During our careers, we’ve had the privilege of seeing not just one, but several new plant genetic technologies dramatically change the crop production landscape
It’s never too early to begin planning for late summer and early fall management of alfalfa (and alfalfa-grass). First, check your recent soil analyses, and take soil samples for a new analysis
The older we get, the faster summer seems to go by. Just as we begin to enjoy bright sunshine and warm weather, fair time and school time come along to signal the approaching end to another summer
In alfalfa fields, weeds are no more welcome than rain on freshly cut hay. Weeds compete for the same resources needed to grow a good crop of alfalfa: water, nutrients, and light
Choosing the right machinery for harvesting alfalfa can have a large impact on forage yield. While we certainly need to drive over the field to harvest it, we can minimize the effect traffic has
Dairies in the West aren’t just competing with each other for alfalfa hay but with dairies all over the world.Just like milk, alfalfa exports have become a huge business
Once it's harvested, it's all you have to work with. That's the story with forage quality. At last week's Tri-State Dairy Conference, Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin-Madison forage specialist,...
Across U.S., the "queen of forages" is also a king of crops. Dairy cows love alfalfa, so it's no wonder that demand for it comes overwhelmingly from milk producers. And despite recent years of volatile...
In a nutshell, economics has been the primary driver that caused almonds to speed past alfalfa for total acreage for the first time in modern California history. The higher returns per acre for the nut...
Western dairy producers, especially those in California, have been squeezed by high feed prices; perhaps none more than those for alfalfa hay. With the state's ongoing drought, competition from other crops...
Continued drought in California produced a host of takeaway messages at the 2014 Alfalfa, Forage and Grains Symposium, December 10-12 in Long Beach, Calif., including: Huge improvements in alfalfa irrigation...
Milk producers in the nation's third largest dairy state are beginning to feel the effects of low snowpack levels last winter. They figure to last well into 2014. Between August 27 and September 5, irrigation...
MUCH more than meets the eye has gone into making "the queen of forages." Looks are deceiving when it comes to what is perhaps dairy producers' favorite cattle feed. Alfalfa is known to date back at least...
Ev Thomas of the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute shared his experience with growing forages, especially alfalfa, on the March 11 Hoard's Dairyman webinar, "ABCs of alfalfa harvest."
After completing the most comprehensive study on a genetically engineered (GE) crop in the nation's history, the organic community is still not satisfied with USDA's recent decision to make Roundup Ready...
Late last week, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) granted nonregulated status for alfalfa that has been genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide commercially known...
USDA just announced they are set to publish their 2,300-plus page Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in the Federal Register, nearly four years after U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer halted the sale...
Alfalfa has the greatest sensitivity to acid soils of any crop we grow, so managing soil pH is critical. The legume simply will not grow below a soil pH of 6.0, while other field crops are quite happy...
Alfalfa is one of the most important crops grown in North America, with its market value ranked right behind corn and soybeans. Maintaining a high-quality alfalfa stand results in higher yields and enhanced...