Many dairy farmers grow corn, alfalfa, or both to feed their herd. While both forage sources have benefits, they also have some limitations

Alfalfa production in the Upper Midwest the last several years has been incredibly difficult. In the fields, winterkill and wet soils frustrated harvests and left fields in poor condition. Part of two...

Alfalfa — does this forage qualify as one of the crops that’s eligible for the $14.5 billion in direct payments from the Market Facilitation Program announced earlier this year by USDA’s...

World Dairy Expo is not only home to one of the most historic dairy shows across the globe, but it also hosts crucial forage seminars throughout the week for producers and attendees to gain inventive knowledge

This year’s forage production, particularly the alfalfa crop, has been scarred by 2019’s volatile weather

This year has brought another summer of interesting weather conditions for alfalfa growers

Pricing standing hay can be a challenge due to multiple cuttings and subsequent harvests throughout the year, along with a lack of a formal commodity market

Today, the most critical issue for dairy farmers to think about is signing up for the new Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program

On occasion, growers ask for advice on forage seed mixtures. When growers are considering new alfalfa seedings, their questions focus on what other legume or grass species to add with alfalfa, and how...

Wiersma is the alfalfa business manager with DuPont Pioneer. Thomas is retired from the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute and president of Oak Point Agronomics Ltd. Soil fertility is an

The lowdown on

“It’s a game changer,” shared Ev Thomas of Oak Point Agronomics during the Hoard’s Dairyman webinar, when talking about forage advancements in alfalfa production

There’s considerable interest in reduced-lignin alfalfa, which comes from both genetically modified varieties and those developed using conventional plant breeding. Reduced-lignin alfalfa can provide very...

After planting, the best strategy to promote a good stand of alfalfa is weed control

The plant breeders who developed reduced-lignin alfalfa probably didn’t spend much time considering its use in alfalfa-grass seedings

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