With the 2010 season ready to start into full production soon across the country, many growers are wondering how to make this year better than last.

Define the problem
Wheel traffic is a common problem in the modern culture of forage production. Over the years, the equipment used to cut, rake, bale and remove hay from the field has changed dramatically as mechanization has reduced the requirement for arduous hand labor.

Limiting the potential economic damage from alfalfa diseases to a production field are normally accomplished by a combination of two factors: genetics and cultural practices.

There are two important components of irrigation water management:

1. Knowing when and how much water to apply to the crop
2. Irrigating so that most of the applied water is available to the crop

In this article we will focus on knowing how much water to apply.

Q. How did the American Forage and Grassland Council (AFGC) get started?
The first step toward a unified organization for forages in America was the Joint Committee on Grassland Farming, established in 1944 at Rutgers University.