D3o—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, May 12,1984
By Dr. John E. Baylor
Director of Market Development
Beachley-Hardy Seed Company
Early harvest-better quality feed
It’s alfalfa harvest time again.
And once again I repeat, “stage of
maturity at time of first harvest is
the most important single factor
affecting forage quality.”
So getting that first cutting off at
the right stage of growth is im
portant - not only because of the
quality associated with early
cutting, but becuase your cutting
schedule for first harvest also
determines your cutting schedule
for the rest of the year.
When should that first cutting be
made? For alfalfa, not later than
full bud to very early bloom, most
experts agree. Taking that first
cutting at the full bud stage does
not reduce the total seasonal yield
because it usually permits an
additional cutting before frost. Nor
does early cutting result in stand
loss provided successive cuttings
are allowed to reach at least an
early bloom stage of maturity and
a good fertility program is
followed. In general by the time an
alfalfa plant reaches that early
bloom stage its root reserves have
been pretty well replenished. After
cutting, the new growth will be
supplied from those stored
reserves.
If cool, moist cloudy weather
conditions prevail, you may be
hard pressed to find blossoms.
Under those conditions check the
new shoots at the crown. If these
shoots begin to elongate, take that
first crop off - even if the blossoms
are not visible.
There are some exceptions to the
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above rule. If your alfalfa plants
have been winter damaged, or
heaving has been a problem, and
you hope to keep the stand another
year, hold off on that first harvest
until early or mid bloom. Quality
will definitely be down, but
delaying first cutting under these
conditions will assure a higher
level of food reserves in the roots
and crowns.
And taking the first cutting off at
full bud does not apply to seedings
made this spring. These new
seedings should not be harvested
until plants have come to at least
one-half bloom to insure adequate
storage of root reserves in the
young plants.
Hay or Hay Crop Silage?
All of the above may seem
academic, however, if the
weatherman doesn’t cooperate and
if you are in strictly a hay
program. But if you have the
choice of storing that first crop as
hay crop silage, that’s probably
the way to go.
At least that’s the experience of
top producers over the past several
years in Pennsylvania’s Alfalfa
Growers’ Program. In fact of the
top 50 growers over the past five
years some 19 stored all of their
cuttings in the form of hay crop
silage and 47 stored at least one
cutting in the hay crop silage form.
Only three top producers out of 50
were in an all hay program.
June is the ideal month for
growing alfalfa, and it should be
your second crop that’s growing!
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Days are long, moisture is usually
ideal for growth, hopefully there’s
plenty of sunlight, and both
daytime temperatures (60-77° F)
and nighttime temperatures (SO
BS 0 F) are near optimium for
alfalfa dry matter accumulation.
Good Schedule
But one thing is certain - to take
advantage of those ideal conditions
for second growth you must get
that first crop cut and off the field
as soon as possible after it’s ready
to harvest! And that’s why more
and more of our top alfalfa
growers are going the silage route
for that first crop!
Maintaining a good cutting
schedule for the rest of the year is
also a key factor for top yields of
top quality forage without
sacrificing stands. Again ex
periences of top alfalfa growers in
the state, along with results of
many research studies, indicate a
cutting interval of 35-37 days
between cuts 1 and 2, 38-40 days
between cuts 2 and 3, and 42-45
days between cuts 3 and 4 would be
nearly ideal. But fall management
is another story and will be the
subject of an article later this
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summer.
Obviously other essential items
in your alfalfa management
package include the use of top
producing, persistent varieties; a
mnH insert control program,
Woodlot program slated
UNIVERSITY PARK - A
program entitled “Woodlot
Management for Private Lan
downers” is scheduled for July 23-
27 at Penn State. This program is
designed for woodland owners with
no formal training in forestery.
Participants will become aware of
opportunities for forest
management and be assisted in
establishing their management
objectives. Lectures and field
experiences will be used to in
troduce students to the basic
principles of forest resource
management.
A registration fee of $6O will
cover the cost of the program.
Printed materials used in the
course are included in the fee and
become the property of the
must bo
especially leafhopper control, and
a sound fertility program. Next
month, I’d like to discuss with you
the fertility relationships essential
to keep your alfalfa in the high
profit picture.
made by July 6 and accompanied
with a |lO non-refundable deposit.
The course will be held at the
Keller Conference Center on the
Penn State, University Park
Campus. Field activities will use
the experimental forest and other
facilities of the School of Forest
Resources as well as State Forest
Lands.
The Instructors are James R.
Grace, Forest Resources Ex
tension Specialist, James C.
Finley, Forest Resources Ex
tension Specialist, and Jack M.
Payne, Wildlife Extension
Specialist.
For more information, call the
Berks County Extension and ask
for a registration brochure. (378-
1327).
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