# Low RFV in grass-alfalfa hay



## Hayguy (Jun 4, 2008)

We had some early hay (barely in the bud but grass already headed out) tested at a well known forage lab. Test showed RFV of 100 to 110 . This is supposed to be a late maturing Orchard grass but the cool Spring we had favored the grass and slowed the alfalfa growth. My ? is does this seem reasonable that the grass would lower the RVF that much?


----------



## greenacres (Jun 5, 2008)

What kind of fertility program do you have? PH, fertilizer, alfalfa/orchard grass ratio. A low P and K will slow down alfalfa growth where the N from the alfalfa will help the orchard grass, to thick orchard grass will hold back alfalfa first cutting, and possibilty low calcium 60/65 ppm or lower could slow take up of fettilizer, too high of mag level 17/20 ppm or higher could tie up fertilizer.
PH 6.8 or below will hurt everything. just to mention a few things.


----------



## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

When testing grass or alfalfa/grass mixed hay it is probably best to use the Relative Feed Quality (RFQ) test for comparisons. An RFQ test gives the grass credit for it higher NDF digestability.

Here are some web pages that will explain it better.

http://www.hayandforage.com/mag/farming_better_test/index.html

http://www.hayandforage.com/news/farming_15/index.html

http://hayandforage.com/other/forage-testing/farming_new_publication_compares/



Hayguy said:


> We had some early hay (barely in the bud but grass already headed out) tested at a well known forage lab. Test showed RFV of 100 to 110 . This is supposed to be a late maturing Orchard grass but the cool Spring we had favored the grass and slowed the alfalfa growth. My ? is does this seem reasonable that the grass would lower the RVF that much?


----------



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

It is difficult to have high quality hay for dairy production with a grass alfalfa mixture.

The RVF is about where you should expect grass hay that has started to go to seed.

In the future consider a pure stand of alfalfa in one hay field. when the stands starts to become too thin, then plant your grass into the alfalfa stand. Then plant another field into a pure alfalfa stand, & repeat.

Treat the grass like grass and fertilize with nitrogen. When you use nitrogen on a grass alfalfa mix you end up favoring the grass and loosing the alfalfa stand.


----------

