# Roundup Ready Alfalfa



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I am going to plant 12 acres of RR alfalfa this spring. I saw a article in Hay & Forage that was by U Wisc. Dan Undersander that said to use a lower seeding rate(10-12 pounds/ac.). Seems low to get a thinner stem, but this was due to help on the seed cost. If I buy 3 bags that will work out to 12.5 lbs./ac.....if I buy 4 bags that will work out to 16 2/3 lbs./ac. You fellas that are growing RR Alfalfa let me know your thoughts and experiences on this please. This will be my first attempt at alfalfa here in Tennessee so I thought I would take advantage of the clean stands one can get with RR. Old dog.....new tricks.....well see how it goes.










Regards, Mike


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

If you cut your seeding rates that low I would strongly recomend a brillion seeder.

I forget but actualy maybe would only need 5# an acre if they all survived.

Seeded a field of setaside acres with oats and 3# of alfalfa with intentions of plowing it down and got a fair stand and kept it 2 more yrs for hay.


----------



## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Mike, I normally plant 12 # per acre HERE and get good stands. Never tried RR alfalfa. Mike


----------



## CockrellHillFarms (Aug 30, 2011)

I've planted RR alfalfa a few times. Here's my theory for what its worth when it comes to seeding rates. Make sure you get the ground plowed good before you plant or burn it down with round up depending on what was in the field before. The times that I had the worst stands, were the times I couldnt get it sprayed quickly enough after it came up and the weeds/grass killed some of the seedlings after they sprouted. Seeding Rates, I plant heavier than I prob need to. I planted 18-20 lbs an acre. I know what the research says but I dont buy it. So I go heavier. I'd rather spend alittle extra on seed and get a good stand than get a weak stand and have to replant or get 2 years out of it. It wont pay for itself that quickly by the time you add in input cost, seed, lime, and fertilizer. I'm going to put more in, in the spring or late summer depending on what the weather brings. Last year I planted 15 acres in the spring, got a good stand, good rain. And then we went dry for too long. The weeds and grass (The grass I plowed under started coming up) because the alf. was taking to long to come in. I didnt want to spray it at that point because I thought the seedlings might be too weak. If I had to do it over again knowing what I know now (famous words), I would have burn down the field before I plowed it under. I have another 10-12 acres that looks great. I like it, I'm going to plant another 40 +/- in the late summer this year. Same deal, its a grass mix now. I'm going to fertilize the heck out of it, bale it, and then burn it down with RR. Then disc it up etc. I think that will give the alfalfa a better chance to take over if the weather is going to be dry again with spotty rain. I also use a 10' brillion seeder. Makes a great finished field. If your going to drill it, I might go alittle heavier but I havent tried it that way. My neighbor no till alfalfa in the fall of '10. Had a great stand last year. Did it again this past fall and he's stand isnt good. Thats why I like the brillion seeder better I think it leaves less chance of error with great seed to soil contact.


----------



## nwks baler (Jul 18, 2008)

We have been planting 15 to 18lbs on dryland and 23 to 26lbs on irrigated conventional or Roundup Ready. We planted around 400 acres of RR last year and will probably plant around 200 acres of RR this spring.


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

It is required by Monsanto that ALL RR alfalfa seed be coated.Hmmm,looks like away to get more tech fees to me.$125-150 per bag depending on the state you are in.


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Sheezzz....that could put it close to $10 a pound for seed. I am going to the co-op this afternoon to talk to them about costs and such. Word gets out that I am planting legume seed that costs $10 bucks a pound, the local heads will be sneaking around my fields trying to get some to smoke. 

Regards, Mike


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Vol said:


> Sheezzz....that could put it close to $10 a pound for seed. I am going to the co-op this afternoon to talk to them about costs and such. Word gets out that I am planting legume seed that costs $10 bucks a pound, the local heads will be sneaking around my fields trying to get some to smoke.
> 
> Regards, Mike


I have it available at about $6.50.Some seed co's are realy gouging people.


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

swmnhay said:


> I have it available at about $6.50.Some seed co's are realy gouging people.


Just spoke with my co-op and they have a 425 Allied (?) for $6.75. They told me to look on the web about it. That price is complete.


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Vol said:


> Just spoke with my co-op and they have a 425 Allied (?) for $6.75. They told me to look on the web about it. That price is complete.


 I've heard of some around 8.00 and good possibility it is the same variety in a different bag.


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Cy, I am having a problem finding a seeder that would have a legume box in this part of the country.....you dont know where theres a absolute steal on a Brillion 10ft pull type do you?

Regards, Mike


----------



## nwks baler (Jul 18, 2008)

I have planted thousands of acres of alfalfa with this double disc drill .


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

nwks baler said:


> I have planted thousands of acres of alfalfa with this double disc drill .


Who's the manufacturer?? Deere? How do you like your challenger?

Regards, Mike


----------



## CockrellHillFarms (Aug 30, 2011)

That looks like a 20' Great Plains drill in that picture.


----------



## nwks baler (Jul 18, 2008)

Vol said:


> Who's the manufacturer?? Deere? How do you like your challenger?
> 
> Regards, Mike


It is a 24ft Great Plains drill. Buying the Challenger equipment is one of the best moves we have made. After this year we will probably only have one John Deere tractor left and I may even get rid of it. We started changing to Challenger equipment six years ago.


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

nwks baler said:


> It is a 24ft Great Plains drill. Buying the Challenger equipment is one of the best moves we have made. After this year we will probably only have one John Deere tractor left and I may even get rid of it. We started changing to Challenger equipment six years ago.


I really like challengers look....anything in particular that you really in challenger or is it just the overall quality?

Regards, Mike


----------



## nwks baler (Jul 18, 2008)

Vol said:


> I really like challengers look....anything in particular that you really in challenger or is it just the overall quality?
> 
> Regards, Mike


We really like the CVT transmission and the dealer service (here) has been exellent. We also had a 1184 Rogator that we traded for a RG1300 Rogator this winter (same dealer) was very happy with it.


----------



## Hank- in or (Feb 12, 2009)

We are paying $6.40 to $6.80 per lb here and I will not plant less than 20 lb per acre. In the grand sceme of things 4 or 5 lb of seed even at these prices is not much to insure a better higher yielding stand. I drill the seed so I know exactly where all the seed has been placed.


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Vol said:


> Cy, I am having a problem finding a seeder that would have a legume box in this part of the country.....you dont know where theres a absolute steal on a Brillion 10ft pull type do you?
> 
> Regards, Mike


Not off hand.Would a 12' work.I think most around here are 12'


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

swmnhay said:


> Not off hand.Would a 12' work.I think most around here are 12'


Yeah if the price was right.

Regards, Mike


----------



## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

nwks baler said:


> We really like the CVT transmission and the dealer service (here) has been exellent. We also had a 1184 Rogator that we traded for a RG1300 Rogator this winter (same dealer) was very happy with it.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a Challenger a rebranded Agco or Massey Ferguson? Might be a few differences but I seem to remember something about Agco building the wheeled tractors for Cat while Cat builds their own track machines. I know our local Cat dealer can get us Agco or White parts now.


----------



## nwks baler (Jul 18, 2008)

mlappin said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a Challenger a rebranded Agco or Massey Ferguson? Might be a few differences but I seem to remember something about Agco building the wheeled tractors for Cat while Cat builds their own track machines. I know our local Cat dealer can get us Agco or White parts now.


Challenger and Rogator are both owned by AGCO, have been for years.


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

mlappin said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a Challenger a rebranded Agco or Massey Ferguson? Might be a few differences but I seem to remember something about Agco building the wheeled tractors for Cat while Cat builds their own track machines. I know our local Cat dealer can get us Agco or White parts now.


They just had a expansion at Jackson,Mn.They are building the larger Massey and Challenger FWA tractors there.

There is a few differences in them.I thought it was just color also but I was just talking with a guy that works on the line there.Massey runs 2 alternators,challenger 1.And some other small differences.Why?IDK,it would make more sence to be the same.They are being built on the same line.Build 6 of 1 kind then switch back to the other.

They also build the challenger 4WD and the track tractors there.Along with Rogators and Floaters.

AGCO Invests in Manufacturing, Expands Jackson


----------



## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

I am planting my first Roundup Ready® this year, at 12 lbs, bit I do not have a baseline to comment on yet. That said, for the thinner stems many old timers tell me you need more. However, I was talking to the forage agronomist yesterday about this and he tells me 10-12# will have the same effect. The coating gives you the greater plant emergence compared to conventional seed. That said, there is a caveat, as Cy pointed out, what are using to plant and how are you preparing the soil. If you are tilling up the soil and creating a nice smooth firm seedbed many good drills will do the trick,. However, if you burning down and going in with a no-till, I would be concerned about how well things come up. Although you can plant no-till, they have a habit of planting too deep.

The Roundup Ready® comes coated...that coating does makes a difference in the amount of seed that comes up.

http://www.americasalfalfa.com/stellent/groups/public/documents/web_content/ecmp2-0144267.pdf

Here is an article from Mike Rankin, Crops & Soils Agent, UW Ext that I share with folks often.

HayTalk Front Page - Alfalfa Seeding Rates: How much is too much?

The coating helps in a number of ways, it provides improved nitrogen fixation, better seed survival in wetter soil, and better emergence....
but what is also nice with Roundup Ready® in my opinion is your planting window expands, because you can zap the weed, therefore if it is too wet, you plant a little later and if too dry you can wait until you have the moisture.


----------

