Description

High-yielding, high-quality perennial legume with good summer production. Provides multiple cuttings during growing season. Grows 2 to 3 feet tall.

Uses

Hay, haylage, pasture.

Advantages

High yield and quality, more productive during summer than other cool-season forages. Palatable to livestock.

Disadvantages

Requires well-drained, fertile soils and better management for good yield and persistence. Potential for bloat. Alfalfa weevil and potato leafhopper are economic pests.

Seeding

Rate: 12-20 lb/a
Depth: ¼-½ in
Date: Mar 1-Apr 15/Aug 1-Sep 15

Harvest

First harvest: May 1-May 15
Annual yield: 3-6 tons dry matter/a

Publications

• Grain & Forage Crop Guide for Kentucky
• Alfalfa The Queen of Forage Crops
• Grazing Alfalfa
• Fertilizer Management in Alfalfa

Resources

• National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance
• American Forage and Grassland Council
• USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service
• International Plant Nutrition Institute
• Team Forage: Alfalfa, University of Wisconsin-Extension