Fertilizer is the largest single expense for Western irrigated alfalfa producers. Even at modest rates, fertilizer can easily exceed over $200 per acre annually, with phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) contributing the largest component.

Early season weather forecasts suggest the 2018 summer could be a repeat of 2016, when many alfalfa producers discovered excessively high alfalfa hay nitrates. The question frequently asked is, “How do I prevent this from happening again?”

Timothy hay is Washington state’s largest- and highest-valued grass hay commodity. Timothy hay in the Pacific Northwest is primarily grown for export to Japan to be used for feed in dairy herds. In the lower Columbia Basin, researchers have received yields up to 10 tons per acre per year in three cuttings, but most farmers get two cuttings and receive around 5 to 7 tons per acre per year.