 Today's topic is alfalfa establishment and management. My name is Leanne Dillard and I am the Forage Extension Specialist at Auburn University. Before establishing any forage, it is important to know your history. Soul testing should be done at least one year before desired planting day, as it takes at least six months to correct soul pH. Specifically for alfalfa, it is important to test the sub-soul pH. It can take eight or more years to correct this, but it is important because alfalfa is a deep-rooted perineal legume, and this will prevent proper root development. Take soul samples at one foot increments to a four-foot depth, as the pH should be at least 5.5 altered as necessary. If the pH is below 5.5, this will result in aluminum toxicity and poor root development, resulting in proper establishment and longevity of the alfalfa. It is also important to know your history regarding herbicide applications. Many cop and pasture herbicides will kill alfalfa suitlings, even if they have been applied in the last 12 months. Examples are Grazon Nets and Grazon P&D, because these have soul residues that can stay into the soul for at least 12 months. If these chemicals have been used in the last year, delay planting for at least 12 months. Different herbicides have different soul residue links, so always read the herbicide label for specific recommendations prior to planting. Alfalfa is very important to consider location. Alfalfa grows best on deep, well-drained and fertile soils, with a high moisture holding capacity. Avoid hard pans, high water tables, or acidic subsoils. Subsoil is especially important in coastal plain soils. In the Piedmont, soil types of sandy loam and clay loam are preferable, and in the coastal plain, sandy loam soils are preferable. And alfalfa and the vests feel available. Many times, forages are planted in areas that cannot support crop or other production avenues. This is not the case for alfalfa. Whale-panage, cropland soils, with a history of fertilizer and lime, are best suited for production. Irrigation, if available, can increase productivity and longevity of the stand. Proper fertilization and soil pH prior to establishment are critical for promoting early growth. Nitrogen will not be necessary as alfalfa is a nitrogen-fixing legume. However, phosphorus and potassium are critical for establishment. They are important for root development and seedling vigor. Many soils in Alabama are high in phosphorus, so this may not be required. However, potassium will likely need to be applied. Phosphorus, if applied, can be applied in a single application. Potassium is better applied in split applications to ensure availability to plants throughout the growing season. Prawn and molybdenum are important for nitrogen-fixing nodule formation. Only small quantities will be required. For example, a quarter ounce of molybdenum should be applied to a 60-pound seed bag with enough water to moisten the seed to make sure that it sticks. Fertilizers should be incorporated prior to establishment to ensure that nutrients will be available in sure proper root development. After establishment, soil fertility will continue to be important. Maintaining soil fertility can be done by taking annual soil tests and adjusting the pH as necessary to 6 to 0.5 to 7 and applying nutrients as necessary. As I mentioned earlier, nitrogen will not be needed, but nitrogen-fixing seed can occur if soil pH is too low, as soil pH will prevent nitrogen uptake from the roots. Common deficiency is the most common deficiency we see in alfalfa. This will result in white spotting along the margins of older leaves and eventually leaf death. Once the white spotting is seen, potassium should be applied. This can be prevented though with applications of phosphorus, excuse me, potassium based on soil test recommendations. When establishing alfalfa, variety selection is very important. There are many different types of alfalfa available, but they grow better in different parts of the country. When looking at a selection, check university trials, but focus on those in the southeastern states such as Auburn, University of Georgia, and others. Georgia and Alabama have an alfalfa variety trial that will start in the fall of 2018. Results will be available soon and can help you determine which varieties are better within those deep south states. Newer varieties will outperform older varieties, and even though they may be more expensive, will be preferable. Try to match your research site and farm climate to your soil type. As climatic conditions and soil type both have a large impact on a variety's performance. Traditionally alfalfa is harvested as hay. Most varieties of alfalfa are therefore still for hay production, but some newer varieties are grazing tolerant. If considering grazing, it is important to select a grazing tolerant variety of alfalfa. Small-purpose varieties can also be used and they can be used for both hay and grazing. All alfalfa varieties will have a dormancy rating from one to nine. One is the most dormant and is extremely winter hardy, but lacks fall and winter growth. Nine is not very dormant and susceptible to winter conditions, but has very good fall and late winter growth. These dormant varieties are more appropriate for alfalfa production in the deep south. The Tennessee Valley Mountain and Peabot regions of Alabama should use a dormancy rating of three to six. For the coastal plain, use a dormancy of five to nine. Remembering that the lower the rating, the less productivity you're going to see through the fall and winter, but the more winter hardy it will be. When choosing a variety, alfalfa.org is an excellent resource. It releases a yearly variety rating sleeplet that gives information on pests, disease, yield and dormancy ratings for all varieties from member companies. This is a great source of information when picking the correct variety for your farm. You can also contact your local extension agent for more information when picking a variety. There are two established methods that can be used when establishing alfalfa. The first is the preferred method, which is a prepared seed bed. This works best for monocultures of alfalfa. You want to complete your tillage five weeks prior to the seeding date, and cultivat before seeding to firm the soil. If when walking across the field, your shoes sink more than one-quarter inch, then you need to cultivat again. Our pans restrict growth and may require subsoiling in order to allow proper root development. No till methods can also be successful when establishing alfalfa. If you are overseeding your alfalfa into Bermuda grass, this is the preferred method. The Bermuda grass should be dormant and mowed closely to prevent any competition or shading from the Bermuda grass. If you want to manage this as an alfalfa Bermuda grass mix stand, the alfalfa needs to be planted at least 21 inches apart to prevent the alfalfa from killing and over-competing with the Bermuda grass. In the Tennessee Valley and Mountain Region, seeding dates in the fall from mid-September to late October are the best. For all forward species, planting at the wrong time of year is the most common reason for stand establishment failure. In the Lower Piedmont Black Belt and Coastal Plain, fall seeding in mid-October to late November is best. Spring planting can be successful, but should not be the first method of planting. If using spring planting, plant from early March to mid-April, but this will require both irrigation and strong weed control as the spring weed flush will often pet the alfalfa and prevent stand establishment. There are two methods of planting. The first would be to use a coltapacking seeder or a rain drill with a small seed box. The other is broadcasting and incorporating with a coltapacker. Regardless of method, the seeding depth should be 8 to a quarter of an inch in a loamy or clay soil and a quarter to a half an inch in a sandy loam or sandy soil. Planting rates are 18 to 25 pounds of pure live seed per acre. Pure live seed is calculated as pure seed multiplied by the germination rate. This information can be found on the seed tag, which is located on all bags of seed. Use the higher range of the rate when broadcasting or seeding conditions are marginal and use the lower end of the rate when using a grain drill or and when conditions are favorable. When planting legumes, seed inoculation is important as it ensures functional root nonjewels are formed. Most companies have begun to market pre-inoculated alfalfa seed. You'll typically see this as seed that is bright pink, purple, or in some cases gray. This saves time and helps ensure adequate and appropriate inoculation. However, if you need to inoculate the seed because it is not inoculated or you're concerned the inoculation is not viable, use a type A rhizobium inoculant. There are multiple methods of inoculating seeds. So contact your local extension agent on what method is most appropriate for your situation. Harvest management is also important to optimize and insist the persistence of your stand. Harvest timing affects yield, quality, and persistence. It is important to not maximize your quantity but to optimize your quantity because that also optimizes the quality. Alfalfa should be harvested at 10% bloom or flower stage. This is the compromise between making sure that there's adequate quality but also the quantity is high enough as well. The first cutting will be dependent on weather and the variety but in general we can say out south Alabama it would be early April and in north Alabama it could be as late as mid-May. After the first cutting, alfalfa will reach a 10% bloom every 28 to 35 days or 4 to 5 weeks. It is important to harvest at that interval to ensure proper quality. Shortening that interval will decrease the productivity of the stand and lengthening that interval will reduce the quality of the hay which you are producing. In south Alabama you should be able to have 5 to 7 harvests per year and in north Alabama this will be 4 to 5 harvests per year because of the shorter growing season. During the establishment year you will see that your first cutting will be delayed about a month, reducing the number of harvests but by doing this you are ensuring the longevity of the stand. This table shows how stage of maturity affects forage quality. The highest forage quality occurs at the vegetative stage. With a crude protein of 24 to 27% and an RFQ of 230 to 300. At late bloom you can see the crude protein will be reduced all the way to 9 to 13%. This actually is only good enough quality to meet the demands of dry beef cattle. For most alfalfa producers their markets would be horses or dairy cattle. As you can see the early bloom or 10% bloom in the middle is where we optimize our quality while actually optimizing our quantity as well. At 18 to 22% crude protein and an RFQ of 125 to 180. This RFQ is high enough to meet the demands of most classes of livestock be them dairy, horses or beef cattle. Producing high quality hay does not stop at timing of harvest. It requires excellent management all the way through bailing. We need to ensure that not only you harvest at the correct stage of growth but you decrease the drying time using a mower conditioner and or tether. Alfalfa has very thick stems which prevent efficient drying. When using a mower conditioner this allows the horses to drive 20 to 30% faster especially in the first two days after cutting. It is important to get the alfalfa out of the field within a week after cutting as the alfalfa will actually reduce the growth of the subsequent crop as it shades out and competes as a batch on top of the hay field. It is best to use a crimper conditioner when producing alfalfa compared to a flail conditioner. Flail conditioners will increase leaf loss as they strip the stems and will actually strip the leaves off of the plant. And the leaves is where all of the nutrients are that you are trying to protect. Tedding can also be useful in decreasing the drying time. You want to Ted the morning after the forage is cut for the first time, preferably before the dew dries. Additional Teddings can be done but can increase leaf loss if the hay is too dry, therefore they should be done with caution. Drying into the windrow should be done at about 40% moisture. The hay will continue to cure and cure down to the appropriate baling moisture while in the windrow. Parallel bar rakes will cause less damage than wheel rakes, however they will take longer to get in a windrow compared to a wheel rake. Bailing should be done at 18% moisture or less. If it is drier, you can have leaf loss, however it's worse to have it higher. Your hay is higher than 18% moisture, you risk production of mold, yeast, spontaneous combustion and or fire. Also make sure that your bell is the correct shape and size for your market. For example, if you are trying to go to the horse market, likely large round bells will not be appropriate as most horse owners prefer small square bells. However, the dairy and beef market will likely prefer large round bells. Silage and baling can be produced without alpha. This reduces the risk from unfavorable weather conditions as it is baled or collected at a higher moisture reducing the curing time. You also get fewer field losses because of the higher moisture. Legumes, especially alfalfa, are difficult to ensile because of the low water-soluble carbohydrate and buffering capacity. Poor fermentation will lead to low palatability, unpleasant odors and excessive storage losses. However, alfalfa can be successfully fermented when properly managed, so this can be an option if you are concerned about rain during certain parts of the year. Alfalfa permittagrass mixtures can also be made into baled if proper management is considered. As mentioned before, grazing alfalfa is also an option, but make sure to select a grazing tolerant variety when planting, obtain a strong alfalfa stand before grazing and maintain the same sole fertility and management as any hay type alfalfa. Never let hungry animals onto alfalfa. Bloat can be caused by gorging on high food protein forages and can result in animal death. Using a grazing management system is best as continuously grazing will kill the stand. Rotational grazing or management intensive grazing are best. Accumulate forage to 10 to 16 inches of growth, which is approximately 10 percent bud stage, excuse me, 10 percent bloom stage, graze to 2 to 4 inches and allow 15 to 30 days of rest. This is similar to the recommendations for hay harvest. Ensuring appropriate rest will make sure that you increase the longevity of the stand. Grazing at a more frequent interval will reduce the productivity of the alfalfa. For any questions about alfalfa or other forages, please contact us at alababaforages.org.edu. We can also be reached at alababaforages.com or through our Facebook and Twitter accounts.