# no till alfalfa



## D.S. Farms (Feb 23, 2010)

I HAVE 25 ACERS OF WELL DRAIND GROUND I WOULD LIKE TO NO TILL ALFALFA ON. I DO HAVE A JOHNSON GRASS PROBLEM IN THIS FIELD, AND NEED TO PLANT THIS SPRING. i CUT THE FIELD LATE LAST FALL SO THE GRASS IS VERY SHORT AS OF NOW. NEED ADVISE ON THE BEST WAY TO PLANT AND WHAT VARIETIES TO USE.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

What was last yrs crop besides Johnson Grass?

Can you get good seed to soil cantact threw any sod/trash?

Could you spray Roundup after weeds green up before seeding the alfalfa?

You could spray Select or Poast Plus for Johnson Grass after it is up post emergence.That should take care of any grasses but no broadleaf control.Perhaps Pursuit Plus that would control some broad leafs but not as strong on the grasses.And it would be more spendy.


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## D.S. Farms (Feb 23, 2010)

This hasbeen a hay field for the past 10 years, which hasent been renivatedin 6. It had a really good stand of orchard grass, timothy , and red clover. the first cutting is ok, but when the jgrass starts to grow it takes over and makes as much hay or more than the first cutting. The soil seems naturally loose, and well drained. not really wanting to work the field up due to high risk erosion if we get a big rain befor roots are established, and fuel cost. I was planning on pure alfalfa stand to kill the jgrass back befpr drillin orchard grass, and timothy later


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## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

Not sure where you are at, but have sprayed a meadow and no-tilled in oats as a companion and also no-tilled in the alfalfa in at the same time...have to check up what the seed rates were that were used, but thinking back should have hit alfalfa a little closer to 20 lbs an acre...probably should have crisscrossed the field. SWMN is right, getting good seed contact could be a problem. No till is much nicer into bean and wheat stubble that is for sure. I am taking out an old field I rent of about 20 acres, brome, clover, and timothy, getting weed pressure and tilling it up and putting in beans this year. People will think I am nuts, but I am going to drag out an old 5 bottom Oliver moldboard plow on the ground. Have not plowed since...wow...a long time. Going to make that Allis work a bit for its keep. The hay was there when I rented it from a previous renter. Kind of need to start it over to get a good horse hay mix for my horse customers. Of course I have to hire the beans harvested and sprayed, but I can no till in my hay mix the next spring. Maybe I'll make a few bucks on the beans.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

You say that it HAD a good stand of orchard grass, timothy and red clover..... Does that mean that it has been killed? Around here (and I suspect where you are too) it would have to be killed in fall so that the orchargrass clumps can brake down over winter so that a seeding of alfalfa will have good enough seed-to-soil contact. I have drilled beans into orchardgrass stubble a week after I made hay, and that resulted in a poor stand, I suspect that trying to no-till alfalfa into living sod will be poor as well.

Rodney


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## D.S. Farms (Feb 23, 2010)

Thats interesting, I accuired about 400lbs. of oat seed from the local seed store that had beenaround for awhile and the date on the seen expired, didnt know what to do with it. I live in western ky rite on the ohio river. Id get that ole plow out my self!! I love to watch the dirt fold over, and you caint beet the smell!! If you can remember the rates on the seed it would be appreciated.


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## D.S. Farms (Feb 23, 2010)

No I havent sprayed the field, it was cut verey late in the fall and is short. The ground seens to bee pretty mellow.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

DS, If I were you, I think I would probably work this ground. Is the field flat and smooth? When I plant alfalfa, I have much better luck drilling into ground that has been worked and flattened so that I get a great seed to soil contact. It is hard to do in a sod field, especially one that has not been burned down with chemicals. Just too much sod and wasted seed. Once you get it planted, then you could use a wick type of applicator to kill the johnson grass as it gets up above the alfalfa. This will be an ongoing challenge!!! Of course, everything depends on timing and weather. You could also overseed this field with timothy and orchardgrass and still work on getting rid of the johnsongrass. Best of luck to you. Mike


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## river rat (Jan 16, 2009)

I no tilled the cheapest alfalfa I could buy along with brome into 26 acres of expired CRP (switchgrass mostly) the spring of 08. That year 1st cutting was mostly switchgrass 2nd was mostly switch/other with some alfalfa maybe 3 ton total. First cutting of 09 was 70% alfalfa 30% grass mostly brome at 2.5 ton. Second cutting was the same only about 1.5 ton. Third was mostly alfalfa at 1.5 ton. I believe I planted 14lbs to the acre then ran my cultipacker over it. Worked well. The field is one of my roughest due to having it in CRP for 10 yrs but livable. Neibors thought I was nuts.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

We notilled a neighbors old cow pasture a few years back. Was pasture as it was way too rolling to even think about plowing. Burned it down with Roundup, came in a week later and no-tilled it with a Great Plains drill. Planted it at a half rate then ran at a 30-40 degree angle to the first pass right before a rain. Have a few thin spots, but for the most part some places in the field are 90+ percent alfalfa.

If it wasn't so rolling I would have much preferred to work it first as it does have some rough spots.


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