# Alfalfa in North Carolina



## terraceridge (Jul 21, 2011)

Most all hay that is grown in my area is coastal bermuda or a derivative. There is some fescue grown, too, but it is not quite as common. I grow and sell about 3000 square bales of Bermuda each year to private customers or feed stores. The feed stores also stock timothy, orchardgrass, and alfalfa at very high prices (up to 20 dollars a bale for alfalfa!) because nobody grows them around here. I have been wondering, what is stopping me from growing alfalfa here? Thanks!


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Nothing if you are in the coastal plains of NC. Lots of people starting to grow new varieties in Dixie, (bulldog 505 is one I think) check with your local extension office, might need some new equipment, little diff than grass


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## robert23239 (May 10, 2009)

Hello,
I am in Central NC and and on my 3rd year, I have had success with a few different varieties but not Round up Ready. My soil is not as sandy as yours, but with the deep roots can handle the heat little better than some grasses. With the warm spring I am on my 3rd cutting. Talk to your extension office.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Robert, What difficulties did you have with RR alfallfa that you did not have with your successful varieties. With what varieties were your successful? What are your usual procedures for drying and baling after you cut here in the South.

Regards, Mike


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## terraceridge (Jul 21, 2011)

somedevildawg said:


> Robert, What difficulties did you have with RR alfallfa that you did not have with your successful varieties. With what varieties were your successful? What are your usual procedures for drying and baling after you cut here in the South.
> 
> Regards, Mike


I have also been wondering about drying and baling procedures for alfalfa. This is my normal plan for coastal bermuda: Cut in the morning after the dew is off for maximum drying time. Ted the morning of the second day, hopefully with the dew. On thick cuttings I will ted a couple hours after cutting, too. The purpose of these teddings is to get an even green color. On the third day I will rake when the dew is off and bale ASAP. How would this be altered for alfalfa?


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## robert23239 (May 10, 2009)

The main two for me that worked was Cimarron ( from NC) and Tug of War from Oregon. Both took off well and show good leafs. Drying in NC is a lot of hope. I went to a rotary rake that has helped me keep the leaves more in the bale. Good hay conditioner with good rollers to break the stem. Some people use "Hay guard" which seems to work well for hay that is a little wet. I round bale most of mind and I wrap it very tight, that has worked well for me. I have planted in the spring and in the fall, the fall seems to work better, give it a good 6 weeks before frost so it can develop a good stand. As far as RR, same soil and it failed to develop a stand, but that was a spring seeding, I am willing to try it again for a fall seeding.
I try to get in the morning and rake on the 2nd morning if the weather delivery is working for me.
I tell you with the fall seeding the alfalfa is so good I have no weeds. It needs a lot of care and watching. But the pay back can be good.


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

$20 a bale for alfalfa. I want some of that action. How much y'all want??


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

You may know that alfalfa needs to be grown on a well-drained and well-aerated soil. This is first and foremost. If the soil is wet for any length of time, don't attempt to grow alfalfa in that soil. Soil pH needs to be in the range of 6.8 to 7.0, but even higher is better, but not necessarily economical if limestone must be applied to raise it above 7.0. Additionally, subsoil pH to at least 4-ft deep needs to be above 5.5 to prevent toxicity of aluminum to alfalfa root growth.

I have attached a web site that goes into great detail about selecting the proper Coastal Plain soils for alfalfa. This is a lengthy read, and it contains some possibly strange words, but read it to the end, and if you follow these directions, your chances of locating an alfalfa-suitable soil will be greatly improved.

http://overton.tamu....sforAlfalfa.pdf


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Thx for link, informative


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## terraceridge (Jul 21, 2011)

That is really interesting about subsoil pH. I will try to test it soon. Everything else looks pretty good for the spot I was thinking about. It's pretty sandy, very well drained, has a yellow-red subsoil, and responds well to lime and fertilizer, though fertilizer will leach easily. If it turns out that the subsoil is too acidic, is it possible or economical to apply enough lime to change the pH at that depth?


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Over time when a good liming program has been in place, the surface applied limestone changes subsoil pH, especially in a loamy sand soil. Our first successful planting of alfalfa was on an upland Darco loamy fine sand. Pine timber was removed from this site that had not been farmed for about 65 years best we could learn. We limed this soil to raise the surface depth to about 7.0, planted alfalfa, and it grew well in an established stand of Coastal bermudagrass. (See the Thread about overseeding alfalfa into bermudagrass.)

To answer your question, no it likely is not economical to lime to change subsoil pH. But with a diligent liming program subsoil pH will change, especially in a forage system where nitrogen is applied to improve grass production. Apparently, leaching of nitrogen down through the soil helps move the liming reaction deeper into the subsoil. This was reported years ago from soils research in Alabama.


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## terraceridge (Jul 21, 2011)

This is the soil report for the field I am talking about. What do you think?


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

The official NRCS description for the Candor soil series(a Kandiudult- a highly weathered Ultisol) indicates that it might be okay for alfalfa relative to drainage and aeration, but it is a very deep sand characterized as extremely acid in the soil surface and strongly acid in the upper subsoil. It is well drained, but unless you receive frequent rainfall during the production season, this deep sand could be droughty for alfalfa. You definitely need to determine soil pH in the subsoil by one foot depths on this one. If subsoil pH is above 5.5 in these depths, this soil is a candidate for alfalfa seeded in fall in order to give its root system a chance to grow in depth to allow the alfalfa to compete with late-winter/spring weed growth, although chemicals are available to control both broadleaf and grass weeds in alfalfa.


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## terraceridge (Jul 21, 2011)

I really appreciate your knowledge and help on this topic, Mr. Haby. Our soils around here can vary a lot in pH, from 4.5 to 6.5, so I will definitely need to check that field. Also, if alfalfa roots are not blocked by an aluminum barrier, how drought and heat tolerant is it compared to bermudagrass?


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Alfalfa may not be as drought tolerant as is Tifton 85 bermudagrass. Alfalfa may be as drought tolerant as Coastal bermudagrass, but the thing is, alfalfa initiates regrowth much earlier than the hybrid bermudagrasses. By the time the hybrid bermudagrasses initiate regrowth in spring, established alfalfa normally is ready for a second cutting. Also, alfalfa tends to go into a dormancy stage during a severe drought and initiates regrowth when rain returns. I have seen new seedings go so dormant that you had to scratch the soil above the seed row to find the green plants, but when it began to rain again, the alfalfa regrew and went on to produce for the three seasons we took yields.

Most people refer to alfalfa as a cool season forage, but it continues grow well in the heat of our summers as long as it receives adequate rainfall or irrigation.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

Here are some links about alfalfa in Georgia.

http://www.caes.uga.edu/publications/pubDetail.cfm?pk_id=7788

http://www.caes.uga.edu/applications/publications/files/pdf/B%201350_2.PDF

This is one chapter from Some Text.
http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/ningxia_guide/chapter4.pdf

You will be asked about the blister beetles, usually by some very frightened horse owners. 
For years and years I would hand out a Kentucky Bulletin on the subject. Not that theirs was all that much better than Missouri or Kansas, but because of their horses.
This is from Georgia, simply because it is for you close to home plus being probably the best article on the topic.
http://www.caes.uga.edu/publications/pubDetail.cfm?pk_id=7722

For seed selection you have hundreds to choose from. I do know that there is a seed dealer in Athens Georgia, who shipped seed to me a few years ago. 
As for Factory representatives I have worked with Sally at [email protected] She is a real jewel.
I also work with Jerry Gano [email protected] who is a District Rep for Texas and the Midwest.
Both of these are really fine people to work with.

A almost complete listing of all the varieties are in http://alfalfa.org/pdf/2012%20NAFA%20Variety%20Leaflet.pdf

For your location I would restrict my search to Fall Dormancy Varieties 3, 4, or 5. and probably would look for something that has good resistance to the Potato Leaf Hopper.

Something you will find is alfalfa when encountering drought conditions stops growing right where it is for growth but it will continue to bloom and produce seed. When it next rains alfalfa restarts to grow from the regrowth buds on the crown. 
Bermudagrass on the other hand when encountering drought also stops growing, but with new water will continue to grow where it left off.
HERE, bermudagrass will out yield alfalfa in a droughty season, while alfalfa *can* out yield bermudagrass in a good moisture season. 
In some years I have cut hay in late September, some of which has gone to seed. Some was in mid bloom, and the greater weight of forage was in bud stage. Enter that in a Hay Contest and drive the Judges crazy trying to figure that one.


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