# Cost of RR Alfalfa



## astropilot (Jun 3, 2008)

Hey Guys, I finally got some info from Caudill Seed here in Louisville about RR Alfalfa. They will be carrying WL Brand Varieties. The cost would be around $5.00 per lbs along with a tech fee of 2.50 per lbs give or take $.10. They should have it stock in about 3-weeks. I hope this info help everyone. Mark


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I just got off phone I can sell RR alfalfa for $4.20 lb plus tech fee of 2.50-3.00 lb depending where it is planted.

Monsanto needs a signed monsanto technology ageement.So you will have a technology card # and have to give them GPS cordinates of the field it is planted in.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Okay, exactly why is it any concern of theirs where it's planted? I suppose somebody could plant some then try to harvest the seed is their reasoning.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

mlappin said:


> Okay, exactly why is it any concern of theirs where it's planted? I suppose somebody could plant some then try to harvest the seed is their reasoning.


Yea I was wondering the same when they told me.Another thing it will all be coated seed.This way they can stretch the seed they have.Some of it is 4 yrs old.Which doesn't realy hurt alfalfa seed.But there is newer genetics available in conventional seed.

And out west they will have a tech fee of $150 a bag,125 a dag otherwise.Maybe one of the reasons for the GPS reading.Tech fee is for where it is planted not where it is sold.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

So that means you will be paying for the coating as well as the seed







I guess it won't matter to me because of my orchardgrass/alfalfa mix now.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I have a 10 ac field that I plan to replant in August. I might try RR there to experiment with weed control, yield, RFV and longevity. Longevity, RFV and yield had better be pretty doggone good. There's a lot of other ways to control weeds in alfalfa than Roundup.

But $300/bag is starting to get expensive!

Ralph


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

At Michigan State they had a field day this summer where they showed us a study plot of RR alfalfa that was 5 years old. They had three seedings - 4, 8, and 16 lbs. per acre. The 4 lbs. per acre yielded the same as the 16 lbs. per acre. Other studies showed that some conventional varieties are out producing RR varieties but also the lower seeding rates needed might actually make this seed cheaper. They were not going out on a limb and recommending that you use 4 or 8 lbs. per acre, just showing use what their results are in these small test strips. So who wants to try it, any takers?


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

Leave it to Monsanto... I don't know about the rest of you but I hate to watch Monsanto get rich off of our backs.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

This link my help explain the difference in yield between seeding rates:

Alfalfa seeding rates: how much is too much?

Ralph


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

If a guy was to plant RR alfalfa it would be wise to use a brillion seed and cut seeding rate back a bit.

Yrs ago when we had setaside acres I threw 100 lbs of alfalfa seed in with the oats on 30 acres thinking just for a little plowdown.Had a good catch and it all grew.Then it got dry so they opened it up for baling.Baled the oats off and kept it for 2 more yrs because hay price skyrocketed.I would say I got 80% of normal yield.After that I always put in the normal rate of 18-20 lbs just incase I could bale it up.It happened more than not in them yrs.


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

Some years ago Missouri did a success for seeding using various methods.

The ultimate was using a grain drill with a clover box and disconnect the tubes, followed by a Brillion Cultapacker.

Somewhat behind this was the Brillion Cultapacker Seeder.

More or less last was flying on a broadcast seeding or using a spinner, it helped if followed with irrigation.

Then they had different degrees of ground preparation.

To add to the complex they looked at seeding into a nice sandy loam to seeding into a heavy clay.
They had the math.

I was interested because we used to use the ideal grain drill and cultapacker. The problem with that was with our clay soil if at all damp would stick to the rollers and mud up.

At the time of the study I had changed to a Brillion Cultapacker Seeder and was interested. The Cultapacker seeder had 10% to 15% fewer seedlings emerge than the ultimate system.

Clay soil had lost 10% to 15% from the nice sandy loam seed bed.

So 12 lbs with the Seeder's 15% degradation needed 13.8 Lbs/A plus the heavy clay soil derogation is 15.87 Lbs/A. Then for a less than ideal seed bed is 18.25 lbs/A.

Then I considered the fact that I am forced to seed into a dry surface, and need a rain for germination. Every few years we have a nice gentle two day rain, but most of the time we have a thunder storm with large hard driving rain drops. This results in some seed being driven deep into the soil, Some become dislodged and float off to a low spot. My conclusion was to put a doubler gear on my seeder and plant 30 lbs/A.

Some years I get 100 seedling/sq ft and some years I am fortunate to have 10 seedlings/sq ft.

Some years I have germination in a few days. Some years germination is delayed six weeks or a little more.

I have noticed that the years of the 100 seedlings there are very few seeds, while with the weak years there are more than enough weed seedlings to fill in the gaps.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Agree with the moist soils part Wilson. I still use a Oliver Superior Grain drill to plant my alfalfa, just seems to work better than the neighbors Brillion seeder. I also added a second small seed box to the drill. Cover crop seed in one box, alfalfa in another, grass seed in the third.


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## nwks baler (Jul 18, 2008)

I ordered 4000lbs of RR alfalfa seed last Friday. There is no shortage of RR seed, they never stopped growing seed during the ban. The GPS thing was done the first time RR alfalfa seed was released.

I don't really care how much money Monsanto makes off RR alfalfa, I only care how much money RR alfalfa makes me.


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