significantly reduced.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Weeks from early bud stage
ND
F (
% o
f D
M)
Stems
Leaves
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Adjust conditioner properly Tension on rollers Spacing of rollers
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Adjust conditioner roller spacing
Measure clearance where “Crimp” or
smallest clearance occurs
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Put hay into wide swath
Dries faster Higher TDN
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Minimize wheel traffic damage
No traffic
Traffic
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Minimize wheel traffic damage
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Managing to Reduce Wheel Traffic Loss
Minimize driving on field Use smallest tractor for equipment Merge windrows where possible Go to larger equipment Take most direct route to edge of field Make road to drive on
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Managing to Reduce Wheel Traffic Loss
Minimize driving on field Do driving on field soon after harvest
Manage to dry forage quickly Harvest for haylage or baleage Use preservative and harvest wet hay
Use of duals not recommended Apply manure quickly after cutting
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Assess stands and replace when thin
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Yield is the most important component of profitability Fixed costs same regardless of yield
e.g. taxes, land costs, machinery depreciation
Production costs similar Harvesting costs similar
Slightly higher for extra fuel and labor to harvest higher yield and haul to barn
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Alfalfa Yield and Dollar Return from Wisconsin Green-Gold Program
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
2 4 6 8
Yield (t/ a)
Dollar
Retu
rn p
er
acre
Profitability increases with yield because fixed inputs remain constant and variable inputs increase only slightly as yield increases.
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Yield of alfalfa as stand ages (% of 1st production year)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
seedyr 1 2 3 4 5 6
Ages of Stand (Years)
Yie
ld (
% o
f 2n
d Y
ear)
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Benefits of shorter rotations are great:
Increased alfalfa yield from younger stands Increased corn silage yield following alfalfa 10 to 15% higher corn yields following alfalfa More legume credits Less rootworm insecticide needed following
alfalfa
UWEXUWEXDan Undersander-Agronomy Dan Undersander-Agronomy © 2005© 2005
Alfalfa Legume Credits
Med, Fine Soils Sandy Soils
-----Regrowth after last cutting------
>8 inches
<8 inches
>8 inches
<8 inches
Stand Density -------lb nitrogen/acre------Good, > 4 plt/ft2 190 150 140 100Fair, 1.5 to 4 plt/ft2
160 120 110 70
Poor, < 1.5 plt/ft2
130 90 80 40