# Double crop soybeans into old alfalfa stand?



## RockyMtnKng (Dec 13, 2016)

Has anyone on here done this?

I have an old stand of alfalfa (5 years) that took a beating this year with all the rain. Had water standing on it a couple times, normally this ground is drained pretty good but this year was different. Anyway the stand is getting tired, and the foxtail moved in. I need to try and take at least one cutting off of it next year. But was thinking after first cutting that I could no till in soybeans and roundup kill the alfalfa? Then next year tear it up and plant it back to alfalfa.

Usually around here what I have seen and done isl tear up the alfalfa field in the fall, plant corn in it next year. Then take it back to alfalfa the year after. But to try and get one cutting off I'd be too late for corn so I thought maybe putting beans in to try and get something off of it for the rest of the year might work, and might get me back to alfalfa quicker.


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

It's tough to kill alfalfa in beans with roundup 100% and if a few to many survive it may cause aflatoxin issues to reseed the next yr.I know guys that have planted beans into after taking off a cutting but went to corn the next yr,not alfalfa.

You could try it and determine the next yrs crop after seeing how good a kill you have on the alfalfa.

I would say you are pushing your luck a little and risking seeding failure.It could work and and it may fail $$$


----------



## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

I'm just going to say I think it's asinine to not take the N credit from a 5 year stand. Beans don't need Nuc. They need lots of P and K just as your alfalfa did.

I've taken lots of first cutting alfalfa, then no tilled corn into it right after baling, usually an early variety like 93 day or something. Works fantastic


----------



## siscofarms (Nov 23, 2010)

I TOTALLY AGREE . Corn is the logical way to go to take advantage of all that N that's going to be there . If you need the hay ,, put some sudan or millet ,,,or even teff . Just anything that would use that N .


----------



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

siscofarms said:


> I TOTALLY AGREE . Corn is the logical way to go to take advantage of all that N that's going to be there . If you need the hay ,, put some sudan or millet ,,,or even teff . Just anything that would use that N


Me too. Corn after alfalfa reduce nitrogen needs about 25%.

Ralph


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Nitrogen credit from a good stand of alfalfa is 100lbs

For a poor stand quite a bit less.


----------



## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

I wouldn't even think about beans. Between the residual N and the wet ground I would plant corn. Then bale some or most of the stalks off in the fall so you have less residue to deal with in the spring.


----------



## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

I went back and read your profile, it gave me a little different take to your question. Being you manage a coop, you most likely would have 'connections' to have your field rotated (corn/beans/etc.) by someone else even. You are most likely aware of the N benefits, that favor a crop like corn.

My twist is:

Do like I do, if soil is light/sandy enough. Take 1st cutting ASAP (my case around 1st of June), let regrowth happen, then RU spray (I shoot for June 15th), apply remaining fertilizer/lime requirements if needed (I've applied bulk of these previous year based upon soil test).

If there is no remaining needs (fert/lime), would still spread a small amount of potash or lime as a carrier for 2-4# of brome grass seed (or your choice of grass seed),broadcasted same day or a couple of days before no-tilling 16-20# of alfalfa seed (like to plant August 12-15th, so broadcast grass/lime 10-12th). I plant half (8-10#) at a time, cross drilling on second pass when no tilling, BTW.

This is a three year old seeding that was done that way (double planting at 1/2 rate, this year's 4th cutting, excuse the fog).





  








CuttingInTheFog 4 2018 09 14




__
r82230


__
Sep 25, 2018








OR

Being you have just experience the thinning this year, perhaps frost seed some grass seed this winter, could be an option to prolong the hay field existence (to feed your wife's pets). 

OR

As other's have mentioned, plant Tiff grass (killing the field earlier, than I do), to get a hay crop this year, then kill the Tiff (or cut high leaving some snow covering material), no till back to alfalfa (late summer seeding, possibly fall seeding if Tiff is at right height for winter protection). I'm considering this method of re-establishing alfalfa fields to get more than the 50-60 day break I'm presently getting (June 15th to August 12th). I will probably experiment, even killing the field in the fall, for more time for the auto toxins to dissipate (still planting Tiff to get some sort of crop off the field).

Naturally, I don't know your equipment situation nor your field constraints if trying to have it custom done. So the value of this advice might be less than you paid for it. :huh:

Larry


----------



## RockyMtnKng (Dec 13, 2016)

r82230 said:


> I went back and read your profile, it gave me a little different take to your question. Being you manage a coop, you most likely would have 'connections' to have your field rotated (corn/beans/etc.) by someone else even. You are most likely aware of the N benefits, that favor a crop like corn.


I think you read my profile wrong, I'm an I.T. Manager (run the computers) not the General Manager of a local Coop...  If I was the manager of the coop I'd most likely have a lot nicer equipment. 

Access to equipment for Corn/Soybeans will be rented or hired done. I only own enough hay equipment for my ~20 acres I do. My uncle farms the ground all around it so will probably be him that I hire to at least combine, however he doesn't no till anything so he couldn't plant it. But I know someone with a no till drill that could do beans for me, I don't know of anyone with a no till corn planter small enough to have them mess with it. This is a <5 acre field of alfalfa so...... But just looking at what my best option is with it for next year. I'm aware of the nitrogen and I'm aware that is why "normally" you would tear up a field in the fall or plow it under, then plant corn the following spring. Then return to alfalfa the year after. My "rent" on this field is paid by providing hay for my dad/sister so that is why I want the first cutting off it for next year if possible. If I have to I can see what it does next year for 2019, 2018 was horrible here for hay with all the rain. Then tear it up next fall and do corn in 2020 and back to alfalfa in 2021.

Thanks to everyone so far!


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Another way to suck up the nitrogen and have less risk of aflatoxin would be to take off your first cutting and then spray the regrowth with roundup and then come in with a annual forage crop like Teff or annual ryegrass for the rest of the year and following spring seed it back to Alfalfa


----------



## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

RockyMtnKng said:


> I think you read my profile wrong, I'm an I.T. Manager (run the computers) not the General Manager of a local Coop...  If I was the manager of the coop I'd most likely have a lot nicer equipment.


Oops :huh:, late day reading and didn't even have an adult beverage to blame. But see that you need some sort of hay crop.

Less than 5 acres, I still stick with a little frost seeding (if you can get that small amount of OG or Brome Grass seed, spending your money, is easier than mine ).

Larry


----------

