To be economically viable, alfalfa varieties need to have some level of genetic resistance to major diseases and pests. Without resistance, the cost of production increases substantially, as the producer must rely on chemical controls to maintain stands or protect forage yield and quality.

Alfalfa producers are always striving to make a profit in both good and bad years. To achieve this goal, producers often utilize improved genetics and/or optimize the use of inputs to improve quality and yield. However, there is one production factor that trumps all the others, an adequate supply of irrigation water for forage production.

Drought stress is one of the most significant limiting factors in crop production worldwide, and alfalfa is no exception. Dealing with droughts and water shortages can be challenging. However, there are some new tools available to alfalfa producers to help mitigate yield and profit losses.

The good news is that despite the downsizing of proprietary and public alfalfa breeding programs, there is still a lot of genetic improvements being made. This is in part due to the technical advances in plant breeding.

When a producer plants an alfalfa field, there is an expectation that the field will remain productive for several years. Alfalfa is a perennial crop but there is a limit to its longevity, since all alfalfa fields naturally thin over time.

In recent years, the percentage of alfalfa used in dairy rations has been slowly declining as other feedstuffs have become more available or cheaper. However, alfalfa’s recent significant forage quality improvements may help to reverse that trend.

Which of these five mistakes for fall planting alfalfa have you made?