# RR Alfalfa And Cold Spring Applications.



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

We first learned of this phenomena last year.....here is some follow up that could be useful to RR alfalfa growers.

Regards, Mike

http://hayandforage.com/article-1147-When-cold-alfalfa-and-glyphosate-don't-mix.html


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Interesting to say the least. If my alfalfa gets a little too much pigweed, I hit it with Buctril, I just can't stomach spending the $ for RR alfalfa.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

One thing often missed in this type of a post emergence conversation is. WEEDS. That time of year when it is a bit chilly to spray and your worried about losing 0.3 tons per acre . I have often seen farmers just let the whole 1st cutting go to the dogs. Winter annuals like henbit or chickweed. take over ruin the complete 1st . I have seen chickweed reduce yields by 75% and the farmer never sprayed because he could not find the right product to spray with .


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Vol, thanks for the reminder. I've been needing to spray my RR alfalfa that now is about 8- to 10-inches tall and mostly in the rosette stage with a few stems beginning to extend taller. Will wait to find a week of predicted warm temperatures before applying 22 oz of Glyphosate/ac. Perhaps the weevil also will need spraying by that time, using a tank mix. The article didn't say how long after spraying that cold weather affected the alfalfa.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

vhaby said:


> Vol, thanks for the reminder. I've been needing to spray my RR alfalfa that now is about 8- to 10-inches tall and mostly in the rosette stage with a few stems beginning to extend taller. Will wait to find a week of predicted warm temperatures before applying 22 oz of Glyphosate/ac. Perhaps the weevil also will need spraying by that time, using a tank mix. The article didn't say how long after spraying that cold weather affected the alfalfa.


 Not sure I understand and I would think if you're waiting any Alfalfa gains a couple of inches, and the alfalfa is over a foot. To be able to even see those weeds they would have to have some real good height. What would 22 ounces do at that stage. Those weeds would need to have been sprayed sooner


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## azmike (Jan 4, 2015)

I wish that I'd bought non-RR alfalfa, I don't think that the premium I paid was worth it. I have looked at other fields the same age as ours and find them a bit more robust. I also have lost a little sales as I won't/can't lie too good. This winter we over seeded triticale into the alfalfa pivot, not perfect but a substantial survival and we have a lot of interest in buying hay next month when we cut.

I think we will over seed sudan/sorgum into the alfalfa in July when we get our monsoon storms. We want to cut on the alfalfa schedule and bump the cow baleage yield.


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Waiting a bit longer for a period of warmer weather has its good points, based on the Internet article above. Temperature was 30 oF two nights ago. That likely would have triggered the Glyphosate injury mentioned in the article. Alfalfa growth is quite slow now. I would hope to put sufficient pressure on 20 gal of water per acre to penetrate the alfalfa vegetation. Maybe I'm wrong...


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

azmike said:


> I wish that I'd bought non-RR alfalfa, I don't think that the premium I paid was worth it. I have looked at other fields the same age as ours and find them a bit more robust. I also have lost a little sales as I won't/can't lie too good. This winter we over seeded triticale into the alfalfa pivot, not perfect but a substantial survival and we have a lot of interest in buying hay next month when we cut.
> I think we will over seed sudan/sorgum into the alfalfa in July when we get our monsoon storms. We want to cut on the alfalfa schedule and bump the cow baleage yield.


I kind of agree with you. Sure with RR you can have a good first season but then you might lose the last season or two of field life or significantly less production. All the while spending way more on seed.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Teslan said:


> I kind of agree with you. Sure with RR you can have a good first season but then you might lose the last season or two of field life or significantly less production. All the while spending way more on seed.


I have not found RR alfalfa to be that way......I like it, but we get a lot of rain annually most years....that along with substantial weed pressure from a hot and very long growing season. So RR alfalfa works very well here.

I think where non-RR alfalfa would excel here would be when you have a established Orchard grass field etc. that is beginning to "play" out and then come in and no-till alfalfa into this type of condition would allow for much less weed pressure making for a great stand of Alfalfa/Orchard grass.

There definitely is a case to be made for or against RR alfalfa dependent upon ones location and conditions.

Regards, Mike


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Vol said:


> I have not found RR alfalfa to be that way......I like it, but we get a lot of rain annually most years....that along with substantial weed pressure from a hot and very long growing season. So RR alfalfa works very well here.
> 
> I think where non-RR alfalfa would excel here would be when you have a established Orchard grass field etc. that is beginning to "play" out and then come in and no-till alfalfa into this type of condition would allow for much less weed pressure making for a great stand of Alfalfa/Orchard grass.
> 
> ...


Yessir!

One size does not fit most. If my hours spent reading on here have taught me a most important universal truth, it is this:

What works HERE may or may not work well THERE.


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