Alfalfa | Nutritious Forage Crop, Livestock Feed & Soil Enhancer (2024)

FAQs

What does alfalfa do to the soil? ›

Studies have shown that consistent use of alfalfa in cropping rotations improves the soil tremendously by improving moisture retention, drainage and water movement and the availability of nutrients in the soil. This results in more stable soils, resilient to extreme weather patterns.

Phosphate and potash. When needed, phosphate fertilizers can produce substantial increases in alfalfa yield. Phosphate fertilizer recommendations are based on a yield goal and the results of the analysis of a soil sample for phosphorus (P).

Alfalfa is widely grown throughout the world as forage for cattle, and is most often harvested as hay, but can also be made into silage, grazed, or fed as greenchop.

Adequate levels of nutrients are important for alfalfa shoot and root development. Nutrient levels are especially important during early seedling establishment to ensure a root system large enough to support maximum herbage growth for the life of the plant. Minimize risk of soil crusting.

When terminated, alfalfa usually leaves a lot of nitrogen in the soil for subsequent crops. The amount of nitrogen that it supplies to following crops has been termed the “alfalfa N credit.” In many cases, this credit can be up to 300 lbs. N/acre for the two crops following alfalfa.

Down To Earth's Alfalfa Meal 2-0-1 is an exceptional source of plant-derived nutrients for the garden. It is highly recommended for roses as well as all other vegetables, herbs, flowers and shrubs.

Because of its ability to tolerate infertile, acidic soils and grow well on sloping land with minimal lime and fertilizer inputs, the perennial warm-season legume sericea lespedeza (SL; Lespedeza cuneata) has earned the nickname "Poor man's alfalfa." With recent research on the potential health and environmental ...

About 1,000,000 acres of alfalfa are irrigated in California. This large acreage coupled with a long growing season make alfalfa the largest agricultural user of water, with annual water applications of 4,000,000 to 5,500,000 acre-feet.

Alfalfa often is seeded with a companion crop like oats to control weeds and erosion, and to provide a crop of grain or hay.

For those of us sharing our homes with hay-hungry herbivores like rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas, we're likely somewhat familiar with alfalfa hay.

Is alfalfa hard to grow? ›

Resilient and Adaptable – Few crops are as resilient to difficult growing conditions as alfalfa. It can grow in almost any elevation – from the searing deserts 250 feet below sea level to nearly 10,000 ft. above, from sandy to clay soils.

Under optimum growing and soil conditions, and with proper management, yields can exceed 7 to 8 tons of hay equivalent per acre. In addition, disease-resistant varieties of alfalfa can be maintained for four to five years, sometimes longer depending on cutting management.

If a preplant incorporated herbicide is preferred, such as EPTC (Eptam), it should be applied to the soil surface and mechanically mixed into the soil before planting the alfalfa seed.

Alfalfa takes about 40 days to develop the ability to regrow from the crown after cutting.

However, as shown in table 1, alfalfa can rapidly deplete the soil of phosphorus, potassium, and other nutri- ents. Data from Wisconsin and other Midwestern states indicate that each ton of alfalfa harvested removes about 14 pounds of phosphate (P2O5) and 60 pounds of potash (K2O).

Alfalfa can be used as an effective mulch, it can be worked into soil to build bulk, curtail erosion and add nutrients, especially nitrogen. This is done with the dried plant found in bale form.

Alfalfa builds and protects soil.

unique benefits as a perennial crop, including build- ing organic matter for structure, stability, and water holding capacity. By providing year-round living cover, it nourishes healthy soil biological activity and offers physical protection from wind and water erosion.

Improves Soil, Water, and Air Quality – Perennial crops like alfalfa help reduce soil erosion, which is one of the primary causes of irreversible soil degradation.