Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, April 18, 1998, Image 211

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    GRAZING ALFALFA
WARREN C. THOMPSON
ABI Alfalfa
National Forage Specialist
The use of alfalfa as a grazing
crop is spreading across the USA in
the humid regions particularly in
the Midwest, Northeast, and much
of the transition areas. The intro
duction and expanded use of true
grazing tolerant varieties and con
tinued needs to reduce production
costs to increase net returns from
dairy and beef cattle are the driving
forces for moving in this direction.
For now many leading farmers are
using this alfalfa and finding not
only a good yield but one with above
expected persistence; a legume that
is adapted to well drained soils
which can be elevated to high pH
rapidly at minimum costs. A legume
that will survive under punishing
treatment yet produce more abun
dantly and survive with better
stand uniformity and less weed
intrusion when grazed rotationally
than any other legume grown in
America.
The range of advantages to using
alfalfa include: 1. Feed quality;
there is no better legume. 2.
Reliability + summer drought toler
ance is unexcelled. 3. Annual and
lifetime yield; alfalfa tops all
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The Harvesting Specialist
JREUHR
legumes. 4. Versatility for use as
grazings as well as for hay or silage.
5. Machinery and labor costs are
greatly reduced. 6. Profit margins
are increased as production costs
decline. 7. Weather related harvest
risks are reduced/eliminated. 8.
Except for establishment, fertilizer
and lime costs are great reduced.
Successful alfalfa grazing starts
with a good stand. Start by adding
lime to raise the pH to 6.5 or higher
and fertilize according to current
soil test recommendations. Seed at
15 pounds per acre or higher during
the recommended time of year.
Spring is the seeding season of
choice in this area.
Most farmers who graze prefer to
grow grass with their alfalfa to help
manage bloat and prevent serious
soil profile damage under exception
ally wet conditions. Grass can be
weeded with the alfalfa or delayed
for a year or two, and overdrilled in
the existing stand of alfalfa.
Autumn is the best time for over
drilling. The system of choice and
most successful is 4-6 pounds of
orchardgrass seeded through a no
till drill.
Rotational grazing is more pro
ductive and easier to manage than
conventional continuous grazing.
With the development of cheaper
Leola, PA 17540 Phone: (717) 656-2321
Located; 4 miles West of New Holland on Rt. 23,11/2 miles Northeast of Leola on the No. Groffdale Rd., 1
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and more mobile electric fencing
and watering systems, moving cat
tle is easy and less time consuming
than inexperienced producers would
expect. Especially is this found to be
true once the animals have learned
the routine and their rewards of
more abundant high quality grazing
once they are moved. Animals graz
ing on fresh vegetative forage eat
more and convert a greater propor
tion to meat and milk. Another
great advantage to rotational graz
ing; manure changes from a problem
to a real asset. For when animals
are grouped, manure is more uni
formly distributed thus reducing the
amount of topdress commercial fer
tilizers needed.
Managing a field for grazing in
the establishment year can be quite
successful with good planning. We
recommend that the first crop be
harvested as hay rather than
grazed. This allows the immature
plants (including crowns and roots)
to grow and the newly prepared
seedbeds to "settle."
When possible, stagger the hay
harvest at 3 to 6 day intervals.
Mowing a portion of a field (25-40
percent) at a time will help establish
a sequence for subdividing for the
remainder of the grazing season.
Rotation grazing can begin in 20 to
25 days following hay harvest
depending on growth and
weather/soil conditions. For spring
seedings, many farmers will get two
grazings, others just one the first
year. Remove the animals about
five weeks or more ahead of first his
toric freeze date to allow time for
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Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 18, 1998—Page
food reserve restoration. The after
frost harvest on new alfalfa should
be avoided unless there is a dire
need for more forage. But even
then, at least 4 to 6 inches of stubble
should remain for winter protection.
Grazing established alfalfa can be
simplified with a well designed pro
gram. One of the best systems that
we have seen all across the USA is
to turn the herd into the entire field
early and when the alfalfa is 6 to 8
inches tall. As forage production
exceeds animal needs, reduce the
paddock size and back fence to pre
vent continued animal entrance in
the areas already grazed. Continue
to reduce the paddocks size until the
animals graze regular patterns.
When pasture production exceeds
the grazing needs and before the
crop gets well into maturity, remove
this excess as hay or silage to keep
the grazing sequence running
smoothly and the vegetation at its
highest possible quality. How often
should cattle be moved? Farmers
who move their animals each day
report more meat and milk per acre
than those who move the cattle once
a week. And those who rotate on a
weekly basis report a better
response than those who move once
a month. In every case, better yields
and profits come from rotation graz
ing than with continuous grazing.
What about continuously grazing
alfalfa? As farmers know, close con
tinuous grazing is hard on any for
age, grass and legumes alike. In
fact, when any forage is sandpaper
grazed continuously, yields and
stands both suffer. Unless the vari-
rifins
The Harvesting Specialist
emus
THE HARVESTING SPECIALIST
(Turn to Pag* 12)
211