Hay

Managing alfalfa in cold climates

thiagobernardes@ufla.br — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Overall, producing and preserving alfalfa in cold climates requires technical planning and strategic decisions at every stage, from cutting to feedout.

Branched-rooted alfalfa varieties: When should they be considered?

alfalfadoc@outlook.com — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Beyond having resistance to root diseases, most of the criteria in variety selection has been based on the aboveground attributes such as forage yield and quality, leaf to stem ratio, fiber digestibility and resistance to foliar diseases and pests. Very seldom do alfalfa producers ask the question: what type of root system does the variety have below-ground?

Keeping feed value in the stack

sfonnesbeck@uidaho.edu — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Reducing the exposure of hay to the rain, snow and hot sun certainly aids in protecting the visual integrity of the baled forage. However, what does the weather, elements and time do to the nutritional integrity of these same bales?

Alfalfa resistance levels explained

alfalfadoc@outlook.com — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

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.

The financial condition of Idaho agriculture: 2025

bwilder@uidaho.edu — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Idaho has a new top ag commodity: beef cattle. Livestock sector gains led Idaho farmgate cash receipts to a second consecutive all-time high in 2025. Net farm income is forecast to see a small year-over-year increase, with livestock sector gains outweighing losses in the crop sector.

How alfalfa’s drought-induced dormancy trait can benefit growers

alfalfadoc@outlook.com — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

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.

Revisiting sulfur fertilizer recommendations for field crops

matt.yost@usu.edu — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

With the potentially high costs of fertilizer application, accurately diagnosing and addressing sulfur deficiencies is critical for profitable crop production.

Has Idaho’s first intermodal rail terminal spurred hay exports?

phatzenbuehler@uidaho.edu — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Now that the terminal has been in operation for about four years, this article aims to describe why such an infrastructural investment can help increase international trade opportunities and to analyze whether the expected impact of increased hay exports from Idaho are observable in publicly available data.

Understanding and controlling vole populations in Idaho's alfalfa fields

jsagers@uidaho.edu — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Voles have become a significant threat to Idaho agriculture, particularly to alfalfa crops. With some farmers reporting losses of up to 60% or more, understanding the vole life cycle, their resilience and innovative control methods has become critical.

Innovative alfalfa genetics and management strategies for drought resilience

alfalfadoc@outlook.com — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

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.

Alfalfa variety development: What can we expect in the future?

alfalfadoc@outlook.com — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 15:24:24 -0400

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.

Alfalfa and the wrangle for Western water

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

With agriculture using more than 40% of total U.S. freshwater withdrawals in 2015 and hay and forage crops weighing in at 37% of U.S. irrigation water use, environmental groups and the media have been known to blast alfalfa producers for excessive water use.

Alfalfa genetics and management techniques that extend stand life

alfalfadoc@outlook.com — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Are soil wetting agents worth the investment?

matt.yost@usu.edu — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Should growers be treating their fields more like golf courses? A common solution to this problem in golf courses is the application of products known as soil wetting agents that reduce the surface tension of soil.

Climate change genetics will expand alfalfa’s role

alfalfadoc@outlook.com — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0400

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.

Your PRF insurance questions answered

rossabronson@gmail.com — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 14:30:59 -0400

As a risk management consultant, I get asked a lot of questions regarding the Pasture, Rangeland and Forage (PRF) program. Here are some questions that are asked more often than others.

Water implications of feed ration changes on Idaho dairies

phatzenbuehler@uidaho.edu — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

The expansion of the dairy industry in southern Idaho over the past few decades has had substantial impacts on the broader Idaho agricultural economy, including the allocation of crop acreage.

Management tips for getting a good alfalfa stand

alfalfadoc@outlook.com — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

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

Alfalfa production tips following a cool, wet spring

alfalfadoc@outlook.com — Wed, 03 May 2023 15:03:57 -0400

The cool spring temperatures that are good for the snowpack, when combined with a wet spring, may present some potential problems for alfalfa stands.

New virus in Magic Valley alfalfa

joconnell@uidaho.edu — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

UI plant virologist Alexander Karasev took the alfalfa samples in 2020 while collecting symptomatic foliage in a field at the future site of Idaho CAFE near Rupert. Karasev named the newly discovered disease Snake River virus, after the Snake River Valley in which the field is located.

Hay production on the Camas Prairie

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 13:35:45 -0500

What do you do with a high prairie environment and little irrigation? Camas Prairie farmer William Simon shows how to adapt.

[Podcast] Will Ricks – A hay producer in Jefferson County

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Idaho Hay and Forage Association President Will Ricks joins us today on the podcast. Will raises hay for Idaho livestock, as well as for the export markets. Hay has become Idaho’s #2 field crop in 2022, edging past wheat for the first time.

Baling the right-of-way

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 17:18:03 -0400

Harvesting hay from the right-of-way (ROW) is a common practice in neighboring states such as Oregon, Montana and Wyoming.

People in the News

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0500

On Jan. 21, 2022, in sunny San Diego, California, John and Diane Peavey were presented the American Sheep Industry Association’s (ASI) Industry Innovation Award.