# Planting barley or oats after alfalfa



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I had planned on planting corn next spring in a field of alfalfa that has thinned badly due to an investation of grubs feeding on the roots but am now rethinking that decision for a couple different reasons. I'm now thinking about planting either winter oats or barley this fall if we get some rain before it gets too late to plant. Here there is an very good market for feed grains and I could also plant a double crop of milo or beans after harvesting the grain and straw so it would likely pencil out better than the corn.

How well barley or oats will do after alfalfa? I have not killed the alfalfa yet but its 10 days until the next forecasted rain so it will be a while before I could plant anyway. If I can't plant by Thanksgiving I won't try it. Would it be an issue if the alfalfa has been sprayed but isn't fully dead when I'm no tilling the barley or oats into it? How long will it take before there is nitrogen available from the alfalfa? Will I need to apply any N a planting and would there be enough available N from the alfalfa by next spring that I wouldn't need to top dress the small grain?

Hayden


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

I would go with barley I have done this often in the fall we need barley in here by October 20th I guess where you're at there's plenty of time. You need to get the Alfalfa properly killed now. Roundup alone won't do it and if you use 2 4 D. Yeah to delay planting for several weeks. Check the labels. On our farm a quart and a half and Round Up plus 4 ounces of clarity plus an insecticide if you think he's still got something feeding on the alfalfa. The N from the existing crop would be available, I would take 20 to 25 units on now to jumpstart The Barley so you are certain you get to the point you need to be before the winter freeze. But your climate is so much different than ours here oats isn't even an option for the winter. Have you seen winter barley successfully grown in your area in the past????


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

In our area they have always said no need to wait for rain to plant barley


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

endrow said:


> I would go with barley I have done this often in the fall we need barley in here by October 20th I guess where you're at there's plenty of time. You need to get the Alfalfa properly killed now. Roundup alone won't do it and if you use 2 4 D. Yeah to delay planting for several weeks. Check the labels. On our farm a quart and a half and Round Up plus 4 ounces of clarity plus an insecticide if you think he's still got something feeding on the alfalfa. The N from the existing crop would be available, I would take 20 to 25 units on now to jumpstart The Barley so you are certain you get to the point you need to be before the winter freeze. But your climate is so much different than ours here oats isn't even an option for the winter. Have you seen winter barley successfully grown in your area in the past????


 There is some winter barley grown around here and it appears to do well but I have not personally grown any. Anything in particular I should know about raising barley? Are you saying the alfalfa will provide enough N that I shouldn't need to apply any top dress N in the spring? I was thinking about spraying two quarts of roundup and a pint of 2,4d in the next day or two to kill the alfalfa. Do you feel clarity would be a better option than 2,4d?

Winter oats are pretty much grown just like winter wheat but they are not as winter hardy as wheat so it's important to get them out a week or two earlier so they have a little more time to establish before colder weather. Right now is the ideal time to plant winter oats but I have planted them as late as thanksgiving and still got a good crop as long as we didn't have an unusually cold winter. I'm guessing barley is pretty similar to oats except maybe a little more winter hardy so I figure if I get it planted by thanksgiving I should get a decent crop.

I'm going to wait on rain the plant since we have only had 7/10ths since the 23rd of August and the ground is rock hard and too dry for anything to come up until it rains anyway. If I can't get anything planted in time this fall I will wait until spring and plant spring oats I guess.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

The only reason I recommended Clarity over 24-d, you can plant anytime after clarity application but need to wait 2 weeks or more after 2-4d


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