Bermudagrass is the most persistent and dependable warm season forage crop grown throughout the southern USA; found from eastern Texas and Oklahoma across the region to the Atlantic Ocean, with nearly 28 million acres currently estimated to be utilized for both hay and grazing.  It has achieved this high standing in southern pastoral agriculture for some very simple reasons; it is persistent, dependable, widely adapted, and high yielding.  However, it does have its limitations; high amounts of nitrogen fertilizer are needed to achieve good yields, its nutritional aspects as measured by Relative Feed Quality (RFQ) are moderate at best and low in many management situations, and it does have a winter dormant “off-season” for growth that can range from 100 to 180 days depending on the region’s north to south geography. So, how can one improve their bermudagrass base for these limitations without replacing the crop?  Inter-seed alfalfa into the stand!  Why?  Because alfalfa is the perfect complement to overcome the inherent problems of bermudagrass; it fixes its own nitrogen fertilizer, its RFQ values are always high and alfalfa is actually the standard that all forages are judged against for RFQ, and it grows well in the cool season months found throughout the southern region.  Most importantly from a risk standpoint, since bermudagrass is the more persistent of the two species, when the alfalfa component of the mixture reduces naturally over time, or simply does not establish well, the producer still has bermudagrass!  Finally, inter-seeding alfalfa into bermudagrass now has a proven record as an “on-farm” successful management option with many bermudagrass hay producers already experiencing the benefits of this management strategy).
 

Alfalfa in the South - Click here for PDF Details general requirements, variety dormancy selection and management tips.

Sunbelt Expo Flyer - Click here for PDF

Alfalfa in the Southeast PowerPoint - Click here for PDF

 

Interseeding Alfagraze 600 RR into existing Bermudagrass stand in north Georgia
 

Seeding March 2014	Growth after 60 days from seeding

"I have had excellent results from planting Alfagraze 600 RR into my Bermudagrass hay field. In fact, we won a regional hay contest with one of our first year's haylage harvests. Alfalfa is just a tougher crop than I anticipated. I guess it just shows the value of combining the Genuity® Roundup Ready® trait with an excellent plant variety!"  - Ricky Roper of Canon, GA


Media
http://www.progressiveforage.com/forage-types/alfalfa/alfalfa-in-the-south


Industry Links/Info                                                          

Watch Dr. Dennis Hancock of University of Georgia detailing advantages of alfalfa interseeded in Bermudagrass:


               
University of Georgia: http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.htmlnumber=B1350&title=Alfalfa%20Management%20in%20Georgia

Auburn University: www.aces.edu/anr/forages/

Sampling Soils for Testing

Selecting Coastal Plain Soils for Alfalfa


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