A successful alfalfa-growing season starts with setting goals and making a plan to meet them: Define your business objectives based on the market(s) you serve, establish your yield and quality goals, and solidify your alfalfa-management plan accordingly.
As dairy prices shift and the high-quality alfalfa hay market continues to be strong, you may be primarily focused on yield right now. Targeted applications of nutrients, weed control, insecticide and perhaps fungicide will put you on the right path.
But don’t overlook your quality goals, which can be just as important — if not more so — depending on the operations or market(s) you supply. You now have more new alfalfa seed technologies than ever to help you meet your goals.
To add value, consider introducing a new alfalfa seed technology, such as genetically enhanced, reduced-lignin HarvXtra® Alfalfa with Roundup Ready® Technology. Designed to give you the ability to better manage the yield-versus-quality trade-off, HarvXtra® Alfalfa gives you the option to choose to maintain your current harvest schedule for higher-quality forage or delay harvest by as much as 7 to 10 days for increase tonnage without sacrificing acceptable forage quality.
Whether you’re an alfalfa producer in the Southwest with nondormant stands or a short-season grower with two to three cuts, controlling weeds is imperative. A base weed control system that uses glyphosate with Roundup Ready® Alfalfa gives you a competitive advantage at establishment and in-crop, increasing both quality and yield potential.
Remember, growing alfalfa is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep your eye on your goals and talk with your W-L Alfalfas retailer about how newer technologies can help you meet them.