Growing Alfalfa Successfully

Conventional Planting

• Plant on well drained soils.  If you have it, brown to brownish red soils are good signs you are on the right track. Hard-pan (soggy) soils are no place for alfalfa!
• The soil pH must be 6.5 or above at seeding.  A lower pH soil test just ahead of intended seeding needs to be treated for next year’s seeding plans:  (to amend a low pH takes 6-12 months).
• Elevate P and K according to current soil test recommendations.
• Do not bury the seed.  Usually 1/4 to 1/2 inch depth is about right. Can be a little deeper in sandy soils.
• A firm seedbed helps to locate the seed at the right depth and holds moisture for uniform, early plant growth.  (You can’t beat a cultipacker before and after seeding.)
• Seeding time: Spring:  As soon as the frost is out of the ground.
                            Fall:   At least 6 weeks ahead of historical freeze.
• Seeding rate:  15-20 pound range nationwide, but generally 20% higher in South and far West.
• Variety selection:  Alfagraze, AmeriGraze 401 +Z, AmeriGraze 701, AmeriGraze 702.
• Seeding with companion (nurse) crop?  Only when erosion hazard is great without it and if you feel you are unable to control early weeds.   Remove companion crop as early as possible for hay or silage.  Don’t damage alfalfa in the process!
• Management:  Follow "Six Steps to Profitable Grazing".

Seeding Alfalfa No-Till
(Into Cool-Season Grass Sods)

• Plan ahead.  Select your field to be seeded at least one year before seeding.
• Seed on well drained soils.  If you have it, brown to brownish red soils are good signs you are on the right track. Hard-pan (soggy) soils are no place for alfalfa!
• Seed in early spring after winter soil frost melts for best results.
• Test your soil at least 12-18 months ahead of seeding and add lime to bring the pH to 6.5 or above.  Phosphate and potash can be applied at or just before seeding. Do NOT use nitrogen; it stimulates the grass and adds to the competition for "growing room".
• Control plant competition before and after planting.
• Recommended seeding depth is 1/4 to 1/2 inch in most soils.  Guard against burying the seed too deep! Seeding deeper than this will result in poor stands. Since sandy soils are ‘lighter’ and more porous, they can be seeded deeper, up to 3/4 inch.
• Recommended seeding rate is 15 to 20 pounds per acre but generally 20% higher in South and far West..
• Variety selection: Alfagraze, AmeriGraze 401 +Z, AmeriGraze 701, AmeriGraze 702.
• Check the field at least once each week to watch for and control insects and weeds.
• Management:  Follow "Six Steps to Profitable Grazing".

Spring Seeding

Reduce the competition from existing plants with appropriate herbicides.   Decide prior to seeding whether to eliminate the sod completely or maintain a portion to grow along with the alfalfa and modify herbicide applications accordingly.   Since errors in seed placement are a primary cause of alfalfa stand failure, use only no-till drills designed for seeding into sods.  Regular grain drills cannot be depended upon to establish an optimum stand because they lack the engineering to get the seed through the residue and into the soil at the proper depth

To eliminate as much of the sod as possible (if desired), mow or graze in early autumn and apply 1 qt. of Gramoxone® or 1 to 2 qts. of Roundup® per acre. In the early spring, a follow-up application of 1 pt. of Gramoxone® may be used to achieve total grass control.  Then, no-till seed the alfalfa in early spring. (Note: When using Gramoxone®, always include the recommended rate of surfactant for best control.)

To maintain a portion of the sod, graze or mow (as above) in the fall while the grass is still green and growing.  Then apply 1 pt. of Gramoxone® per acre.  A follow-up spring application of 1 pt. of Gramoxone® is necessary only if winter annual weeds are a threat.

In areas where perennial broadleaf weeds, such as dock, horse nettle, thistles, or other persistent weeds are present, apply 2-4D and/or Banvel® on the grass sod at locally recommended rates the summer before seeding.

Late Summer Seeding(a new technique developed in Virginia)

Graze or mow existing sod cover by late spring. Apply 1 qt. of Gramoxone® or 1 to 2 qts of Roundup® per acre to the green foliage.   No-till seed 20-25 pounds of foxtail (German) millet per acre.  The millet will be in early head 7-8 weeks later and ideal to harvest as hay or silage.  Should weeds survive the spring herbicides and the summer smother crop, apply 1 pt. of Gramoxone® per acre for fall cleanup.  Seed alfalfa at 15-20 pounds per acre no-till at least six weeks ahead of the historic freeze date.

No-till Alfalfa Works

No-till alfalfa is not a "quick-fix" operation, but years of research and practical on-farm experience prove no-till can be as reliable as conventional seeding while saving farmers time and money in the process.  Farmers who follow a precise system that combines proper use of quality varieties, herbicides, seeding equipment, seeding accuracy, and scouting can make this practice work for them.

Seeding Alfalfa No-Till
(Following Row Crops)

• Plan ahead.  Make sure that you follow recommendations for the use of row crop herbicides to prevent carry-over damage to the new alfalfa.
• Seed on well drained soils.  If you have it, brown to brownish red soils are good signs you are on the right track. Hard-pan (soggy) soils are no place for alfalfa!
• Test your soil at least 12-18 months ahead of planned seeding schedule and apply needed lime to bring the pH to 6.5 and above. Phosphate and potash can be applied at or before seeding.
• Recommended seeding depth is 1/4 to 1/2 inch in most soils.  Seeding deeper than this will result in poor stands.  Since sandy soils are ‘lighter’ and more porous, they can be seeded, up to 3/4 inch.
• Recommended seeding rate is 15 to 20 pounds per acre but generally 20% higher in South and far West..
• Variety selection: Alfagraze, AmeriGraze 401 +Z, AmeriGraze 701, AmeriGraze 702.
• Check the field at least once each week to watch for and control insects and weeds.
• Management: Follow "Six Steps to Profitable Grazing".

There are several ways to follow row crops with alfalfa. 
The most common are:

Seeding Alfalfa Following Corn

When seeding alfalfa following corn (whether harvested as grain or silage), seed a small grain for winter cover.  If trizine herbicides (atrazine/simazine) were used on the row crop, their residual effects can injure legumes planted the following spring.   

So, in the planning process for no-till seeding alfalfa, be sure to follow the labeled recommendations for best results at the time the corn crop is planted.  The following spring, apply 1 to 2 pints of Gramoxone® (+ surfactant) in 20+ gallons of water per acre on the small grain when it is 4-6 inches tall.  Then, no-till drill 15-20 pounds of alfalfa immediately.  Should small grain regrowth occur (5-6 inches tall), mow just above the alfalfa or graze to help prevent smothering and continuing competition to the alfalfa.

When seeding alfalfa following corn (whether harvested as grain or silage), seed a small grain for winter cover.  If trizine herbicides (atrazine/simazine) were used on the row crop, their residual effects can injure legumes planted the following spring.   So, in the planning process for no-till seeding alfalfa, be sure to follow the labeled recommendations for best results at the time the corn crop is planted.  The following spring, apply 1 to 2 pints of Gramoxone® (+ surfactant) in 20+ gallons of water per acre on the small grain when it is 4-6 inches tall. Then, no-till drill 15-20 pounds of alfalfa immediately.  Should small grain regrowth occur (5-6 inches tall), mow just above the alfalfa or graze to help prevent smothering and continuing competition to the alfalfa.

Seeding Alfalfa Following Small Grains

Alfalfa can also be seeded without tillage into an 8-10 inch tall small grain crop prior to silage harvest.  If rye is the small grain, it will likely regrow after it is harvested in its ideal silage (boot) stage.  When this occurs, the rye should be mowed or chemically controlled with Poast® or Poast Plus® at 4-6 inches of growth.  If winter barley or wheat is used and harvested as silage in the dough stage, regrowth is greatly reduced and seldom needs additional control to reduce competition with the alfalfa.  If regrowth does occur, though, Poast® or Poast Plus® works very well.

When small grain silage is made ahead of the boot stage, wait 5-10 days for regrowth and apply one pint of Gramoxone® (with surfactant) in 20+ gallons of water per acre prior to no-till seeding alfalfa.

When the small grain crop is harvested as grain, fall seeding of alfalfa is best.  Just before seeding and at least six weeks before historic freeze date, apply 1 to 2 pts. of Gramoxone® per acre to control weeds when soil moisture conditions are favorable.  Volunteer small grain should be mowed or controlled with Poast® or Poast Plus® after seeding if it reaches 5 to 7 inches in height and threatens to smother the alfalfa seedlings.

The same basic principles apply to soybeans as to corn grain except:

Soybeans normally mature later than corn grain, and that means fewer small grain selections to choose from, mainly rye and wheat.